Which 1962 Oldsmobile model is often cited as the first turbocharged production car?

The 1962 Oldsmobile model often cited as one of the first turbocharged production cars is the Oldsmobile Jetfire.

The Jetfire was a sporty, pillarless-hardtop version of the compact Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass. Its 215-cubic-inch aluminum V8 was fitted with a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger and marketed as the Turbo-Rocket. The engine produced 215 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, remarkable figures for a small production car of the period.

The Jetfire’s distinction needs a little historical nuance: it was not the only 1962 production car associated with the earliest turbocharging milestone. Chevrolet introduced the turbocharged Corvair Monza Spyder during the same era, so historians often describe the Jetfire as one of the first rather than the single uncontested first.

Turbocharging also created practical problems. The high-compression engine could suffer spark knock, so Oldsmobile supplied a fluid-injection system using a water-and-methanol mixture. Owners who neglected the system risked engine damage. Production lasted only through 1963, with 3,765 Jetfires built.