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A MUSEUM has unveiled a collection of vintage concept cars from the 1950s that never made it to production.
Some cars spent several decades before being restored for display.
In the 1950s, the Second World War was over, and the American economy was on the upswing – citizens had money to burn, and cars were flying from dealership lots.
American automakers like Ford, Buick, Pontiac, LeSalle, and Chevrolet were scrambling to meet increased demand for passenger cars.
Paying homage to this special time in American history, The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles is installing an exhibit called, “GM’s Marvelous Motorama: Dream Cars from the Joe Bortz Collection,” reported the Detroit Free Press.
Six cars will be displayed in the exhibit, that highlight the design language of Harley Earl – who spent over 30 years with the company.
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Harley Earl designed cars to appeal to those who had their eyes to the future.
“Legendary GM stylist Harley Earl used the Motoramas to present to the public new ideas in the form of “Dream Cars,” visionary non-production experimental autos that showed off design and technological features that would find their way to production automobiles in the near, and sometimes distant, future,” read the exhibit’s webpage.
Earl was the legendary stylist who brought the Corvette to life and was the first to implement using clay modeling to design cars.
His design shines through in the vehicles on display, like the 1953 Buick Wildcat or Pontiac Parisienne of the same model year.
Earl was also the genius behind the eccentric designs of the 1954 Pontiac Bonneville special, and the 1955 LeSella II roadster and sedan, and the Chevrolet Biscayne.
All of these models were unveiled at one of GM’s Motorama shows – which were lavish places for the automaker to display their upcoming models to potential customers.
Unlike a majority of Earl’s designs, the six cars are some of the few that never went into production.
Joe Bortz bought three cars in the 1980s after becoming a restaurateur in Chicago, with a handful of other rescues coming from executives of the era who couldn’t stand to see the cars crushed.
Bortz called Harry Warholak – the owner of a junkyard that was GM’s top car crusher – after he heard that he’d saved a few from becoming cubes.
After buying the rescues from Warholak, he paid to have them beautifully restored before being put on display at the esteemed Southern California museum.
“The Motoramas were an important part of automotive history, but very few exhibits have truly celebrated what Harley Earl and GM brought to life,” said the museum’s executive director Terry Karges.
“We are honored to share Joe’s collection of ‘Dream Cars’ with enthusiasts from around the world.”
Even executives from competing automakers can’t help but pick their jaws up from the floor after seeing Earl’s designs shine through the exhibit.
The display looks like Harley Earl came back and designed it himself.
Joe Bortz, collection owner
“These cars were about marketing as much as technology or design. When the show season passed, concept cars were just assets on the books to be replaced by newer ideas,” said Matt Anderson.
Anderson is the transportation curator for both the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village in Michigan.
“We owe our thanks to folks like Joe Bortz who searched for and safeguarded these cars over the years. His collection of dream cars is unlike anything else.”
The exhibit space is designed to mimic the aesthetic set by GM during one of their Motorama shows, making some feel like they’ve been transported back in time.
“The display looks like Harley Earl came back and designed it himself,” noted Bortz.
The exhibit is open to the public and can be accessed with a $21 ticket, or a $48 ticket for those who wish to explore the museum’s famed Vault exhibit.
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