As if proof was ever needed to show that California has been on the “green” wagon long before anyone, here’s a perfect example that is completely insane and 100% true. In 1969 the California Legislature actually decided to come up with and fund a trial of steam powered police cruisers to aid in lowering air pollution in the state. GM initially jumped on the trial but then backed out. In the end only two outfits decided to try and make this whole situation work and shockingly….shockingly we say, neither actually produced a car. One may have never actually even tried.
While the news story below talks about a pair of Dodge Polaras being used, the reality is that at least one of the cars was going to be an Olds Delta 88 as a company called Thermodynamic Systems was given one for their vehicle. The other car was a Polara and it was given to William P. Lear’s company (yes, the Lear jet guy) for a retrofit. Both companies had a window of six months to complete the work and neither actually did. Lear tried to string the people along by telling them that his car would be done three months after the deadline but neither machine actually materialized as best we can find. There are no photos or other evidence that these vehicles were anything more than vaporware (get it?) by the time the towel was thrown in on the project. We’re not 100% sure if they actually got money from the state or if the money was contingent on a working vehicle.
The same committee that wanted steam CHP cars also wanted steam buses and they didn’t manage to get those either. Now obviously clean fuels (propane/LNG) could be used but SOMETHING would have to be burned to generate the heat necessary to make the steam, right? Maybe the committee thought it could be made using the sun and magnifying glasses. We’re not sure on that.
General Motors seems to have at least given it a cursory try before realizing that the whole thing was a fool’s errand and quitting before getting too deep into it. 1969 was the “Summer of Love” and people were doing all kinds of crazy things and substances. It seems like someone spiked the water in Sacramento…and has been doing it ever since.
BangShifters: Was anyone around these cars or projects? Know anything more? We’re dying for some insider info on what seems like one of the more bizarre governmental experiments of the last 50 years!
Thanks for the tip Adam Thompson!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO EXPAND IT AND READ THE WHOLE INSANE STORY –
If it’s on the internet it must be true? It was an April fools joke… thus the no date on the ‘newspaper’ clipping. What’s funny is how many times this comes up – so curiosity, how would you make an emissions-free steam engine? you have to boil the water somehow…..
so to quote wiki
In 1967 California established the California Air Resources Board and began to implement legislation to dramatically reduce exhaust emissions. This prompted renewed interest in alternative fuels for motor vehicles and a resurgence of interest in steam-powered cars in the state.
The idea for having patrol cars fitted with steam engines stemmed for an informal meeting in March 1968 of members of the California Assembly Transportation Committee. In the discussion, Karsten Vieg, a lawyer attached to the Committee, suggested that six cars be fitted with steam engines for testing by California District Police Chiefs. A bill was passed by the legislature to fund the trial.[14]
In 1969 the California Highway Patrol initiated the project under Inspector David S Luethje to investigate the feasibility of using steam engined cars. Initially General Motors had agreed to pay a selected vendor $20,000 toward the cost of developing an Rankine cycle engine, and up to $100,000 for outfitting six Oldsmobile Delmont 88’s as operational patrol vehicles. This deal fell through because the Rankine engine manufacturers rejected the General Motors offer.[15]
The plan was revised and two 1969 Dodge Polara’s were to be retro-fitted with steam engines for testing. One car was to be modified by Don Johnson of Thermodynamic Systems Inc and the other by industrialist, William P Lear’s, Lear Motors Incorporated. At the time the California State Legislature was introducing strict pollution control regulations for automobiles and the Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, John Francis Foran, was supportive of the idea. The Committee also was proposing to test four steam-powered buses in the San Francisco Bay area that year.[16]
Instead of a Polara, Thermodynamic Systems (later called General Steam Corp), were given a late model Oldsmobile Delmont 88. Lear’s were given a Polara but it does not appear to have been built. Both firms were given 6 months to complete their projects with Lear’s being due for completion on 1 August 1969. Neither car had been completed by the due date and in November 1969 Lear was reported as saying the car would be ready in 3 months.[17] Lear’s only known retrofit was a Chevrolet Monte Carlo unrelated to the project. As for the project, it seems to have never been completed with Lear pulling out by December.[18][19][20][21]
In 1969 the National Air Pollution Control Administration announced a competition for a contract to design a practical passenger-car steam engine. Five firms entered. They were the consortium of Planning Research Corporation and STP Corporation; Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio; Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit; Vought Aeronautical Division of Ling-Temco-Vought, Dallas; and Thermo Electron Corporation, Waltham, Massachusetts.[22]
General Motors introduced two experimental steam-powered cars in 1969. One was the SE 124 based on a converted Chevrolet Chevelle and the other was designated SE 101 based on the Pontiac Grand Prix. The SE 124 had its standard gasoline engine replaced with a 50 hp power Besler steam engine, using the 1920 Doble patents; the SE 101 was fitted with a 160 hp steam engine developed by GM Engineering.[23]
In October 1969, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology put out a challenge for a race August 1970 from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Pasadena, California for any college that wanted to participate in. The race was open for electric, steam, turbine power, and internal combustion engines: liquid-fueled, gaseous-fueled engines, and hybrids.[24] Two steam-powered cars entered the race. University of California, San Diego’s modified AMC Javelin and Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s converted 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle called the tea kettle.[24] Both dropped out on the second day of the race.[25]
The California Assembly passed legislation in 1972 to contract two companies to develop steam-powered cars. They were Aerojet Liquid Rocket Company of Sacramento and Steam Power Systems of San Diego. Aerojet installed a steam turbine into a Chevrolet Vega, while Steam Power Systems built the Dutcher, a car named after the company’s founder, Cornelius Dutcher. Both cars were tested by 1974 but neither car went into production. The Dutcher is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. https://jimsgarage.wordpress.com/2007/06/26/on-the-road-peterson-museum/
note the Oldsmobile Delmont?
however, in the article listed as support
There was a design for a nuclear powered car designed by Studebaker-Packard in 1957.
there’s even a picture of it….
but no, Brian, you been had.
Wow sbg!
It looks like they’ve been lacing the water supply with crystal meth where you come from – either that or you are a very lonely and sad person…..