Turbonique was a company founded in 1962[1] by Clarence Eugene "Gene" Middlebrooks Jr of Orlando, Florida.
The turbine was fuelled by an isopropyl nitrate monopropellant that they sold under the brand name "Thermolene".
A 1955 VW Beetle named the "Black Widow", clocking 9.36 second (168 mph (270 km/h) quarter miles equipped with a Turbonique drag axle at the Tampa Dragstrip in 1965, occurred frequently in advertisements.
When it crashed, becoming airborne after reaching 183 mph (295 km/h), this event was also advertised, saying "we forgot our strength for a split second".
[citation needed] In 1968, Middlebrooks was accused and jailed for mail fraud mostly based on the goods supplied by Turbonique being more difficult and more expensive to finish and install than described in the advertisements.