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General Motors Motorama: Parade Of Progress

Already since the 1930s had General MotorsGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
promoted its products by transporting the latest innovations in a Parade Of Progress across the entire country. GM's chief designer Harley Earl wanted to spread his futuristic vision of transportation through this megalomanic road show.

In purpose-built FuturelinersGM Futureliner Motorama D...United States of America, 1953 > present1 photo
, the concept cars and latest production models were shipped from one city to the next and attracted a multi-million audience fascinated by the technological advances that covered everything from fun gadget, to luxury upgrade and outrageous sci-fi-vision.

See for yourself the evolution of technology and design that was on display at the Motorama Shows from 1953 to 1961.

1953 General Motors Motorama Show

From 1953, the annual showcases of the latest concepts from GM at the Waldorf Astoria during the New York Motor Show, became officially known as General Motors Motorama Show. From this point on, until 1961, a caravan of Futureliners would tour the USA to display to the public the technological innovations, futuristic visions and dream cars of the day.

1953 Buick Wildcat I

The Buick Wildcat I concept was specifically created for the 1953 Motorama show. Harley Earl lead the development of one of Buick’s first fiberglass cars which was purposely built to experiment with the new material and explore its usability for car bodies.

1953 Oldsmobile Starfire

Oldsmobile presented the Starfire dream car at the 1953 GM Motorama. Its name referred to the Lockheed F-94B Starfire fighter plane and it featured a large oval grille, that would later be see on the 1956 production models. It also had a wraparound windshield, fiberglass body and a custom Rocket V8-engine with over 200hp. It called the audience's attention with its turquoise finish and turquoise and white leather interior.

1953 Pontiac Parisienne

The Pontiac Parisienne dream car first appeared at the 1953 Motorama and returned with upgrades at the 1954 Motorama as well.

1953 Cadillac Orleans

The Orleans was one of two dream cars by Cadillac at the 1953 Motorama. The concept was very similar to the 1953 Cadillac Coupe de Ville apart from its innovative pillarless four-door hardtop. This design element was then introduced on the 1955 Buicks and Oldsmobiles. As many of the other 1953 Motorama cars, the Orleans also wore a wraparound windshield similar to the 1953 Eldorado production model.

1953 Cadillac Lemans

Another show-stopper at the 1953 Motorama, was the Cadillac Lemans dream car. Also with a fiberglass-body, it was a two-passenger sportscar concept and honoured the French racetrack on which Cadillac had first competed in 1950.

1953 Chevrolet Corvette

And at the show in 1953, one of the biggest automotive legends was born. The first Corvette was also the first production volume sports car and introduced an entirely new segment to the market. GM design boss Harley Earl authorised the development of this model, that continues in production until the present day.

1954 General Motors Motorama Show

The second Motorama Show was attended by more than 1.9 million visitors. Highlights on display at the Waldorf Astoria in New York were the Oldsmobile F88 and Cutlass, Buick Wildcat II, Chevrolet Nomad, GM Firebird XP-21 and Pontiac Bonneville Special, Cadillac El Camino, Cadillac La Espada and Cadillac Park Avenue. Uniting feature to all models were their fiberglass bodies.

1954 Oldsmobile F-88

The 1954 F-88 Motorama car was entirely painted in gold. It featured an elliptical grille opening and round parking lights built into the fenders, design cues that were also known from the Oldsmobile production cars. The headlights were sheltered by conical glass covers. This concept car caused again a stirr in recent years, when it got a bid at an auction of over 3 million US-dollars.

1954 Oldsmobile Cutlass

The Cutlass got its name from a military fighter plane, the Chance-Vought Cutlass. Its aviation inspired design featured instruments that started at the center of the dash panel and ran along the transmission tunnel between the front seats. The front fenders had a bottom opening and perforation to permit exhaust of engine heat. The rear fenders were crowned by high fins. The Cutlass was powered with a 250hp Rocket V8.

1954 Buick Wildcat II

In 1954, the Buick Wildcat II concept made its debut at the Motorama show in New York. Again, fiberglass was used and the styling was dominated by a new front fender that exposed the underside of the fender and the chrome plated front-end suspension. The fenders were lined with large chrome panels containing air scoop louvers.

1954 Chevrolet Nomad

The Chevrolet Nomad dream car came with a unique two-door styling that set it apart from other station wagons. The show car presented in 1954 was based on the Corvette. The GM-management's goal was to carry as much of the popular concept design over to the production model as possible, a strategy that should later pay off.

1954 GM Firebird I

The XP-21 Firebird 1 was the first gas turbine automobile ever to be built and tested in the United States. It was meant as a purely experimental vehicle, to test engineering and styling ideas. In particular, it was intended to clarify whether the gas turbine would be an efficient and economical powerplant for future vehicles. Its rocket-like design made it a highlight of the 1954 show.

1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special

The experimental Bonneville Special was the first two-seater sports car from Pontiac. The brand described it as a "low, racy sports car" and its name was derived from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a place that GM Styling chief Harley Earl visited to see the annual speed trials.

1954 Cadillac El Camino

Also the Cadillac El Camino had its premiere at the 1954 GM Motorama. It wore the obligatory fiberglass body and a brushed stainless steel top, which was hinting at the Cadillac styling to come. The passenger compartment used a curved glass, aircraft-type bubble canopy. Many of its design features, like the rear fins, the stainless roof, fluted side panels, gull-wing front bumper and quad headlights were later used on other production models.

1954 Cadillac Park Avenue

The Park Avenue concept was a four-door sedan with pillarless fiberglass bodywork based on the chassis of the 60 Special series. It featured dual instead of quad headlights and copied the tail fins of the 1951 Le Sabre. Its dummy air-scoop on the rear door was used with the 1955 Cadillacs. The Park Avenue had a Cadillac V8 overhead valve engine with an output of 238 horsepower.

1955 General Motors Motorama Show

In 1955, the Motorama Show toured the country from New York to Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. The dream cars on display that year were the Buick Wildcat III, Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad, Cadillac LaSalle II roadster and sedan, and the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.

1955 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham

At the 1955 Motorama, Cadillac used for the first time the Eldorado Brougham nameplate. With a specially formulated chameleon green paint, the car had a brushed stainless steel roof, four-door pillarless hardtop and panoramic windshield. New technological features were quad headlights, Autronic Eye and aluminum wheels. Luxury features were swivel seats and air conditioning.

1955 Cadillac LaSalle II

Two Cadillac LaSalle II dream cars were developed by Harley Earl’s Art and Color Section for the 1955 GM Motorama show, a small four-door sedan and a two-seat convertible roadster. They were powered by V6 experimental engines and showed 1940’s style vertical grille openings, Dagmar bumper guards and the LaS insignia. The convertible had a fiberglass body with concave body side panels behind the front wheel openings.

1955 Chevrolet Biscayne

The Biscayne dream car was equiped with the 265 cubic inch Chevrolet V-8 engine. It left its mark on the GM designs of the coming years, especially with its more down-toned but sporty rear that previewed the Corvair styling of the 1960s.

1956 General Motors Motorama Show

More than 2.2 million visitors came to see the dream cars at the 1956 Motorama Show. Again, the event toured the country from New York to San Francisco and presented the audience the Buick Centurion, General Motors Firebird II, the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket, Pontiac Club de Mer, Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and Eldorado Brougham Town Car.

1956 Buick Centurion

The Buick Centurion was an innovative two-door four-passenger coupe made of fiberglass. It had a red upper body finish, a brushed metallic finish on the lower portion and an all glass top. Powered by a 325hp V8 engine it wore back fenders that would reappear on the 1959 Chevrolets and Buicks. It also had a camera in the rear to report traffic to the driver via a screen in the dashboard, replacing the rear view mirror.

1956 GM Firebird II

The Firebird II was the second of the gas-turbine experimental cars that GM developed to explore alternative means of automobile propulsion. It was meant as futuristic form of family transportation as a comfortable, four-seat family car to travel on the future "Safety Autoway". Its aviation-inspired, aerodynamic body was fabricated in two different variants as titanium and fiberglass shell, it also featured advanced communications technologies.

1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket

The Golden Rocket was a gold colored 2 passenger car with a rocket-inspired design. It had a fiberglass body and was powered with a 234 CID, 275 hp Rocket V8 engine. The speedometer was placed in the center of the two-spoked steering wheel. Upon opening the doors, the seats came up 3 inches and swiveled outward for easy entry or exit.

1956 Pontiac Club de Mer Concept

The Pontiac Club de Mer concept was presented at the Motorama in 1956. Harley Earl and Paul Gillian conceived the two door sport roadster with its stretched body, inspired by the LSR (land speed record) trials at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

1959 General Motors Motorama

After a break in 1957 and 1958, the Motorama show returned in 1959 to New York and Boston. On display were the General Motors Firebird III and the Cadillac Cyclone.

1959 GM Firebird III

The third, and last, out of the Firebird experimental cars, was introduced in 1959 at the Motorama. It had a titanium skin, seven short wings and tail fins and was powered by a 225 hp gas turbine engine and a two cylinder 10 hp gasoline engine to run all the accessories. The steering wheel was replaced by a joystick, simulating the experience of flying a plane.

1959 Cadillac Cyclone Concept

The Cyclone introduced new styling and engineering ideas. The two- passenger car had a clear plastic top to give the driver a 360° vision. Advanced engineering feature was, amongst many others, a radar-locating device scanning the highway to warn the driver electronically of objects in its path. Large, twin nose cones in the front of the car housed the proximity-sensing units.

1961 General Motors Motorama Show

In 1961, the Motorama show returned for a last time to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles and more than a million people came to see it. GM even produced a theme film titled A Touch of Magic. In total, 10.5 million visitors had attended the Parade of Progress and marveled at the Motorama Dream Cars over the years.