text: Several 1976 Dodge Aspen sedans served as test vehicles for a gas turbine engine installation, in a project sponsored by the United States Department of Energy. Testing began in August 1976. This new turbine engine was a smaller version of Chrysler Corporation's earlier turbine engine. At the time, the hope was that turbine engines would be cleaner and more efficient than comparably powerful V8 engines, but numerous technical challenges eventually put an end to turbine engine development for automotive applications.
  Marketing
  According to R. M. "Ham" Schirmer, manager of Dodge car and corporate advertising for Chrysler, the "Aspen" name originated from the codename "Aspen-Vail" when development for it and the Plymouth "sister car" began in 1971. "Aspen is a very pleasant name", Schirmer said, "people think of the outdoors, but not necessarily skiing when they hear it ... it won't inhibit where we want to position the car because it's basically neutral." Nonetheless, Chrysler sponsored the 1976 Dodge Aspen Team K2 Freestyle and opened up World Pro Skiing's seventh season, in Aspen, Colorado, as the Dodge Aspen Cup, running courses on Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain. Actor Rex Harrison served as pitchman in an advertising campaign for the Dodge Aspen that was inspired by the "Ascot Gavotte" scene in the 1964 movie My Fair Lady, which starred Harrison. In TV and radio advertisements, Harrison performed a "patter song" using the word "unbelievable" spoken in rhythm.