Turbonique Video: A Five Minute Turbonique Promotional Video From the 1960s!


Turbonique Video: A Five Minute Turbonique Promotional Video From the 1960s!

The story of Gene Middlebrooks’ Turbonique company has been told a zillion times on the internet. The company that made rocket propulsion available to the common hot rodder disappeared in a strangulation hold of red tape, litigation, and charges of mail fraud that Middlebrooks was eventually convicted of. While it lasted though, Turbonique made some supremely wild junk.

In this video you’ll see the 1965 “Sizzler” Chevelle, the “Black Widow” VW Bug battling Ivo’s quad engine car, a few Turbonique powered karts, and a Barracuda wearing a Turbonique self powered supercharger. We don’t know about the Barracuda or the karts, but both the Sizzler and Black Widow were destroyed in high speed crashes. Jack McClure was aboard the Sizzler when the Turbonique rocket drag axle failed at 160mph plus. He told us that Turbonique stuff was “shit” and Middlebrooks was in over his head. We tend to agree.

What sunk Middlebrooks ultimately was the fact that he advertised rocket kits and shipped raw castings that needed extensive work to be anything more than neatly shaped metal. People finally caught onto this enmasse and he went to the klink because of it. While inside he attempted several times to get out. Here’s his appeal from 1972  and his second appeal from 1974 (this is the GOOD read!)

Warning…this video does not have the correct audio, there is a background song. The footage is worth seeing, even if it is in silence. 


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One thought on “Turbonique Video: A Five Minute Turbonique Promotional Video From the 1960s!

  1. MGBChuck

    Yep, that’s some CRAZY stuff, that Z-16 Chevelle got rolled up, to bad, very rare car. I’ve seen this before but enjoy seeing it everytime. The kart led to Capt. Jack McClures rocket kart (my screen saver). Good stuff, thanks BS

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