GM’s 1950s Motorama-mobiles were mostly pretty out-there, with flamboyant fins, rocket-inspired skegs and cockpits, and other flights of wild imagination. Frankly, many of them were a bit absurd and even childish. But there were a few that were somewhat down to earth, even rather brilliant, like this 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne.
Besides a normal convertible model, the 1954 Chevrolet Corvette line-up also featured a hardtop, actually a Convertible Coupe. It was one of the Corvette based Motorama dream cars shown in 1954 and was a version fitted with a removable hardtop. The Advertising Brochure even called out the removable hardtop design.
When first introduced to the world by Pontiac in 1964, the car showed so much promise that Chevrolet (allegedly) put a swift end to its development to prevent its production from hindering the sales of the Corvette. Afterall, with the introduction of the 1963 Split-Window Corvette, Chevy was finally seeing an increase in sales, something lacking for most of the first-gen.
Sure we are only four years into the eighth-generation Corvette, but that doesn’t stop enthusiasts from talking and dreaming about...
Throughout its tenure, the Corvette has been the recipient of numerous redevelopments and reconfigurations. As such, the iconic American sports...
The 1988 Corvette Challenge Series was created by John Powell of Powell Motorsports. Chevrolet built fifty-six identical Corvettes for the first year of the Corvette Challenge in 1988. Each was equipped exactly the same, with all standard equipment, the 245hp Cross-Fire fuel injection engine, Doug Nash 4+3 transmission, Z51 Handling Suspension package.
The “CERV-1” (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle) was developed as a research tool for that company’s continuous investigations into automotive ride and handling phenomena under the most realistic conditions. The car was built at the Chevrolet Engineering Center at Warren, Michigan in a special project headed by Mr. Zora Arkus-Duntov, Chevrolet Staff Engineer.
Chevrolet Corvette “Tiger Shark” Concept, 1997. A C5 Corvette powered by an alloy 742hp LS1 427ci supercharged V8. Other modifications included upgraded Brembo brakes, 18-inch Kinesis Motorsport K58 forged wheels and a hood dome to clear the supercharger. It was built by Detroit prototype shop Wheel-To-Wheel and sold for $112,200 in 2009 at the GM Heritage car auction.
The CERV II was entirely Zora’s car. The CERV II was conceived early in 1962 and developed over the next year, after the GS program was squashed. The car was built under Zora's direction between 1963-'64. Zora had it in mind to develop a separate line of racing Corvettes but the idea got terminated by management.
Mid-Engine Prototypes: The 1985 Corvette Indy Concept, The 1986 Corvette Indy and the 1990 CERV III Since the introduction of...
Rumors regarding the Corvette E-Ray has been around for a very long time. As early as 2015, it has been...
As Corvette enthusiasts, we know that the modern generations of our favorite car last (at most) between 7 to 10...
When the crankshaft broke on Gary Laughlin’s Ferrari Monza he had had enough. Being the owner of several Chevrolet dealers, he turned to Peter Coltrin to have a few rebodied. Fortunately, they pursued Sergio Scaglietti who made three fastback coupes on the Corvette chassis.
This one-off 1961 Vignale Corvette was built for the 1961 Salon de l'Automobile in Paris, France. It was based on a 1960 Corvette chassis and built by Italian coachmaker Carrozzeria Vignale. The body was designed by Gordon Kelly.
The most innovative of the Bob McDorman Collection’s GM Styling Corvettes is this Blue Metallic one-off enjoyed by GM Styling legend Bill Mitchell. The unique paint is accented with a custom made die cast front grille and matching dual front fender vents. A willing 327 CI engine gave this gem all the performance the boss could have asked for...
The Chevrolet Aerovette (originally designated Experimental Project XP-882) was developed in the late 1960's under the watchful eyes and mind of Zora Arkus-Duntov. Unlike the XP-819, which ultimately proved to have too much rear weight bias, Duntov focused on developing the Aerovette as a mid-engine platform.
The Vetter Slash, a Corvette-Based Concept Car Although every generation of Corvette has its own, dedicated group of devout enthusiasts/owners,...
With the passing of successive generations, a nearly endless number of vehicle designs and concepts have been pitched to execs...
The 1992 Stingray III / California Stingray Concept was developed by John Schinella (and team) at GM's Advance Concept Center in Los Angeles. The 1992 concept is a world away from the C4. But the dominant motifs of a smooth rounded Corvette did come to production on the C5. This prototype looks distinctly upmarket, the rear shares a shocking similarity to the Jaguar XK8, without a flat surface in sight.
The team of designers and engineers responsible for the decades-long evolution of the Corvette have never been known to rest...
The First American Post-War Sports Cars American’s Got a Taste For Speed While Stationed Overseas…and it changed everything! It is...
The Future of Corvette – A Look Ahead at What’s Next The second decade of the twenty-first century has been...
Designed and built under the personal supervision of Bill Mitchell, the wild-looking XP-700 used many regular Corvette components (frame, chassis parts and engine). Bill Mitchell had a lot of “customs” built for himself. This XP-700 previewed the new tail of the upcoming 1961 Corvette.
Built for outright top speed, this prototype Corvette was built by Zora Duntov. He successfully piloted the car to a two-way average speed of 150 mph in January of 1956 at Daytona. Later two more similar cars were built for the 1956 Daytona Speed Weeks in February. After initial resistance from Engineering, Duntov’s cam was delivered to the Proving Ground.
If you were a senior GM employee, one of the perks was being able to have your own custom built for you. Bill Mitchell was known for it, but this SR-2 Lookalike was built for GM president Harlow Curtis, who was president of GM during the period that the SR-2 were developed. The lookalike was built by GM’s styling staff and presented to him.
FOR SALE: The Original 1957 Corvette Super Sport Show Car! In the past, we’ve showcased some rare “for sale” Corvettes...
The Corvair concept car was initially presented to the public at the 1954 Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan. The Corvair presented at the Waldorf was not the same car that traveled to other Motorama shows throughout the year.
The 1954 Corvette was outfitted with several unique design features. These were the results of two design exercises that included both interior and exterior upgrades. Outwardly, this styling concept is distinguished by its sharkfin headlights which effectively split each headlight down the center.
To clothe the 1965 mid engine Corvette chassis, the designers at Styling Staff proposed a much more radical shape than Zora Arkus Duntov, the main force behind a mid engine Corvette, had in mind. It would have provided rear vision solely through a periscope. The design had bold air intakes at the rear and a split windscreen that lifted up with the gullwing doors.
The Corvette SS began life as an experimental race car, and was unveiled to the public at the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race on March 23, 1957. The SS was in training for Chevrolet's debut at LeMans that year. The Sebring race was, in many ways, Chevrolet's inauguration into modern racing. But the SS never finished the race, much to the dismay of the racing community.