Pontiac Phantom: The engineless muscle car that never came to life
This unique example remains a pure design concept conceived in the twilight of 1970s muscle cars.
A bit Batmobile and a bit KITT, the star of the TV series Knight Rider, but with several influences derived from the Corvette could sum up the Pontiac Phantom, the muscle car produced exclusively as a concept designed by Bill Mitchell.
The creator of the first two generations of the Chevrolet Corvette created the Phantom as the final act of his career before retirement, imagining the stereotypical star-spangled sports car in an even more original way.
Inspired by the myths of the past
Launched in 1977, the Phantom has an almost cartoonish shape, with a long bonnet surrounding slim horizontal headlights and incorporating a series of prominent chrome finishes. The low-slung flanks, with white-rimmed tyres and muscular rear wheel arches, also make a statement.
Pontiac Phantom (1977)
The body is made entirely of fibreglass and the chassis is derived from the Pontiac Grand Prix. Overall, the design is reminiscent of the Cadillacs of the 1930s, among the first models designed by Mitchell. Too bad there's no engine under the bonnet.
For history buffs:
Goodbye muscle cars
In fact, the Pontiac was not imagined as a future production model, but as a pure styling exercise on Mitchell's part. In fact, the 'father' of the Phantom himself described the car as "an expression of what he had always loved".
It was a kind of love letter to muscle cars at a time - the late 1970s - when the sector was in dire straits due to the 1973 energy crisis, which made big sports cars with huge (and thirsty) V8 engines unprofitable.
Although the Pontiac never saw the light of day, it can be admired in person in the collection of the Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan.
Gallery: Pontiac Phantom (1977)
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