The GM Futurliner, a 40s-era driving concept from General Motors’ Parade of Progress, may be displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
The Furuteliner in question is one that we reported on when it went on sale in Massachusetts last summer. Only 12 were ever built, so it’s an exceedingly rare piece of GM history. This one, believed to be number seven of the 12 built, was restored in the late 1990s and is in excellent condition. The side display door opens and closes, while the front light bar works as well. The vehicle was also fitted with a new Detroit Diesel engine, but the original engine and transmission were included with the sale. It was listed with an asking price of $998,900.
GM Futurliner undergoing restoration
According to GM, the buyer was an LA-based entrepreneur who owns the “Caretakers Collection,” which includes 65 cars, 30 motorcycles, and 12 go-karts. The anonymous collector paid $925,000 for the Futurliner and has spent approximately $1 million on renovations, undoing the work that was done in the 1990s and starting a new renovation from scratch, inside and out. Now, the collector plans to display the newly restored GM Futurliner at the Petersen Automotive Museum starting in December 2025.
For those readers who may not know, the GM Futurliners were concept vehicles styled by Harley Earl as part of the General Motors Parade of Progress. This exhibition of futuristic technologies and engineering visited towns and communities across North America, with lectures and demonstrations showing off things like radar, television, and a jet engine. The Parade was staffed by recent college graduates, who also drove the vehicles and set up the exhibits when the parade arrived in town.
The GM Futurliners were initially produced for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. It’s 33 feet long, eight feet wide, and over 11 feet tall. Nine examples are believed to have survived as of 2007. Art Deco styling influenced the exterior design, with chrome siding and red paint, a streamlined shape, and a high driving position. The original vehicles were powered by a four-cylinder diesel engine and manual transmission, and later models were powered by a straight six-cylinder gasoline engine and automatic transmission. The Futurliners also contain mechanically animated exhibits.
Comments
Glad it’s going to a good home.
I hope this ends up at the Petersen, luckily I am about an hour away and love going there. This futureliner could be made today, with modern tech and be a huge success.
If there are 9 survivors, where are the others?
With all the great sales reports GM have received the past year and especially the last two quarters. It is sad to see Trump single handily slow GM recovery to becoming America favorite Auto manufacturer like the 1960’s and 70’s, GM is truely on a roll if Trump get out of the way.
B.S. and you know it.
Would be very cool to see one in person. Parked. Would be an absolute terror to drive!
TheDrive.com did an article on this: basically a Futurliner is piloted more than driven, and hats off to those who did it.
If you’ve never been up close or able to tour inside of these beauties you’re in for a real treat the next time they’re in your’re town. Living less than 45 minutes away from The Petersen Museum (been there many, many times) I can tell you it is always a treat going there and visiting whatever they’ve got on a special display and of course their normal displays too.
Also you’ve got to take the “basement/garage” tour, it cost a few bucks but is so worth it!