Greatest Odd-Ball Corvette Ever? The 1978 Turbine Corvette
Andy and Vince Granatelli build the most outrageous street Corvette, EVER???
To download the PDF version of the Motor Trend article, “The Gas Turbine Corvette… because he likes to go fast”, CLICK HERE.
Corvette has been America’s Sports Car for decades. Just last weekend, we saw a 2025 ZR1 Corvette pace the Indy 500 for the 21st time. The Indy 500 loves Corvettes. From the beginning of Corvette, people have done many wild and crazy things with Corvettes.
The cover story of the November 1979 issue of Motor Trend was titled, “The Turbine Corvette… because he likes to go fast.” We’re not talking about a “turbocharged” Corvette but rather a gas turbine-powered Corvette!
The turbine engine stuffed into the 1978 Corvette was designed to be a stationary gas turbine generator, bolted to the ground, NOT powering a Corvette. It is basically the same as the 1967 STP Indy Turbine car.
Nice PJs, guys!
Here’s some perspective on how over the top this car was. The 1978 350 L82 Corvette had 220 (net) HP and 260 lb-ft of torque. The Pratt & Whitney ST6B gas turbine made 880 HP and 1161 LB-FT of torque! The car also ran 0-60 MPH in 3.2 seconds and 12.0 in the quarter-mile.
The mad man behind this outrageous Corvette was Vince Granatelli, the son of Andy Granatelli, the mastermind behind the 1967 STP Turbine Indy car.
Parnelli Jones drove the STP Turbine car at the 1967 Indy 500. The Motor Trend story includes an interview with Jones. Probably a few dozen people have ever driven the Turbine Corvette. But Jones has the unique perspective of having raced and dominated the Indy 500 with a turbine race car.
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This 1978 Turbine Corvette is still around, although hardly ever seen. In January 2015, the Granatelli Turbine 1978 Corvette sold at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction. The selling price and the buyer were never disclosed.
Somewhere between the November 1979 issue of Motor Trend and January 2015, the 1978 Turbine Corvette 15×8-inch aluminum Centerline wheels and Firestone tires were replaced with much larger diameter Centerline wheels.
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The wheel-tire combo kind of messes with the otherwise period-correct looks of the car. The original vented hood looks good too, almost a preview of the C7 Corvettes.
To download the PDF version of the Motor Trend article, “The Gas Turbine Corvette… because he likes to go fast”, CLICK HERE.
This is an amazing story, and a true, one-of-a-kind, oddball Corvette. Enjoy! – Scott
Related stories…
Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction
Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette Idles at 60 MPH!
https://www.hotrod.com/features/turbine-powered-1978-chevrolet-corvette-idles-60-mph
Driving the Granatelli Turbine Corvette
https://www.autoblog.com/news/granatelli-turbine-powered-chevy-corvette-feature-video
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