The 1952 Socema Gregoire was one of the first cars to be powered by a gas turbine engine.  Developed as a joint venture between the French aviation firm SOCEMA (who built the engine) and legendary automotive pioneer Jean Albert Gregoirea (who designed the car), and built by Hotchkiss - the lightweight car was a masterpiece of mid-century aerodynamics.  Despite turning heads at its official debut during the 1952 Paris Auto Show, the project was quickly grounded. The prototype faced massive real-world engineering hurdles - including excessive fuel consumption, scorching operating temperatures, and prohibitive manufacturing costs.
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