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The GM Futurliners were a gathering of custom vehicles, styled in the 1940’s by Harley Earl for General Motors. There was a total of 12 built in all, the Parade of Progress was a North American traveling exhibition to present future autos and technologies. This all began in 1936, with an investment in the millions and thousands of man hours. What it strived to do was to bring the future to hundreds of small towns and rural areas. It presented the future in a stage show format, with 32 back-up vehicles and known in their art deco style.
The young College educated men who toured and done such presentations lectured about such topics as; diesel-electric power, jet engine technology and each came with a self-contained stage. Also more specific, each vehicle had its own topic to promote and sought to show how through such technologies the consumers life could be made better. Microwave ovens and television was other innovations presented on these tours. Once parked, the Aerodome tent went up, removed it when mobile again and did anything needed to make such shows a success.
A second parade was launched from the 1939 New York World’s Fair highlighted 12 mission-built Futurliners. At the beginning of World War two the tour came to an end, after having visited 251 towns and small cities in North America that got the attention of 12 million people. The program was reinstated once again in 1953, however in 1956 the third and final tour never happened.
Considering the time period; it truly was art deco in design. Probably borrowing from the trains of the time they also exhibited this styling transporting people in comfort and speed. At 33 feet in length, 8 feet wide and more than 11 feet tall, they weighed in at over 12 tons. All were famous for their streamlined bodywork, deep red side, white roof paint and the power-train was a military grade 302 cu. in. GMC straight-six gas engine hooked to an automatic transmission. The driver sat in a prominent, high mounted centrally located behind a panoramic windshield.
What remains of the Futurliners today? With nine remaining, one was totaled in 1956 parade year and never replaced. One Futurliner sold at Barrett-Jackson auction in January 2006 for a record $4 million plus the premium, the funds from the sale to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation, a charity for military personnel and families. These vehicles are truly awesome as noted in one of the photo’s I submitted from Mecum Auto Auction, Monterey, California August 2016 that I had an opportunity to see firsthand.
By Willys6
