The Firebird III Was Peak General Motors Whizbang Design

Today’s cars all seem to blend together in their shape and form. All seemingly amorphous crossover-like SUVs and the like.

That wasn’t always the case. Indeed, car design was once an arms race about who could create the most different, the most new, and the most innovative.

Case in point: The 1958 GM Firebird III. The Firebird in the 1950s became synonymous with General Motors’ design and engineering pursuit, and the various concepts that used the moniker became more and more outlandish (and awesome).

The Firebird III was heavily influenced by jet aircraft design, with a sleek, aerodynamic body resembling a fighter plane.

It featured truly dramatic fins, dual bubble-top canopies, and a pointed nose, embodying the Space Age enthusiasm of the late 1950s.

The twin bubble top was surely unique, and required a radio communication device between passengers.

The sharp, dramatic wings pushed the envelope of what a car could encompass, way past the notion of tailfins, which were popular in the day.

Via GM:

‘The Firebird III broke a number of legendary GM designer Harley Earl’s styling rules and that’s one of the reasons it became such an important design. It had very little chrome and no parallel lines.

The vehicle also put the ultimate twist on tailfins. GM entertained plans for a Firebird IV that went as far as a full-sized wooden frame, but the program’s greatest legacy was to give its name to the Pontiac pony cars starting in 1967.’

The Firebird III featured a Turbine Engine, which was novel at the time.

The main engine was a 225-horsepower Whirlfire GT-305 gas turbine engine. This futuristic engine was quieter and more powerful than conventional internal combustion engines of the time.

A secondary electric motor powered the front wheels for low-speed maneuvers like parking, highlighting an early attempt at hybrid technology.

Instead of a traditional steering wheel, the Firebird III was controlled by a single joystick located between the two seats. The idea was to allow the driver more precise control of the vehicle, with the joystick managing both steering and throttle, enhancing the space-age feel of the car.

In addition, the Firebird III showcased a range of safety and autonomy features that were truly decades ahead of their time, like automatic guiding systems, anti-lock brakes, and self-leveling suspension.

All of these features are now in modern cars, but 70 years ago, had barely been dreamed up.

While the Firebird III was never destined for production, it was a testbed of new technology at the time, and led to even more wild designs, like the Firebird IV, which we will touch on in the future.

Images © Copyright GM. See more on the GM website.