About this episode
Explore the legendary Powerama event of 1955, where General Motors showcased their dominance in the automotive world with an unforgettable horsepower display. The episode dives into the significance of this event, the iconic cars featured, and how it reflected the era's automotive culture. Listeners will hear stories about the engineering marvels and the competitive spirit that defined GM's approach during this golden age of horsepower.
Original notes
In 1955 General Motors decided to put on a show, not just any show, a gathering of vehicles, horsepower, and entertainment the likes of which the world had never seen before and never saw again.
Powerama was a one million square foot fantasyland of every off-highway division of General Motors on display. Dubbed the "World's Fair of Power" it had locomotives, bulldozers, elephants, aircraft, tanks, a submarine, pleasure craft, a shrimp boat, the Motorama dream cars, an 85-ton cannon known as Atomic Annie, and more and more and more.
In this history we investigate the genesis of the event, the execution of the event, and the machines that made it one of the most unique gatherings in the gearhead history of Earth.
Seriously, this is wild.
