The GM Firebird IV experimental car in a 1964 Press Photo.
The photo was used in a January 10, 1965 news article titled “The Family Car of the Future? It may have a stereo, a TV, an oven, and a refrigerator. . .”
Firebird IV was developed by General Motors and showcased at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It was the fourth in a series of Firebird concept cars engineered to display technological prowess and futuristic design.
Firebird IV was designed for a world where cars would be guided automatically by “programmed guidance systems,” ensuring safety at high speeds on expressways. It was more of a rolling concept than a functional vehicle, as it never actually ran and drove. It was a symbol of GM’s vision for the future of transportation and included features like in-vehicle television, which was the latest in infotainment at the time, an oven and a refrigerator.
The Firebird series began with the Firebird I (XP-21) in 1953, which was a gas turbine-powered car resembling a jet plane on wheels. It continued with the Firebird II in 1956 and the Firebird III in 1959, each with their own unique features and design inspired by innovations in fighter aircraft of that era. They are preserved at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and models of the cars are part of the permanent collection at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Firebird I even crowns the Harley J. Earl Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Daytona 500.
[Sources: Bing Copilot, Wikipedia, The Henry Ford Museum and AutoEvolution.com]
The GM Firebird IV experimental car in a 1964 Press Photo.
The photo was used in a January 10, 1965 news article titled “The Family Car of the Future? It may have a stereo, a TV, an oven, and a refrigerator. . .”
Firebird IV was developed by General Motors and showcased at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It was the fourth in a series of Firebird concept cars engineered to display technological prowess and futuristic design.
Firebird IV was designed for a world where cars would be guided automatically by “programmed guidance systems,” ensuring safety at high speeds on expressways. It was more of a rolling concept than a functional vehicle, as it never actually ran and drove. It was a symbol of GM’s vision for the future of transportation and included features like in-vehicle television, which was the latest in infotainment at the time, an oven and a refrigerator.
The Firebird series began with the Firebird I (XP-21) in 1953, which was a gas turbine-powered car resembling a jet plane on wheels. It continued with the Firebird II in 1956 and the Firebird III in 1959, each with their own unique features and design inspired by innovations in fighter aircraft of that era. They are preserved at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and models of the cars are part of the permanent collection at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Firebird I even crowns the Harley J. Earl Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Daytona 500.
[Sources: Bing Copilot, Wikipedia, The Henry Ford Museum and AutoEvolution.com]