1964 Chevrolet XP-819 Corvette Concept
Written by Bill Bowman
The 1964 XP-819 was an engineering study used to test a rear engine concept concerning the correct direction for future Corvette development. The XP-819 was the result of a disagreement between Zora Arkus-Duntov and engineer Frank Winchell. Winchell claimed you could make a balanced, aluminum rear-engine, V8 powered sports car. Duntov disagreed. A loose design was drawn that drew some very unflattering remarks from Duntov and Dave McLellan with Duntov giving it the nickname "ugly duckling".
Winchell then asked designer Larry Shinoda to improve on the design. Shinoda and designer John Schinella sketched out a new body design that was approved and a working prototype was ordered. Shinoda supervised the styling and in only two months the XP-819 was on the test track
Shinoda’s design was well received but Winchell’s theory about rear engine V8 cars didn’t work out so well. During a high-speed lane change test the car crashed. It bounced off the wall a couple of times and was wrecked.
The question of stability was answered, and XP-819 was sent off to Smokey Yunick’s shop in Daytona, Florida were the chassis was cut in half and usable parts removed. What was left was stored in an unused paint booth as just "old junk".
Years later, a Corvette collector was buying some parts from Yunick and bought the junked XP-819.
The pile of car scrap was rebuilt and finished as a streetable car and has been on display at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
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