The Peterson Automotive Museum will celebrate the “dream cars” of the ’50s in the 20th century with its latest exhibition, “General Motors’ Marvelous Motorama: Dream Cars from the Joe Bortz Collection,” which opens on March 16. The exhibition will feature six concept cars that together showcase the “dream cars” of the 50s of the 20th century. First under the same roof, it was originally shown at the GM Motorama show in 1953, ’54 and ’55.
Located in the Audrey and Martin Gruse Foundation Gallery, the exhibit will explore the history of GM’s automotive traveling exhibits. General Motors’ legendary stylist Harley Earl showcased experimental, non-production vehicles at the show that featured design and technical concepts, some of which have been applied to production cars. Some models, such as the Corvette, even went into production.
Six cars will be on display in the exhibit, three of which were rescued from a near-destruction of the Warhoops Auto and Truck Parts in Stirling Heights, Michigan. After being in the limelight, most of the “dream cars” are sent to the scrapyard to be cut and shredded. Of the vehicles that have been preserved, four have been preserved by Warhoops employees and are hidden in abandoned bodies. Collector Joe Bortz bought the four cars from the scrapyard in the mid-80s of the 20th century after hearing rumors about the rescued “dream cars”.
Museum visitors will see the 1955 LaSalle II Roadster and the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne (which Botz painstakingly restored after cutting the two in half in preparation for the crusher), as well as the 1955 LaSalle Sedan in a “dump fresh” condition. Other cars on display include the 1953 Pontiac Parisienne, the 1953 Buick Wildcat, and the completely original and unrestored 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special.
“These cars are the Picasso and Rembrandt of this generation of cars,” Botz said. “To see the six of them together, they’re all from the ’50s, and the real deal is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. ”
“Joe Bortz has an extremely unique collection of historic automobiles that have never been on display at a museum,” said Terry Bortz, executive director of the Peterson Automotive Museum. Terry L. Karges said. “Motoramas are an important part of automotive history and we are excited to share these ‘dream cars’ with enthusiasts from all over the world. ”
“General Motors’ Marvelous Motorama: Dream Cars from the Joe Bortz Collection” will be on display in March 2026. To purchase tickets or learn more about the Peterson Automotive Museum, visit Petersen.org/exhibits.