
The Oldsmobile Jetfire was an intermediate size car with an all aluminum V8 and a turbocharger. Turbos were not new, their history dates back to 1905, but they weren't often seen on American cars, especially American cars coming from a major manufacturer. The Jetfire was the the first mass produced turbo car, beating the introduction of the Corvair Spyder by about a month.
The turbo was co-developed by GM and Garrett AiResearch. Oldsmobile engineers chose a small-diameter turbo unit to speed up the turbo's response and to limit turbo-lag. They used a waste-gate and the turbo pressure was kept at 5 PSI. With a 3 speed automatic transmission, the car got to 60 MPH in under 10 seconds.

Other than the engine and some special trim, the Jetfire was standard issue Oldsmobile F-85 / Cutlass. The suspension was built for comfort, not for handling and the steering was numb.

Also of note is the 215ci aluminum engine itself. This engine is credited to Buick and Buick used it (in non-turbo form) in their Special and Skylark models. After only a few years of use, GM decided it was too small. They sold the design, tooling and manufacturing rights for the engine to Rover. The engine was ultimately used in Rover automobiles, the Triumph TR8, Morgans, TVRs, the MGB GT V8, MG RV8, and until just recently, Land Rovers and Range Rovers (it was used in many other small volume cars, too). It may be one of the Top 10 great engines of all time. Sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, GM, then seeing the need for a lightweight V8, tried to buy the engine back from Rover. Rover said "thanks, but no thanks."
The car being offered on eBay is a very nice restored car. It comes with a spare engine. It's one of those cars that if I had unlimited funds and storage space I'd buy just for its uniqueness and historical value.
Click here to see the eBay listing.
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