The Astro-II was a little confusing. It looked like a Corvette and Road & Track got the linkage between Winchell's concept car and it's connection to Jim Hall's Chaparral. However, the Mako Shark-II-inspired C3 Corvette just came out. So, the Astro-II didn't stand a chance.
Frank Winchell wasn’t like the extroverted Zora Arkus-Duntov; he was a typical mechanical engineer of his day—quiet but demanding. People said you didn’t work “with” Frank; you worked “for” Mr. Winchell. If an engineer told him something couldn’t be done, he’d chew them out and find someone who would do it.
Larry Shinoda designed the body for the GS-IIb in coupe and open roadster configurations. Many of Shinoda’s designs in the early to mid 1960s had a similar Mako Shark-II flavor.
For a man with no formal engineering education, he was a real Renaissance figure. Winchell headed Chevrolet’s R&D department from 1959 to 1966, and upper management loved his ability to get results. He retired in 1982 at age 65 as GM’s vice president of engineering.
Jim Hall’s Chaparral cars used aluminum aircraft monocoque-type construction. The cars did not use the then-common tube space frame construction. Hall also explored aerodynamics and the use of a racing-grade, two-speed automatic transmission.
Winchell cared about pure engineering. That mindset led him to partner with young Texas oilman and racer Jim Hall, gaining 24/7 access to Hall’s private Rattlesnake Raceway in Midland, Texas—well away from the press. Hall’s early race cars were Chevy R&D machines wearing Chaparral badges. They featured mid-engine layouts, racing-grade 2-speed automatics, all-aluminum SBC engines, monocoque construction, and Larry Shinoda-designed bodies. Hall soon developed the adjustable rear wing for the Chaparral 2E, a big leap in 1964.
Winchell’s team did the preliminary steel monocoque structure and tested the design at Hall’s private Rattlesnake Raceway, in Midland, Texas. Being out in the middle of rural Texas provided Winchell the privacy he needed for his R&D work.
Winchell wasn’t especially interested in racing for its own sake. The private test track was also ideal for studying the lawsuit-plagued Corvair. Winchell liked the rear-engine platform, which inspired the XP-819 Corvette, featuring a small-block engine hanging off the rear axle. He believed the right suspension and tire setup would deliver excellent handling.
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