This rare General Motors promotional film from 1954 showcases the first of the automaker’s extensive experiments with gas turbine cars, the Firebird I. See the car in action at the proving ground and on display in the Motorama in this great clip. 

Officially known within GM by the designation XP-21, the Firebird I was the first of the company’s experimental gas turbine vehicles, launching a series that included Firebird II and Firebird III. And while the three GM Firebird turbine cars may look far-out and whimsical today, GM was completely serious about turbine development. A dedicated R&D facility was created at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan (known to this day as the “gas turbine building,” though it is no longer used for that purpose) under the direction of GM veteran Charles L. McCuen, general manager of the GM Research Laboratories division.

While the GM Research group was responsible for the 370 hp Whirlfire GT-302 engine and the 100-inch wheelbase chassis with DeDion rear suspension, design VP Harley Earl and his team created the Firebird’s fabulous jet-fighter styling. A slim fiberglass body shell with exposed front wheels and a flip-up plexiglass canopy kept the curb weight down to 2500 lbs. (For a closer look at Firebird I, check out this Mac’s Motor City Garage story with exclusive behind-the-scenes shop photos.)

In this rare GM film short, the Firebird I is displayed at the 1954 Motorama and then demonstrated at the former GM Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona. Take note: The test driver, the gent with the moustache, is none other than Mauri Rose, three-time Indy 500 winner and GM engineering executive. Video below.