1941 GM Parade of Progress
GM Futurliner Restoration Project
National Automotive and Truck Museum of the United States

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New GM Parade of Progress Starts U. S. Tour

    Crowds start to gather at the GM Parade of Progress lot in Miami, FL, at the first showing of the redesigned traveling exposition. This photograph was taken shortly after the formal opening. Two of the streamlined 'Futurliners' appear in the foreground, and are being used for brief science lectures describing industrial research.


    Crowds line up for access into the big tent for lecturers and demonstrations. The Parade of Progress hosted about 24 exhibits which focused on research and engineering achievements plus some of "tomorrow's" possibilities. The exhibits consisted of three general types: lecture demonstrations; synchronized sound-action or animated exhibits and models; and audience-operated exhibits.

    Designed to show how industrial research and constantly advancing industrial techniques contribute to the vigor and to the strength of the nation, a newly designed traveling exposition, as unique in its way as the Futurama at the New York World's Fair, was formally opened at Miami, FL, on Feb. 26 by General Motors, launching a nation-wide tour.
    "The permanent defense of America, both in the immediate future and in succeeding years, is going to require greater ingenuity and inventiveness, more dissatisfaction with old and inefficient ways of doing things, and more real hard work to fully utilize our natural resources of men, money and materials than ever before," said Charles F. Kettering, GM Vice-president in charge of research, in sounding the keynote of the newly designed General Motors "Parade of Progress."
    In launching the new traveling exposition, which is an out-of-doors show composed of  huge "Aer-o-Dome," a tent seating 1,500 persons, and 22 streamlined Futurliner transports and tractor units arranged for public display, Mr. Kettering expressed his opinion that the hope of America lies in our belief in research.
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