One of the finest car collections in the world is not open to the public. But Mac’s Motor City Garage got a look inside just for you.

The General Motors Heritage Center is housed in an anonymous brick building in a business park in Sterling Heights, Michigan. You could drive past every day and never gather a clue about all the fabulous treasures stored away inside, and the facility is closed to the public anyway. However, the good news is car clubs and other organizations can arrange group tours and associated events (there’s a 30 person minimum, among other provisos). To arrange a visit, call 586-276-1498 or email the Heritage Center event coordinator at gmhc@gm.com.

So while the GM car collection may be private, it’s hardly a secret. To learn more about all the various activities and services offered at the center, including the car collection, you can visit the GM Heritage Center’s website. 

The General is said to own somewhere between 600 and 800 vehicles of historical, corporate, or collector interest, while the Heritage Center probably can house fewer than 200, so the cars on exhibit there rotate frequently. However, on the floor you will generally find a number of Corvette prototypes and other famous GM concept vehicles, including the Firebird I turbine car featured here at Motor City Garage few weeks ago.  There’s also a large display of engines and transmissions, including the prototype 1967 Cadillac V12 that MCG also covered recently.

There’s way too much fantastic stuff at the GM Heritage Collection to cover in one web feature, so MCG will be circling back periodically with additional stories and photos. For now, here’s a gallery with a broad overview. Click on any image below to begin a slide show.