In the late 1940s, the U.S. auto industry started an exciting experiment and spent decades on it. One result came in '63, when the Turbine was introduced by Chrysler Corp., now a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). In appearance, the two-door, four-passenger car looked like a regular car, but it wasn't. Under its sleek shell, the car had a jet engine.

Yes, the headline is correct: Autonomous vehicles are not a new idea. In fact, in the 1950s, handsfree driving so interested General Motors engineers that they designed a concept car for it. And in 1956, at its own auto show, the GM Motorama, the automaker unveiled the car, the Firebird II.

If you read only one article this issue, it should be Norm Parker’s article on the Chinese bearing manufacturing industry. Parker is an engineer with General Motors, a true industry insider who has become a regular contributor to Power Transmission Engineering.