The Space Age Hits the Road: Visionary Car Designs in America

1956 GM Firebird II four-passenger

In 1953, General Motors produced a test vehicle called the Firebird I, which literally looked like a rocket ship on wheels. GM wanted to see whether a turbine engine, typically found in aircraft and ships, could be used in an automobile. While more efficient than a regular combustion engine, turbines operate at extremely high temperature and pressure, and engine failure can produce catastrophic results. At the 1956 Motorama car show, GM exhibited the Firebird II. This refined version of the previous vehicle more closely resembled a four-passenger family car.

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