AA-2026-34CE2E
On the image
A yellow and blue General Motors promotional bus stands at what appears to be an outdoor auto show or exhibition, surrounded by visitors in 1950s dress who have paused to board or admire it. The bus carries GM badging and the styling of mid-decade streamliners—the kind of traveling showcase General Motors sent to state fairs and public events to demonstrate the future of American transportation to people who might never otherwise see a custom vehicle. A woman in a light coat and hat stands with a small child, both regarding the bus with the frank curiosity of attendees at an era when manufacturers still believed the best way to sell cars was to put them directly in front of families and let them climb inside. The bus itself, already dated-looking even in the 1950s with its riveted aluminum panels and art-deco striping, belonged to a moment when Detroit was still confident it could engineer desire rather than simply market it—which meant sending expensive, impractical showcase vehicles to state capitals and county fairgrounds so children could press their faces to the windows and adults could imagine themselves driving something they'd never be able to afford.
Visually related — by likeness
GM Parade Float or Promotional Bus, 1950s Auto Show. 1950–1959. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-34CE2E. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/gm-parade-float-or-promotional-bus-1950s-auto-show.
@misc{aaAA202634CE2E,
title = {GM Parade Float or Promotional Bus, 1950s Auto Show},
year = {1950–1959},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-34CE2E},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/gm-parade-float-or-promotional-bus-1950s-auto-show}
}TY - ART TI - GM Parade Float or Promotional Bus, 1950s Auto Show PY - 1950–1959 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-34CE2E UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/gm-parade-float-or-promotional-bus-1950s-auto-show ER -
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