The most weirdest GM Bison turbine-engined truck concept

The 1950s and 1960s could be considered the heyday of automotive manufacturers and designers to develop and realize their wild imagination and vision about what the vehicles should look like in the future. On this occasion, we still talking about the turbine engines and future cars according to those eras.

1964 General Motors Bison, a vision of trucks for the future has been presented at the 1964 World Fair. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2vAAHyi)

Aside from Chrysler Turbine Car in 1963, it turns out that a year later, the manufacturer compatriot rival General Motors also makes the turbine-engined vehicles.

But the GM's vehicle is not a sedan but a truck named General Motors Bison concept. Until today, the General Motors truck concept still looks like something truly coming from the future, despite being created in 1964.

1964 General Motors Bison has no door, to get into, the driver and passenger should be opened the canopy, which included the entire windscreen. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2vAAHyi)

General Motors created the Bison concept for the 1964 World Fair since it had to be a representation of the future. GM took inspiration from planes and spaceships, therefore, it featured a low and sleek profile. Uniquely, this concept truck has no door. To get into, the driver and passenger should be opened the canopy, which included the entire windscreen.

Then inside the cabin, there is a futuristic steering wheel that looks a lot like a yoke of an airplane. Between the two vertical handles, there are a number of switches. The control levers and buttons are mostly located on the center console, where its driver and passenger will also find the phone.

1964 General Motors Bison had a four-wheel steering and the entire cabin was situated in front of the wheels. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2vAAHyi)

General Motors said that the Bison concept is meant for long-distance hauling vehicle, but it didn’t seem like it is the case, due to the cabin does not have a sleeping room or special compartments for personal belongings of the driver and passengers.

Then there is something interesting about this concept truck, where the entire cabin of Bison was in front of the wheels. Then the cabin position is also very low and has a very aerodynamic look. Then because the glass canopy is quite large, so the visibility must be very good. The GM Bison truck concept has a four-wheel steering system, where the wheels of both axis were turning to the same or opposite directions, depending on the steering angle

Inside the cabin of the 1964 General Motors Bison there's a phone in the central console. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2vAAHyi)

What's special about GM's concept truck is the engine. It is not half-hearted, the American automotive manufacturer pinned two turbine engines capable of spewing out the power of 280 and 720 horsepower respectively. As we all know, GM has experimented with turbines since 1953.

Although initially Bison was only a design concept and could not be driven, but turned out GM did make a real driving prototype truck with turbine engines sometime later. And Bison’s turbines were mounted over the wheels right behind the cabin.

There's a pod above the axles of the 1964 GM Bison truck concept was housing its two turbine engines.. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2vAAHyi)

Because it is intended as a future long-distance hauling vehicle, then trailer hitch was also not a traditional design. When designing this concept truck, GM imagined that in the future loading and unloading of trailers will be automatic where the cargo modules will simply move in the docks by themselves.

And so the trailer, which also had a low profile to match the truck, had hard shell and modular structure. The entire combination did look pretty impressive, but unfortunately the company never has the plans for the Bison to reach the production lines.

The 1964 General Motors Bison's trailer which also had a low profile to match the truck, had hard shell and modular structure. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2vAAHyi)

Back to its initial goals, General Motors created Bison as a vision about what the future should look like. It seems that for the Bison concept to work, so many works should been done and well-prepared up to the entire trucking industry changed.

Even though the truck today was not like this, the Bison concept is still a pretty cool design and we only could be hoped to see it's passed in front of us and honked while hauling goods someday.  *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HEMMINGS | TFLTRUCK | DESIGNYOUTRUST | NODUM.ORG]

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