GM's Secret Stash

[Motor City]

Whether you care for GM or not, they have had the most variety of models of any automaker over the course of a century. A real car enthusiast would appreciate the styling of at least some of their models over that period of time. I've seen a good part of the collection, which is open to car clubs and for other special events. It is definitely worth seeing. I have not seen the Nissan Museum, but I surmise it has a lot of racing-related cars on display, which is great if you like that sort of thing. Everyone has different tastes, that's for sure. I'd like to see the Mercedes museum some day.

[Art Anderson]

Whether you care for GM or not, they have had the most variety of models of any automaker over the course of a century. A real car enthusiast would appreciate the styling of at least some of their models over that period of time. I've seen a good part of the collection, which is open to car clubs and for other special events. It is definitely worth seeing. I have not seen the Nissan Museum, but I surmise it has a lot of racing-related cars on display, which is great if you like that sort of thing. Everyone has different tastes, that's for sure. I'd like to see the Mercedes museum some day.

Check me if I'm wrong here, but the GM collection in question here has never been exactly a secret, now has it? Is it not what at one time was called the General Motors Historical Collection, and as such, was open as a museum to the general public? I seem to recall GM closing that down sometime in the last 15yrs or so, as a cost issue, not for any sort of "secrecy" or clandestine assortment of secret vehicles (although I'm sure GM, just as with Ford, Chrysler, FIAT, Toyota, Nissan and just about any automaker one can name will have concept mockups that they have never publicly shown (for whatever reasons).

Art

[Luc Janssens]

Check me if I'm wrong here, but the GM collection in question here has never been exactly a secret, now has it? Is it not what at one time was called the General Motors Historical Collection, and as such, was open as a museum to the general public? I seem to recall GM closing that down sometime in the last 15yrs or so, as a cost issue, not for any sort of "secrecy" or clandestine assortment of secret vehicles (although I'm sure GM, just as with Ford, Chrysler, FIAT, Toyota, Nissan and just about any automaker one can name will have concept mockups that they have never publicly shown (for whatever reasons).

Art

The building in question was never open to the general public, they may have a smaller exhibit at the Renaissance center, but never went there, there was a plan though, to open a large museum for GM's 100th anniversary, but then the biggest crisis in US automotive history happened...

Anyway, I will never forget the conservator firing up that red '70 Chevelle SS on display (with a reproduction ad next to it, featuring one tied down with marine style ropes), don't see that happening at a regular museum, not without wearing earplugs and signing off some sort of release waver LOL

Also remember that much if not all of the Pinky Randal (sp?) collection was bought, because he had more about Chevy history then GM had...mainly due to them moving Chevy headquarters a lot, meaning that with every move a lot of stuff went into the dumpster, as oppose to divisions like Cadillac or Olds IIRC.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Luc Janssens

[Motor City]

Back in the mid-80s, Pontiac would have an annual show in May at their Pontiac headquarters. I think there were 10-12 vehicles in their collection at the time (Banshee, '64 GTO coupe, '78 Trans Am station wagon, '61 Tempest 4-door sedan, the very first '26 Pontiac produced, and others I can't recall now). Oldsmobile's collection was at the R.E. Olds Museum in Lansing, which also had many experimental, exotic engines, as well as 1 of the 4 1897 Oldsmobiles, which was on loan from the Smithsonian Institute. Buick's collection went to the Sloan Museum in Flint. Cadillac's collection was stored in a warehouse in a Detroit suburb. I saw a number of cars and trucks from the Chevrolet collection 20 years ago at the GM Building. I don't know if the vehicles were on loan to the museum or donated to them, but the collection is quite good. Unfortunately, GM did not keep key cars such as the first Corvette, the 50 Millionth Car, and more of their concept cars, but the worldwide collection includes over 600 vehicles. I don't remember where I read that.