The GM Futurliners

The GM Futurliners

Manufacturer GMC Truck and Fisher Coach & Body.

Production 1936–1941, 1953–1956

The GM Futurliners were a group of custom vehicles, styled in the 1940s by Harley Earl for General Motors, and integral to the company's Parade of Progress—a North American traveling exhibition promoting future cars and technologies.Having earlier used eight custom Streamliners from 1936 to 1940, GM sponsored the Parade of Progress and the Futurliners from 1940 to 1941 and again from 1953 to 1956.

At 33 feet long, 8 feet wide, more than 11 feet tall, and weighing more than 12 tons, each Futurliner featured heavily stylized art deco, streamlined bodywork, deep red side and white roof paint, large articulated chrome side panels, a military-grade 302 cubic inch GMC straight-six gasoline engine and automatic transmission,whitewall tires and a prominent, high-mounted, centrally located driver command position with a panoramic windshield.

Of the twelve original Futurliners, one was destroyed in a 1956 accident, and nine were known to survive as of 2007. The status and location of several are unknown.

In 2014, Futurliner 10 was nominated for inclusion in the National Historic Vehicle Register.