General Motors Firebird 1
The General Motors Firebird I was the first of four prototype vehicles engineered for the Motorama Auto shows in 1953, 1956, and 1959. Harley Earl was the designer and got inspiration from fighter aircraft designs. General Motors knew from the start that the Firebird would not reach production. Instead, the Firebirds were created to show off the company’s advances in design and technology. You can still see the concept car at the occasional car show or at the Henry Ford Museum located in Dearborn, Michigan. The Firebird I was the very first car in the US tested with gas turbine power. The design is very impractical with a single-seat cockpit and bubble-topped canopy, but it is a very interesting design. Pontiac also has a ‘Firebird’ line of cars that are not related to the concept Firebird. The Firebird I was basically a jet plane for the roads, with no room for passengers.
The vehicle had two speeds, a gas turbine engine and expelled 1,250-degree-Fahrenheit jet exhaust. It was tested to reach 100 mph but in second gear lost traction. Braking was unique, with the drums on the outer wheels to keep it cool and the wings had flaps similar to planes to help slow it down.
