​If we take a look back to a time when life seemed simpler and cars had had a distinct look that varied from each manufacturer – the ‘50s, it seemed like anything was possible. Americans were infatuated with the future, and the jet-age was in full swing. Under the direction of Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell, GM went on to build numerous cars that fueled this passion and mimicked jet aircraft and/or rockets. This is where the story of the GM Stiletto begins.

​Eventually, the jet-age “fad” ran its course, and although the concept cars coming out of Detroit still displayed a futuristic look – as the still do, when 1964 rolled around, GM may have scaled back styling cues on production cars that mimicked jet design, but, The GM-X Stiletto show car illustrates that this philosophy was very much still on the mind of a few designers at GM in regard to concept cars. According to a GM press release dated April 8, 1964, the Stiletto was touted by GM to be a two passenger, high performance coupe with special appeal to car enthusiasts.

​To further convey a jet influence, we only need to peer into the inside of the car to understand how much the aviation world influenced the Stiletto. When seated under the access-granting roofline, the occupants were greeted with no fewer than 31 indicator lights, 29 toggle switches, and 16 gauges, all spread across the roof and dashboard console.
​But, when it came to the steering wheel, a “wheel” just wouldn’t do. Imagine hopping into your musclecar, and being faced with an airplane-style steering apparatus. Try to picture in your mind one of these in a 1970 Chevelle. Go ahead, we dare you.

​Not only was the car’s design futuristic, but it also contained some very innovative ideas. The concept made use of automatic climate control, ultrasonic obstacle sensors, rear view cameras, and we’re told there was even a speaker/microphone for inside and outside communication. If you ask us, that is something all cars need today. Imagine being able to express your displeasure toward other drivers, and have them actually hear you!

​Bill Carr traveled to see the Aztec in Ft. Pierce in 1999. "Bill and his wife began to cry when they saw the Aztek for the first time in many years," said owner Barry Mazza. Carr died from ALS shortly after this photo was taken.

​Much of the car's sheet metal and the roof was custom formed by George Barris' metal-shaping guru, Bill DeCarr in 1956-57. The car is extremely heavy due to lead sheeting that was used to form many body parts.

​Is this the tail end of a 1955 Bel Air? The fins were swiped from a Studebaker Hawk, while the taillights were created by Bob Hirohata. The bumpers were created using 1957 DeSoto and ’57 Oldsmobile bumpers.

​"One-eye" Bobby Wilcoxson is brought into a court hearing on November 15, 1962. He shot and killed a bank guard in Dec. 1961 and was later sentenced to death. He died while in prison before the sentence was carried out.

In a rare display outside of its climate-controlled cocoon, the Cougar II show car – one of Ford’s three “X-Car” concepts built in the early Sixties – was shown on June 11, at a special Cougar 50th Anniversary event, on the grounds of Ford World Headquarters, in Dearborn, Michigan.
Designed by Ford dream car stylist Eugene Bordinat, the Cougar II had proportions and cues unlike anything else from Ford, including retractable headlamps. From most angles, however, it was difficult to believe the concept wasn’t influenced at least partially by the recently introduced Corvette Sting Ray. Regardless, it exuded sex appeal in a James Bond-kind of way, evoking the sort of imagery that might include machine gun barrels popping out of the front fenders.
Although the Cougar II wasn’t armed or armored, its featherweight form packed a punch from a 260 V-8 that Ford suggested was capable of propelling the car to 170 mph. Additional features included a unique interior air pressure relief system and spring-loaded window lifts in place of traditional cranks or electric motors.
The Cougar II was shown at the 1963 Chicago Auto Show and became part of Ford’s display at the 1964-’65 New York World’s Fair. It is now part of the Detroit Historical Society’s extensive automobile collection, the vehicles of which are generally displayed on a rotating basis at the Detroit Historical Museum, on Woodward Avenue. They are also famously stored in plastic bubbles at Detroit’s old Fort Wayne, when not on display.
Ford’s other X-Cars included the Cougar I (known originally as the Cougar 406), featuring Mercedes-Benz 300 SL-like gullwing doors, and the XP Cobra roadster, which has also been called the Bordinat Roadster and Bordinat Cobra. It looked mostly like a topless Cougar II.
In Dearborn, the Cougar II’s rare appearance was part of the Cougar anniversary event hosted by Classic Cougar Club of America and the CATS Cougar club. Drawing around 120 vehicles, the show included the 1967 model with serial number 001, vintage drag racers and an unprecedented collection of 1969-70 Eliminator models equipped with the rare Boss 302 engine.

Article courtesy of Hemmings Daily, with photo from frequent Hemmings Muscle Machine contributor Barry Kluczyk.