Photo: Barrett-Jackson
When the Corvette was still in its first generation, a man going by the name of Zora Arkus-Duntov was tasked to design a mid-engine racing car. Thus the awe-inspiring CERV 1 was born in 1960 for the sole reason to flaunt what Chevrolet is capable of when the sky is the limit.
The first exhibit in the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle series was developed as a research subject. Its body shell makes use of glass fiber reinforced plastic, a material also featured in the C1 Corvette. The engine, meanwhile, is a 350-horsepower 283-cu.in. (4.6-liter) V8 based on the small-block V8 introduced in the C1 Corvette for 1957.
Beyond that, however, the CERV 1 is a wholly different animal from America’s most revered sports car. As if the single-seat design wasn’t wild enough compared to what Chevrolet used to sell and race at the time, little did Zora Arkus-Duntov know that the mid-engine layout would get considered for production for the C8-generation Corvette.
Spy photos of a mid-engine Corvette made the rounds on more than one occasion, and all leads suggest that Chevy will do the unthinkable for the 2019 model year. The mid-engine Corvette is expected to take on the 2017 Ford GT and various European exotica (think Lambos and Ferraris).
But as noted beforehand, this evolution of the Corvette breed wouldn’t have happened if Zora wouldn’t have developed the CERV 1. The experimental vehicle was recently sold for $1.32 million at Barrett-Jackon’s 2017 Scottsdale auction, which is not much considering the historical significance this car has for General Motors.
Even if it fell short of its $2 million estimate, do bear in mind that the CERV 1 fetched only $800,000 when RM Sotheby’s was tasked to sell it. By comparison, the most expensive American car ever sold at auction went for a mind-boggling $13.75 million.
Beyond that, however, the CERV 1 is a wholly different animal from America’s most revered sports car. As if the single-seat design wasn’t wild enough compared to what Chevrolet used to sell and race at the time, little did Zora Arkus-Duntov know that the mid-engine layout would get considered for production for the C8-generation Corvette.
Spy photos of a mid-engine Corvette made the rounds on more than one occasion, and all leads suggest that Chevy will do the unthinkable for the 2019 model year. The mid-engine Corvette is expected to take on the 2017 Ford GT and various European exotica (think Lambos and Ferraris).
But as noted beforehand, this evolution of the Corvette breed wouldn’t have happened if Zora wouldn’t have developed the CERV 1. The experimental vehicle was recently sold for $1.32 million at Barrett-Jackon’s 2017 Scottsdale auction, which is not much considering the historical significance this car has for General Motors.
Even if it fell short of its $2 million estimate, do bear in mind that the CERV 1 fetched only $800,000 when RM Sotheby’s was tasked to sell it. By comparison, the most expensive American car ever sold at auction went for a mind-boggling $13.75 million.
Google News