The story of the General Motors Futureliner began
with the 1933-1934 Chicago World’s Fair and its
theme "A Century of Progress." It was at that
exposition, that General Motors fielded one of
its largest and most prominent exhibits to date.
Inspired by the GM exhibit, General Motors VP
Charles F. Kettering convinced
his boss to put
the educational exhibits
on the road so that the
millions of Americans
who hadn’t been able
to get to the Chicago
World’s Fair could view
General Motors’ technological
and scientific
advances.
Following the World’s Fair, General Motors built a fleet of eight special motor coaches called Streamliners. These special custombuilt buses had self-contained exhibits derived from those in the GM "Century of Progress" exhibition. Organized as the "Parade of- Progress" in 1936, the motor coaches and support vehicles toured through small and midsized cities in the United States and drew huge crowds. By the time the "Parade" was mothballed in 1941 due to the onset of war, 12.5 million people in 251 cities had seen it.
Just prior to the cessation of the tour, the "Parade of Progress" exhibit was revamped and expanded in 1940 when GMs Truck and Coach Division along with Fleetwood Fisher Body constructed a fleet of twelve new streamlined custom-built coaches. Called Futurliners, these vehicles had dual wheel front and rear axles, a raised central driver’s seat under a clear plastic dome and automatic headlight dimmers. Handcrafted, using traditional coachbuilding methods, these distinctive coaches became the image of the "Parade of Progress" as it made its impression of millions of onlookers throughout the United States. Unfortunately the World War curtailed the tour and the Futurliners sat idle until the early 1950s.
Further modifications were made to the Futureliners as they were rebuilt in their final form in 1953. The "Parade of Progress" then resumed operations with new and updated exhibits. The Futurliner continued to travel the byways attracting thousands to the exhibits that were now held in larger cities as the "Parade of Progress" became part of the world famous GM "Motorama." Visitors could still view the exhibits that were housed in the Futurliner coaches but they were no longer the main attraction. The "Parade of Progress" was shuttered in 1956 and the Futurliners were eventually sold or given away.
Of the twelve 1940-1956 Futurliners built, nine are known to survive. Two are beyond restoration and are being used to restore and maintain other Futurliners. Only three are completely restored to their original "Parade of Progress" configuration and colors. One of the restorations was an ambitious all-volunteer project headed by Don Mayton, retired GM plant manager. It is on exhibit at the National Automobile and Truck Museum in Auburn, Indiana. Another one is owned and is in use by Peter Pan Bus Lines of Springfield, MA. The third Futureliner, number 11 of the twelve, was recently sold at auction for $4 million to a private collector.
Today, the Futurliner remains a matchless symbol of the American auto industry at the height of its power and influence.
