RARE! 1 OF 2 SHELBY TURBINE INDY CARS

This is a rare piece of Carroll Shelby and Indianapolis 500 history. This Ken Wallis designed car used a 1325 HP General Electric T58 turbine engine.

This is a rare piece of Carroll Shelby and Indianapolis 500 history. This Ken Wallis designed car used a 1325 HP General Electric T58 turbine engine. This car was driven by Dennis Hulme. The #66 car was for team mate Bruce McLaren. Both cars were withdrawn the day before qualifying. This is a complete, running car.

Here is how the story goes. In 1967 Andy Granatelli of STP Corporation commissioned Ken Wallis to design a 4 wheel drive turbine powered Indycar. This car was driven by Parnelli Jones and dominated the race. It suffered mechanical failure in the final laps, handing A.J. Foyt his 3rd "500" win.

For 1968 Granatelli took this concept to Colin Chapman at Lotus and the Lotus 56 was born. Meanwhile Wallis took his concept and paid a visit to Carroll Shelby. Shelby convinced Clothier Botany 500 and Goodyear Tire to fund the project. The talented Dennis Hulme and Bruce McLaren were hired to drive the cars. The cars had tremendous acceleration but were handful to drive in traffic. On the Friday before the first day of qualifying Shelby's Phil Remington something was not right with the car. He discovered the turbine inlet size far exceeded the legal limit. Not wanting to be a part of an illegal effort perpetrated by Wallis, Remington immediately resigned. Carroll Shelby withdrew the cars immediately. Bruce McLaren went home and did not return to Indy until 1970 with his own McLaren M15. Dennis Hulme would go onto drive AAR's Olsonite Eagle for the 1968 Indianapolis 500, starting 20th and finishing 4th.

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