Chrysler Typhoon: The Car of the Future That Remained a Concept Model (4 Photos)

The 1963 Chrysler Typhoon featured a long, low-slung body, two seats, and a retractable hardtop. The front and rear styling was built around a turbine theme: large circular features on the corners and a tapered midsection gave the car an almost symmetrical silhouette.





Designed by Charles Mashigan, the project emerged during Chrysler's era of gas-turbine experimentation. The Typhoon was engineered to accommodate a turbine engine mounted in either the front or the rear, but the only example ever built remained a studio display model, lacking an engine and transmission. It never ran under its own power.



According to research by Mac’s Motor City Garage, the Typhoon was later repainted silver and showcased at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair. This explains why archival photos show the same concept in different paint finishes and with its roof either raised or stowed away.