Stuff of dreams

Pebble Beach, California not only hosts a premier golf tournament but the picturesque course provides the perfect backdrop for the annual Concours d'Elegance for classic and antique autos. This year a central theme was the dream cars of General Motors—which conjured up images of the future as imagined in the 1950s, and were thus reflections of technology and thinking of the time.

Here we present an album of images from noted photographer Gene Ritvo taken at the end-of-summer gathering. (All photos by Gene Ritvo, Copyright 2008)

Pontiac Firebird--check out the aircraft pitot tube on the vertical fin.

Buick Centurion (1956), probably the first car with a rear-view TV camera

The Buick Wildcat II (1954) in Electric Blue featured pivoting headlights.

From an earlier future, the Buick Y Job of 1938 driven by the president of the company.