The first turbocharged production car was introduced in 1962.
Two early production cars appeared that year: the Oldsmobile Jetfire and the Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder. The Jetfire used a turbocharged 3.5-liter aluminum V8, while the Corvair used a turbocharged flat-six. Both demonstrated how an exhaust-driven turbine could force more air into an engine and increase power without simply enlarging displacement.
Oldsmobile’s system used a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger and a fluid-injection system called Turbo-Rocket Fluid. The fluid helped control detonation under boost, but owners had to keep the reservoir filled. Reliability and maintenance problems contributed to the Jetfire’s short production run, which ended in 1963. The Corvair’s turbocharged engine continued for several years longer.
This date is sometimes confused with later milestones. Turbocharging had already been used extensively in aircraft and commercial vehicles, and the technology was not new in 1962. The significance of 1962 is that turbocharging reached series-produced passenger cars. Turbocharged passenger cars became much more common decades later, especially after improved electronic controls, intercooling, and emissions technology reduced earlier drawbacks such as turbo lag and poor durability.