Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, GM
Got a few million bucks sitting around? '39 GM Futurliner on eBay!
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The last Barrett-Jackson auction to really offer a true sense of spectacle and palpable entertainment value was the 2006 edition. A number of interesting cars crossed the block that year, but nothing could top the absolute insanity that took hold in Westworld when the red "Parade of Progress" GM Futurliner went up. The owners of that towering piece of Art Deco automotive sculpture were hoping it'd bring $600,000 or so. Then a bidding war ensued, and supercollector Ron Pratte was the last man standing after parting with $4,100,000. Even through the TV, you could feel the bedlam in the tent as the crowd rocked the joint like it was Madison Square Garden. Contrast that to this year's edition, where you got the feeling that attendees were practically begged to bid up feature lots like Robosaurus.
Maybe if this Futurliner had made the trip to Arizona last week, things would have been more exciting. Instead of B-J, however, it's up on eBay. Finished in red, white, and blue with a nifty star motif on the blue panels, this Parade of Progress bus is every bit as impressive as the sister ship that brought in all that money two years ago. The result of a 20-year restoration project, this Futurliner is outfitted with a snazzy interior complete with an 8-foot bar, rear lounge, custom light fixtures, and beautifully detailed stainless trim on the ceiling and bar facing. The current bid is over $1,000,000 and the reserve, unsurprisingly, has not been met. As gorgeous as it is rare, the eventual buyer of this bus will own something truly special. Excuse us while we check our lottery tickets to see if the ultimate road-trip vehicle is now within our means. Thanks for the tip, Mike!
[Source: eBay]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
HotRodzNKustoms 9:02PM (1/27/2008)
Truly a magnificent piece of automotive history. I would much rather have this than a Prevost.
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Egon 9:24PM (1/27/2008)
Agreed, it's a great piece of history. No disrespect intended to the current owners, but I'd much rather see it as a true restoration instead of a mobile home conversion. As a result, I refuse to bid on it. ;)
rgseidl 7:52AM (1/28/2008)
Perhaps one of the presidential candidates will buy it as a campaign bus. Expensive and impractical, sure, but style just doesn't go out of itself.
HotRodzNKustoms 4:07PM (1/31/2008)
I think it would take a candidate like Ronald Reagan to be able to use that as a tour bus. The only two that might be able to do it are McCain and Obama, but neither of them have the character of Ronald Reagan. Still... Go McCain! (just my opinion)
zapperdude60 9:02PM (1/27/2008)
Looks... top heavy
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MemphisNET 9:55PM (1/27/2008)
do you see the owner driving around corners fast enough for this to be an issue? and its probably heavy enough that a cross-wind wouldn't even phase it.
skadebo 9:18PM (1/27/2008)
The opportunity cost associated with buying crap like this astounds me. Would any of you guys spend 4.1m on something like this even if you had practically everything you needed?
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TBlueMax 9:50PM (1/27/2008)
"Would any of you guys spend 4.1m on something like this even if you had practically everything you needed?"
Yes, but only if I already owned everything I needed. But I consider it a moot question as I'm not in a position to part with $1,000,000+ for a 1939 deco-styled bus.
No one "needs" to own this. No one. But there should be at least one of these in a museum somewhere (the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's transportation hall would be a good fit) in the nation so folks could visit and appreciate this rolling sculpture from a bygone era.
bgd73 9:42PM (1/27/2008)
definately historical. Even if its junk. Crazier than a shelby mustang or a hemi original.
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tankd0g 9:50PM (1/27/2008)
Ebay auction looks a bit suspicious.
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georgejetson 10:22PM (1/27/2008)
What's with the modern sinks and plumbing and TV? "Restoration" looks a little lame from here.
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Tom Fjord 11:42PM (1/27/2008)
I agree. That square sink doesn't fit the period, and the tv is way out of place.
oby 10:52PM (1/27/2008)
It should be in a junk yard waiting to be crushed and melted down. Anyone that would part with $4m for this is out of their mind.
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PiCASSO 11:13PM (1/27/2008)
Have to admit that this is pretty cool for a nearly 70-year old bus... I would probably pass on the red-white-blue version, and get a cool stainless steel version. Now that would definitely fit the 1930's art-deco theme.
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scooter 11:39PM (1/27/2008)
I got to go inside a truly restored Futureliner this summer at a car show and it was way more impressive. The whole right side opened to expose (transform into) a display area or stage. It was brought back to orginal condition in red, white, and stainless steel.
Oh, and it probably didn't have a dirty blue ashtray perched on a crappy $39.95 Home Depot sink like this one. Eww...
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cowboy bob 6:12AM (1/28/2008)
The real question here is how eco-friendly it is. Now, will it run on bio-diesel, or is it E-85 ready? Really stupid people demand to know! As far as it being worth +4 mil, who cares. If you don't have millions, you don't care. And, if you do have millions, you don't care either. Think about it. It's as simple as that.
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Dave 7:40AM (1/28/2008)
Even if I had the money 4 million seems a bit much. I have seen these before and it is awesome for sure and I probably would have converted it as well because the original were just a traveling show vehicle not meant for living in. I think I would also like it in stainless steel color.
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James 8:49AM (1/28/2008)
But you could make this into a Herkimer Battle Jitney! (From the movie "Mystery Men")
http://www.preview-online.com/nov_dec/feature_articles/mysterymen/mysterymen3.html
http://www.spagthorpe.com/production/mastiff.html
(halfway down the page)
Sorry, no good images
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Den in IN 12:44PM (1/28/2008)
I dunno, as a museum piece this is great but for actually using for anything other than PR?
I'd think for 4 mil you could find someone who would build a new motor home with Art Deco styling and maybe even a an upper deck like this one has. Using modern AC and materials I'd bet you could build one that even had the fighter cockpit windshield these originally had without frying the occupants. The possibilities are as endless here at Autoblog!
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Landon 1:18PM (1/28/2008)
I remember seeing this particular Futurliner all the time parked on Venture Blvd. as a kid. The guy who owned it was always trying to scrounge for parts for the thing. Rumor had it he finally convinced GM to donate the transmission after enlisting the help of Jay Leno. I saw it 's exterior transform from a hideous pink primer color to a quite handsome maroon & gold exterior although the "correct" stars & stripes motif would make selling it easier.
I believe before the selling of the B/J Futurliner a couple of years ago the owner was planning to (or maybe did) use it as a kind of "uber-limousine"
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