| General Motors XP-819 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Motors |
| Production | 1965 |
| Designer | Larry Shinoda |
| Body and chassis | |
| Related | Chevrolet Corvette |
TheXP-819 was a one-offconcept car, developed byGeneral Motors in 1965, to test a rear engine configuration for theChevrolet Corvette.
The body was designed byLarry Shinoda,[1] designer of the 1963 Sting Ray Split WindowCoupe and theCERV-1. There are styling cues in XP-819 that later appeared in Shinoda's famed 1968 "Sting Ray" design. A reverse rotationGeneral Motorsmarine engine was factory-installed in the car, so the two-speedtransaxle would operate properly. The entirechassis,suspension, and steering are custom made components unique to this car. Some of these parts also found their way to later production cars.
After one of the testing engineers had an accident testing the car, the XP-819 was slated for demolition.[1] However, racer and performance driverSmokey Yunick requested this car as the basis for a new race car design. Smokey never completed the racer and later sold the XP-819 to Steve Tate, a General Motors dealer fromGallatin, Missouri.[2]
When purchased, the car had been cut into several pieces and was almost unidentifiable. Had Tate not spotted the "XP" designation on the windshieldVehicle Identification Number, the car might never have been seen again.
On August 17, 2002, Mid America Motorworks inEffingham, Illinois, added the XP–819 to the "MY Garage Collection". It is undergoing a complete restoration at the Mid America Motorworks’ Installation & Restyling Center, with an estimated completion date sometime in 2014.
Established in 1911, a division ofGeneral Motors since 1918 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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