Here’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the Firebird II, GM’s turbine-powered family dream car for 1956. 

This neat little video clip comes to us courtesy of the General Motors Heritage Collection, the permanent caretaker of the actual 1956 Firebird II turbine car. We’ve featured all three Firebird turbine cars often here at Mac’s Motor City Garage, of course. Our stories on the 1956 GM Future Car Travelogue and the famed Motorama film Design for Dreaming include glimpses of Firebird II, the second vehicle of the series. This clip goes a bit more in detail to show Firebird II under construction and in road testing at the former GM Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona.

Powered by a second-generation Whirlfire GT-304 gas turbine, a regenerative design that offered improved efficiency and response, the Firebird II (internal designation XP-43) was loaded with the industry’s most advanced technology and materials. A brushed titanium skin and aircraft-type bubble canopy covered the four-passenger body shell, while underneath, a space-frame chassis utilized load-leveling independent suspension on all four corners and four-wheel disc brakes.

Dr. Lawrence R. Hafstad, GM’s vice president of research, directed the forward-looking design, which envisioned an early form of autonomous driving enabled by a road-embedded magnetic guidance system. In this clip, we get some tantalizing peeks at the turbine assembly and its installation in the chassis, along with some close-up footage of the vehicle on the road. Video follows.