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

1956 GM Firebird II recline seats

Harley Earl, the head of design for GM, was responsible for the look and feel of the Firebird II. Every detail was calculated to convey a sense of boundless optimism about the company’s future cars. It took decades for many of the car’s innovations, such as armrest beverage coolers, individually-adjusted climate controls, and ventilated seats, to appear in production models. GM proposed that the driver of the future could recline in the seat while an “electronic brain” took over and cruised the “Safety Highway.”

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