Turbonique was a fairly short lived company set up in the early sixties in the USA with the aim of providing acceleration freaks with a new way of getting high - with the aid of rocket fuels.. One product was the stand alone, self powered supercharger that used a rocket fuelled turbine capable of providing a massive boost to the intake charge at the touch of a button.
Fantastic as that is, the rear engine connection and focus of this article is the “Drag Axle”. Again this was a rocket powered turbine mounted behind, and connected to, the rear axle. The car could be driven as normal by its conventional engine but once the button was hit the rear mounted rocket would fire, supplying 1000hp or more direct to the rear axle through a second driveshaft.
The best photo I have found of this arrangement in action is this one courtesy of Hot Rod Magazine. Nine or even eight second quarter mile times were possible.
Last year a time warp condition Ford Galaxie fitted with a Drag Axle (and a very potent supercharged V8 up front) was presented at a Mecum auction in the US and realised $375,000 in the sale.
As a star lot they even provided prospective purchasers with a video on U-tube. Unfortunately I doubt that the new owner will ever risk pressing THAT button
Via: Turbonique, a wild rear engine! | retroscenemag.com | Partner- und Mitglieder-Blogs : Chromjuwelen.com - Motorkultur Magazine
This barn fresh turbine-powered Cougar
was on display at Lancaster Speedway this weekend. The turbine is genuine Turbonique
Via: blog.cardomain.com/2007/08/14/turbonique/
"He's scorching Western dragstrips with his turbonique AP supercharger installations. He's Dr. Gerald R. Guest of Phoenix, Arizona, who turned 146 mph in 10.21 E.T. in his turbonique blown '63 Plymouth"
What kind of nutjob would put one on his car? Quite a few as it turns out. I previously mentioned Roy Drew, the African American racer who defeated Tommy Ivo's "Showboat" with his Turbonique-sponsored Black Widow drag axle Volkswagen. Here's the catalog shot of the showdown, with the Bug clocking 9.36 ET at 168 mph.
Okay, so rocket superchargers and drag axles are all well and good, but what if you really needed undiluted, industrial-grade insane? You'd be in luck, because also Turbonique provided microturbo thrust engines. Not rocket powered superchargers, or rocket powered axles, but rocket-powered rockets - pure thrust engines for horizontal speed.
Here's one application: a '64 GTO powered by "twin T-22-A Thrust engines."
Via: iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2006/04/the_real_acme.htm
Full read up on the pics at: Turbonique
TURBONIQUE
Technical Manual & Catalog copies for Sale: The Rocketman Online Store
TURBONIQUE GALLERY
Many more pics in the gallery here: The Rocketman Online Store
Fantastic as that is, the rear engine connection and focus of this article is the “Drag Axle”. Again this was a rocket powered turbine mounted behind, and connected to, the rear axle. The car could be driven as normal by its conventional engine but once the button was hit the rear mounted rocket would fire, supplying 1000hp or more direct to the rear axle through a second driveshaft.
The best photo I have found of this arrangement in action is this one courtesy of Hot Rod Magazine. Nine or even eight second quarter mile times were possible.
Last year a time warp condition Ford Galaxie fitted with a Drag Axle (and a very potent supercharged V8 up front) was presented at a Mecum auction in the US and realised $375,000 in the sale.
As a star lot they even provided prospective purchasers with a video on U-tube. Unfortunately I doubt that the new owner will ever risk pressing THAT button
Via: Turbonique, a wild rear engine! | retroscenemag.com | Partner- und Mitglieder-Blogs : Chromjuwelen.com - Motorkultur Magazine
This barn fresh turbine-powered Cougar
was on display at Lancaster Speedway this weekend. The turbine is genuine Turbonique
Via: blog.cardomain.com/2007/08/14/turbonique/
"He's scorching Western dragstrips with his turbonique AP supercharger installations. He's Dr. Gerald R. Guest of Phoenix, Arizona, who turned 146 mph in 10.21 E.T. in his turbonique blown '63 Plymouth"
What kind of nutjob would put one on his car? Quite a few as it turns out. I previously mentioned Roy Drew, the African American racer who defeated Tommy Ivo's "Showboat" with his Turbonique-sponsored Black Widow drag axle Volkswagen. Here's the catalog shot of the showdown, with the Bug clocking 9.36 ET at 168 mph.
Okay, so rocket superchargers and drag axles are all well and good, but what if you really needed undiluted, industrial-grade insane? You'd be in luck, because also Turbonique provided microturbo thrust engines. Not rocket powered superchargers, or rocket powered axles, but rocket-powered rockets - pure thrust engines for horizontal speed.
Here's one application: a '64 GTO powered by "twin T-22-A Thrust engines."
Via: iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2006/04/the_real_acme.htm
Full read up on the pics at: Turbonique
TURBONIQUE
Technical Manual & Catalog copies for Sale: The Rocketman Online Store
TURBONIQUE GALLERY
Many more pics in the gallery here: The Rocketman Online Store
lots of new stuff I didnt know 
