Few race cars have generated more controversy than the STP Turbine that darned near won the 1967 Indy 500. Here’s a great little period video with the story.

Andy Granatelli wasn’t the first car owner to bring a gas turbine engine to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Previous attempts had included the 1962 John Zink Trackburner, tested by none other than Dan Gurney. But Granatelli was the first to show the turbine’s true potential, using an advanced four-wheel-drive chassis and a ST6B engine from Pratt and Whitney of Canada.

Piloted by the cagey veteran Parnelli Jones, the STP-Paxton Turbine quietly stalked the field all month. The Day-Glo Red racer, nicknamed “Silent Sam” and the “whooshmobile” by Gasoline Alley observers, qualified on the second row, barely tipping its hand. When the green flag dropped, Parnelli easily motored around the five cars in front of him, and in less than one lap he was in the lead. Whistling around the 2.5-mile oval, Silent Sam dominated the race all day, only to fall out with eight miles remaining when a driveline bearing failed.

While the turbine didn’t win that first year, it scared the daylights out of the racing establishment, and a series of technical restrictions were soon enacted that hobbled the turbine powerplant and eventually eliminated it. The eight-minute clip below effectively captures the political controversy—and a few moments we had nearly forgotten, including Parnelli’s amazing spin and recovery on lap 51 (five minutes into the film). Wow. Enjoy the video.