The Rover Gas Turbine Car

Experimental work on “JET 1”, the world`s first gas turbine car began after the end of the second world war in 1946, and between this time and 1955 there was considerable activity at the Rover Car Company headquarters at Solihull in the West Midlands.

The latter date saw a second prototype which had a rear mounted gas turbine in a normal saloon body, but following swiftly on from this came the “T3”, Rover`s first practical specially designed gas turbine motor car.

Over the years the most important result of research had been the development of a gas turbine engine less than half the size of the original. The “T3” represented tremendous technical progress by 1956 with it’s advanced specification.

Rover considered the chief advantages of a turbine engined car to include lightness of the unit relative to the power developed and the absence of any radiator or other cooling equipment, clutch and gearbox.

The Rover T3 was of course only a preliminary design but made full use of the above advantage and was a roomy two-seater of small overall dimensions for its weight.

Having the engine rear mounted it was possible for Rover to design a body having a low bonnet line which with a deep wraparound windscreen and large rear window gave excellent visibility. The bodywork was of GRP with drive to all four wheels and a de-Dion rear axle.

The gas turbine was a development of the industrial IS/60 and consisted of a single stage centrifugal compressor with a maximum speed of 52,000 r.p.m. driven by a single stage axial turbine re-designed so that it took only sufficient power from the gas stream to drive the compressor and fuel and oil pumps.  A second single stage power turbine was added to take the remaining power from the gas stream and this drove the front and rear differential units.  This reduction gear also incorporated a reverse gear which was selected by a central control lever.

The heat from the exhaust gases was fed into a heat exchanger to warm the compressed air prior to it entering the combustion chamber.  The exhaust was ducted at about 200 degrees centigrade to a square opening on the boot lid.

At 52,000 Compressor r.p.m. the engine developed 110 B.H.P.  The self sustaining speed of the engine was 15,000 r.p.m.

As with all turbo cars the only pedal required in addition to the accelerator was the brake which together with the hand-brake and the reverse gear lever, were the only controls. The four instruments for the driver to look at were, jet pipe temperature, compressor r.p.m., speedo and combined oil pressure, fuel level and ammeter.

On a short test at the M.I.R.A. test track a standing 0 to 80 m.p.h. was achieved in 18 seconds, a speed of 102 m.p.h. was recorded on the high speed test track, with more power in hand.  Fuel consumption at a constant 40 m.p.h. being 13.8 miles per gallon, falling to 12.8 at 80 m.p.h.

The Rover had a wheelbase of 94 inches, overall length of 149 .75 inches with ground clearance of 6.125 inches.  The track was slightly narrower at the front, 48.25 inches against 48.437 inches at the rear.

Now, almost 50 years on, what type of engine do we have under our bonnets (hoods)?   No, not a gas turbine but a unit invented over 100 years ago.  More refined, certainly, but it still has cylinders with pistons connected with rods to a crank-shaft which takes the drive through a gear-box to drive the road wheels.  If there is still such a thing as a motor car in another 50 year time I wonder what will propel it?