The secrets of F1 turbocharging explained

Turbocharged engines are now de rigueur as the industry adopts engine downsizing to increase efficiency. While they are thought of as a relatively new development, the first patent for such a device was granted in 1905.

Although the idea was sound, the materials available to engineers at the time weren’t suitable for such arduous conditions, and while a Liberty aero engine was turbocharged in 1918, it wasn’t until the 1950s that the first production turbo-diesel engine went into production. This was followed in 1962 by a pair of turbocharged Petrol General Motors models (albeit running very low boost): the Chevrolet Corvair Monza and Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire. Poor reliability led to them going out of production within two years.