Ray Heppenstall

Photographed by Tom Winger during his 1979 visit to MovieWorld – Cars of the Stars, this rare Howmet TX (Turbine eXperimental) was an ambitious attempt to revolutionize sports car racing with turbine power. Designed by Ray Heppenstall and built in 1968, the TX was the only turbine-powered race car to ever win a sanctioned race, securing two SCCA victories in its single season of competition. Featuring a McKee Engineering chassis and a Continental Aviation gas turbine engine, the Howmet TX later set six FIA land speed records after its retirement from racing. Displayed at Movieworld among other historic vehicles, it stood as a testament to the bold engineering experiments of the 1960s. Photo from The Tom Winger Photo Collection.