In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, trading cards went mainstream with games like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. Apparently, GM Powertrain jumped on the bandwagon with this deck of engine and transmission trading cards.
A Jalopnik reader sent in photos of the deck, appropriately titled “Power Cards,” which include every GM engine and transmission in production in 2001. The reader, Jamie Anton, said he picked up the cards while studying at the General Motors Institute, now Kettering University.
However, no one knows who made the cards or what their intended purpose was. Guesses range from handouts at an auto show or something fun for the powertrain group at the time.
But they are pretty darn cool. Each card features a photo of the engine or transmission and the opposite side includes a host of facts and specifications. The cards also show applications for each engine and transmission, where and what the unit was made of and more.
At the time, these probably seemed like a really cheesy gimmick, but now, we think they’re downright cool. Head to Jalopnik to see the full gallery of trading card photos.
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