Which car brand introduced the first production turbocharged engine?

Oldsmobile introduced the first production turbocharged car engine. Its Turbo Jetfire engine appeared in the 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire, making Oldsmobile the canonical answer.

The Jetfire used a turbocharged version of Oldsmobile’s lightweight 215-cubic-inch aluminum V8. A Garrett AiResearch turbocharger increased output to 215 horsepower, an impressive figure for a compact car of the period. The system also used a water-and-methanol mixture called Turbo-Rocket Fluid to reduce the risk of detonation under boost.

The innovation was short-lived. Owners sometimes failed to refill the fluid reservoir, and reliability and maintenance problems contributed to the engine’s withdrawal after 1963. Chevrolet introduced the turbocharged Corvair Monza Spyder shortly afterward in 1962, making it the second production turbocharged car.

Porsche, BMW, and Saab later became strongly associated with turbocharging, but they did not introduce the first production passenger-car turbo engine. The Oldsmobile Jetfire holds that distinction.