GM’s Marvelous Motorama: Dream Cars from the Joe Bortz Collection

March 16th, 2024 - March 2026

3rd Floor Gallery

In a time of unprecedented prosperity in the United States, General Motors, the largest corporation in the world, created a traveling showcase for its varied products called the Motorama. From 1949 to 1961, the Motoramas flaunted not only automobiles but also auto parts, as well as non-automotive goods from GM subsidiaries such as appliance-maker Frigidaire. It was the cars, however, that attracted the crowds. 

Legendary GM stylist Harley Earl used the Motoramas to present to the public new ideas in the form of "Dream Cars," visionary non-production experimental autos that showed off design and technological features that would find their way to production automobiles in the near, and sometimes distant, future. A few models, like the Corvette, even went into production. Every Motorama was a spectacle. Held in lavish hotel ballrooms and large auditoriums, the shows featured interactive displays, orchestras, and live song and dance performances. 

Once called "General Motors' top salesman," the GM Motorama transformed the automobile industry by changing the way novel concepts were introduced to the public. The six cars presented here are from 1953, 1954, and 1955, the peak years of the Motorama. They represent an era of experimentation and optimism, when the future of the automobile seemed limitless.

1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special

Engine: 4.4-Liter Inline-8 | Horsepower: 230

The Bonneville Special was Pontiac’s version of the Chevrolet Corvette, which had debuted at the previous year’s Motorama. One of two built, this car features all-original paint, chrome, and interior materials, making it unique among surviving Motorama cars. Many design elements were inspired by jet fighters, including the bubble-top canopy, control levers mounted in the center console, and instruments (some non-functional) salvaged from aircraft. The first Bonneville Special looked like nothing Pontiac had ever produced before and proved so popular that GM commissioned a second example to tour US dealerships.

COURTESY OF BORTZ AUTO, COLLECTION OF JOSEPH BORTZ TRUST

1953 Buick Wildcat

Engine: 5.3-Liter V8 | Horsepower: 188

Buick’s Wildcat was one of several fiberglass-bodied cars at the 1953 Motorama. The new material was easy to mold, making it perfect for trying out experimental designs. The Wildcat was Buick’s first performance car and had many unique design and technical features, such as push-button doors, a concave grille with “buffer bombs,” and “Roto-Static” front wheel hubs. These hubs remained stationary while the wheels and tires revolved around them. A scoop on the leading side aided brake cooling. Several of the Wildcat’s design elements, including the “buffer bombs” and the side sweep lines, would appear on Buicks for years to come.

COURTESY OF BORTZ AUTO, COLLECTION OF JOSEPH BORTZ TRUST

1953 Pontiac Parisienne

Engine: 4.4-liter inline-8 | Horsepower: 122

In contrast to the cutting-edge designs of other Motorama Dream Cars, the Pontiac Parisienne was meant to be a “nostalgic excursion into the future” according to General Motors press materials. Intended as a chauffeur-driven town car, it featured front seats upholstered in Roulette Pink cowhide and a rear bench covered in black button-tufted nylon (later recovered in white). Hydraulics moved the right front seat forward automatically when the passenger door was opened. Based on a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain, the Parisienne was 7 inches lower than the production car, making it long and low, a signature trait of Harley Earl concept cars.

COURTESY OF BORTZ AUTO, COLLECTION OF JOSEPH BORTZ TRUST