In America, we have a long and storied history of creating customs out of pretty much anything with wheels. But it’s rare to see OEMs get in on the fun, and rarer still to get an opportunity, as enthusiasts, to own, preserve, and enjoy an OEM’s custom project. Of course, by OEMs, we mean GM, Ford, and Chrysler. And in this case, the custom project is a fully restored GM Futurliner that will soon be displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

The creation of General Motors’ 12 Futurliners is a story of desperation, inspiration, and innovation. During the Great Depression, GM was one of the many companies that needed to get its message to the people. To better reach the buying public, it began participating in the World’s Fair. Most notably, the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, where the company built a 120,000 square foot structure that was lined in neon and included a 177-foot tower. Inside that structure, an exhibit called The Making of a Motor Car featured a fully functional Chevrolet assembly line that bolted together up to 30 Chevy sedans each day.

The GM display at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair included a full Chevrolet assembly line that produced 30 sedans per day.

GM Research Director Charles Kettering, a brilliant inventor now known as the namesake for Kettering University, took a particular liking to Chevrolet’s World’s Fair exhibit. Why not take something like this on the road, he thought, and that’s precisely what he did. Aptly named the GM Parade of Progress, Kettering’s display traveled in a fleet of eight highly modified GMC Streamliner buses that each measured roughly 35 feet in length. Marketing for the event touted a miles-long caravan that, in addition to carrying popular World’s Fair displays, featured exhibits on the latest engineering and technology of the day. This original Parade of Progress was highly successful, visiting 220 cities and hosting roughly 10 million visitors in just four years.

A Custom Project – The GM Way

By 1941, GM brass had decided to up the ante. Using one of their bus assembly lines in Pontiac, Michigan, the corporation created a dozen bespoke display vehicles dubbed Futurliners. At 33 feet long, 9 feet wide, and over 11 feet tall, each Futurliner weighed 15 tons and took the idea of customization to a whole new level. The Futurliners’ design, decidedly Art Deco, included streamlined panels, backlit GM emblems, and impressive Aer-O-Dome tents that could shelter up to 1,500 people without the aid of internal supports.

Several Futurliners housed displays created by GM subsidiaries such as Frigidaire, Allison, Fisher Body, and The GM Diesel Division, a precursor to Detroit Diesel.

In addition to wartime exhibits that celebrated the industriousness of our nation, the Futurliners showcased innovations fueled by many of GM’s subsidiaries. Frigidaire displayed The Miracles of Heat and Cold. Allison displayed Power for the Jet Age, featuring a cutaway of an Allison J-35 jet engine. The GM Diesel Division, precursor to Detroit Diesel, displayed Diesel Power Parade. Fisher Body displayed Opportunity for Youth, which, among other things, showcased winning model cars from the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild. Ultimately, on this run, the Futurliners drew over 3 million visitors in 43 cities in less than one year.

Time Marches On

After the end of World War II, GM decided to officially revive the Parade of Progress. The Futurliners were completely refurbished and equipped with air conditioning, power steering, and fresh exhibits. This new lease on life just happened to coincide with the introduction of the Chevrolet Corvette, which was prominently featured everywhere the parade traveled. That said, by 1956, America’s tastes had changed, and GM decided not only to end the Parade of Progress but also to sell its biggest custom project vehicles, the Futurliners.

After decades of being used for everything from buses and billboards to race haulers and yard art, the Futurliners began returning to enthusiasts’ collective consciousness in the 1990s. By then, only nine were known to still exist, and, as of this writing, eight of those have been restored to various states. The only chance to see a Futurliner in person is at the National Automotive and Truck Museum in Auburn, Indiana, which has proudly maintained and displayed Futurliner number 10 for 22 years. But starting in December 2025, the public can enjoy a second Futurliner at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Futurliner number 6 spent 25 years as a show vehicle for Peter Pan Bus Lines.

A well-publicized mascot for Massachusetts’ Peter Pan Bus Lines, this particular Futurliner displayed Energy & Man in the Parade of Progress. Found in a cornfield in 1997, it remained a part of the Peter Pan family for 25 years. A broker for Peter Pan listed it on Facebook Marketplace for just under $1 million. That’s where anonymous car collectors Caretakers Collection found it and made an offer. Since then, the truck has benefitted from a roughly $1 million restoration that has restored it to as close to its original condition as possible, both inside and out.

Anyone else up for a trip to Los Angeles in December?