1977 Pontiac Phantom

GM Concept Car

1977 Pontiac Phantom Background:

GENERAL MOTORS CONCEPT CARS
General Motors has a long tradition of ‘Concept Cars’, ‘Show Cars’, and ‘Cars of Tomorrow’. In fact, they are really credited with creating the world’s first such factory-built concept, the 1938 Buick Y-job, styled by Harley Earl himself. It set the auto world on fire. GM parlayed this success into their Autoramas, which were traveling car shows, introducing the public to GMs exciting new cars. Harley Earl had literally brought color and style to GM products, having been raised in the custom coach-building culture himself. He came to GM in 1927 and drove the styling of all five divisions until he retired in 1958. He was replaced by Bill Mitchell, himself quite a styling genius. Mitchell presided over the styling during what turned out to be GMs greatest decade, the 1960s. He retired in 1977. The 1977 Pontiac Phantom concept car was his last project. About it, he proclaimed: “This is the kind of car I’d like to drive”.