Turbines at Le Mans

Le Mans 1968. A fire marshal in full gear, is ready for action while watching the turbine-powered Howmet TX of Richard Thompson and Ray Heppenstall pass (picture above).

The Howmet TX (Turbine eXperimental) was an American sport prototype car designed in 1968, to test the competitive use of a gas turbine engine in sports car racing. Imagined by racing driver Ray Heppenstall, the TX combined a chassis built by McKee Engineering, turbine engines leased from Continental Aviation & Engineering, and financial backing and materials from the Howmet Corporation.

Although not the first attempt at using a turbine powerplant in auto racing, the Howmet TX was the first and still the only turbine car to win a race, earning two SCCA race victories during its only year in competition.

Two cars were entered in the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans for Thompson-Heppenstall in the #22 and Dibley-Tullius sharing #23. In the race, mechanical problems appeared early as Thompson’s car suffered after only three laps. The fuel system was not providing enough Jet A fuel to the turbine to allow it to produce its full power output, meaning the car had to limp down the circuit’s long straights.

The other car suffered a wheel bearing failure two hours later, requiring a lengthy three-hour repair. By the sixth hour of the event, the car was disqualified by race officials, having covered an insufficient distance of 60 laps only. The remaining fuel-starved TX did not last much longer as Thompson crashed in the Indianapolis corner.

A great adventure for this sympathetic team of passionate people and their superb and original car (picture below), came to a discreet end, but we can only applaud the effort.