The 1972 mid-engine Corvette XP-895 was one of a line of experimental prototypes as part of the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV) program where GM engineers tested various engine placements and chassis layouts – and most often a mid-engine setup. We’ve captured some exclusive shots of the XP-895 at an outdoor auto show to feast your eyes on.
Like others, it was a precursor to the C8 Corvette Stingray launched in 2019 for the 2020 model year as the first-ever production mid-engine version of America’s sports car.
Zora Arkus-Duntov was a Chevy staff engineer, designer, and race car driver who started development of the CERV I in 1959, which was unveiled to the public at the Riverside International Raceway in November 1960 as GM’s first mid-engine example. While Harley Earl designed the Corvette and has been called the “Father of the Corvette,” that title is most often attributed to Duntov.
Duntov described the CERV I as “a design without limit,” saying that it was an “admirable tool” to describe what Chevy should apply to the Corvette. The design was equipped with no less than seven different engine combinations, with the original being a Chevy small block V8 Duntov had helped to develop alongside Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole.
About a decade later, the 1971 Corvette XP-882 was the prototype that nearly ushered in our mid-engine dreams. It looked production-ready, but was nothing more than a concept. Its design was an evolution of the C3 Corvette body, with the cab moved forward to accommodate the engine being moved behind the driver, which resulted in a more rounded profile.
In 1972, development work resumed on the XP-882, labeled the XP-895. Unexpectedly, the small block V8 was replaced with a transverse-mounted four-rotor Wankel engine created from combining a pair of prototype two-rotor engines that had been developed for the Chevy Vega. That 420-horsepower four-rotor Wankel went the way of the Vega’s, being axed due to soaring fuel prices. However, a 400 cubic-inch or 6.6L V8 was selected to replace it. The car received the green light for production under the “Aerovette” name, but powered by a 350 cubic-inch or 5.7L V8 instead, and mated to a Turbo Hydramatic transmission via a bevel gearbox.
Two prototypes of the XP-895 were built, one with a steel body and one with aluminum which shaved 400-500 pounds off the curb weight. The latter became known as the “Reynolds Aluminum Corvette” as the result of a joint venture between GM and Reynolds Aluminum to demonstrate the practicality of using this lightweight metal for car bodies. Both were finished in basic silver like the Aerovette.
But as before, the relatively high cost of production and small perceived benefit to performance, along with historically poor sales of imported rear mid-engine cars in the U.S., led GM to cancel the XP-895.
The XP-895 Reynolds Aluminum Corvette resides today in the GM Heritage Center. Let’s take a close-up look at this one and see how it compares to Vettes of the past and the current C8 Corvette.
Overall, the design of the XP-895 is less angular of the XP-882 and is somewhat of a cross between the C3 and C4 Corvettes. The front has hidden round headlights, unlike any Corvette before or since. Between the headlights are two NACA ducts, and below is a “grille” opening with fog lights on either side. The front-end design is similar to that of the Opel GT.
Looking at the side of the XP-895, the alloy rims also seem Corvette-esque and are housed within flared wheel wells. In front of the rear wheels are ducts, presumably to cool the brakes. The side window dips into the door. The profile is low and long, with some influences from the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB and DeTomaso Pantera GTS. That latter reference is not surprising since Ford had announced plans to sell the Pantera through Lincoln-Mercury dealers, prompting John DeLorean, Chevrolet’s general manager at the time, to restart work on the very XP-882 program he had initially cancelled due to its cost and perceived impracticality.
Out back, the design of the XP-895 is a nod to the C3 Corvette, especially the B-pillar treatment that sweeps back on the trunk area with a vertical rear window the prototype is a mid-engine car. The engine compartment simply has a cover over it without showcasing the powerplant like other concepts and the current C8 Corvette. And the taillights are simply two slits, showing a simple design having no connection to the telltale four taillights of every other Corvette.
Overall, the car has smooth lines revealing hints of a Corvette, but not enough to show its heritage. If you didn’t know it was a Corvette, its generic design would keep you wondering.
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Comments
A lot of people, even knowledgeable people, call Duntov the Father of the Corvette, when without any doubt what so ever it WAS Harley Earl. ZAD is at best the God Father to Corvette, or maybe Uncle, but NOT Father.
Harley was Grand Marshall, and his ‘personal’ car, the concept car Le Sabre, was Parade Car, for the September 15,1951 Watkins Glen Grand Prix Races. Harley on that date and day conceived that America needed a sports car and GM needed to build. It was a short time thereafter, when he returned to Detroit, that Harley initiated his secret Project Opel.
And here is a bit of trivia ….. before Project Opel was given the name Corvette, it had the moniker Cougar.
And the Camaro’s original codename was Panther. Cool GM trivia! 🙂
Well Harley got it built. Zora is the one who kept it alive and gave it the power or life to survive.
If it had not been given the V8 we would not have a Corvette todsy.
It was due to the efforts of both men this car exist today. Same for Michell and a few others along the way.
Then Dave Hill Nd Jim Perkins saved the car in the early 90’s when the C5 was canceled.
Again the car was dead in 08 but Tadge Juechter saved the car in the bail out. They went as far as creating a Corvette Phone book of all involved to try to keep the car alive even if GM failed.
There is no one sing man responsible for what we have today. There are a great number of those who kept the car and dream alive.
While Harley created the first it would never have lived long without help from the others.
Wrong as usual
You make good points, C8.R, but with all you wrote Harley IS the Father of America’s Sports Car!
No disrespect to all who followed Harley, as I am a Corvette lifer, albeit, the rest improved upon the conception. Without the original idea, where would we be?!
Additionally, if it were not for Ed Cole, who you don’t mention, engineering the small block and hiring ZAD where we all be?!
There are a LOT of dots to connect in the entire story, but it all begins with HARLEY EARL!
Why did they put Zora’s face on it then, and not Harley’s?
Because he was one of the promoters of a mid-rear engine sports car.
He did not conceive America’s sports car!
He fell in love with the 1953 Corvette at the GM Motorama on January 17th, 1953.
At the time Zora was not employed by GM/Chevrolet.
His first day of employment with GM/Chevrolet was May 1st, 1953.
And he wasn’t assigned to the Corvette originally.
Come on folks, credit given where credit is due, Harley Earl conceived America’s sports car, end of story.
hmmm….I’d say it makes him high on the ‘father’ list, regardless of who may have thought of the idea. Clearly GM does too.
Makes Zora high on the list of advocates, but not Corvette’s Father. Can only be 1 Father.
The Corvette has had many fathers along it’s life. However Zora was the bull headed one and did keep the Corvette alive, interesting, competitive and in the lead. His work and racing Porsche’s mid engine spyder is where he got his desire to make the Corvette a mid engine machine. Rightfully so has Chevy/GM given Zora due credit for the C8’s birth. It only took 60 years to get to us. Thanks to all but especially to Zora Arkus-Duntov.
And another point regards an above comment …. “08 Tadge Juechter saved the car in the bail out” …. is not true.
Government bean counters found in their audits of GM that Corvette and P/U trucks were profit makers for GM. They then gave GM/Chevrolet the green light to move forward with Corvette.
Earl may have conceived it, but Zora raised and nurtured, so I say they are both equally father/dad respectively. As I said, so does GM as they put Zora’s face on the car literally….not Halrey Earl’s! Argue with GM.
Not arguing with anyone. Pointing out historical facts as they are.
Using your logic, so if Zora is a Father to Corvette, then we should characterize Bill Mitchell and Peter Brock as Fathers to the C2; Bill Mitchell and Larry Shinoda as Fathers to the C3; Jerry Palmer and Dave McLellan as Fathers to the C4; Jerry Palmer, John Cafaro and Dave Hill as Fathers to the C5; Tom Peters and Dave Hill as Fathers to the C6; Hwasup Lee, Kirk Bennion, Tom Peters and Tadge Juechter as Fathers of the C7; Kirk Bennion and Tadge Juechter as Fathers of the C8.
I would debate, not argue, they are all God Fathers to Corvette.
Stop your making to much sense that’s not allowed on here
The History and Heritage that is Corvette, Jamie, dates back to a series of events that started in 1929.
So many events had to take place, so many DOTS had to be CONNECTED for the eventuality of the conception of America’s Sports Car. One event, just one, missing or never taking place and Corvette never materializes.
I remember reading about both the two-rotor and four-rotor prototypes in Science & Mechanics magazine back in 1972, along with all of car magazines at that time. As I recall, the Chevy Monza, Pontiac Sunfire, Oldsmobile Starfire and Buick Skyhawk were all supposed to get the two-rotor Wamkel engine as the upgrade over the base four-cylinder engine, but when the Wankel engine was cancelled, they all got the Chevy 265 V8 as the optional motor instead. You know the one, the one where you had to remove the motor mounts and jack up the engine to change the back two (2) spark plugs. Either that, or drill holes through the front wheel tubs to access the plugs after taking off the front tires! A GM Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) gave instructions on where to drill the holes, along with rubber plugs to put in the holes between tune-ups.
Imagine if GM went with rotor or even turbine power in the ’70s, OTOH poor FE effected the turbine on low speeds and seal technology wasn’t effective on the rotary back then.
Let’s look at the Corvette as a Professional Athlete; his father is his father anyone else that contribute to him becoming a Professional Athlete could never be his father no mater how much they improvement his Performance.
Harley may have envisioned an American sports car (so did Kaiser and Howard Darrin) but if he hadn’t retired, the ’58 Vette would have been entirely different, looking much like the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket “dream car” of the ’56 Motorama. It was to be a “personal car” in the same mold as Foid’s ’55 Thunderbird, not a true sportster. That notion came from Duntov and Bill Mitchell, who junked the Golden Rocket theme, kept developing the ’56 Vette look, and initiated a totally new design, originally done by Pete Brock ,and later Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine creating first the ’59 Stingray racer, and from that, what we now know as the C2 Sting Ray.
I said it before, so repeating myself, but there is a good reason why Zora’s face is on the C8 and NOT Harley Earl’s. Perhaps Harley was encouraging Zora behind the scenes to conceive the vette, but either way, it is Zora’s offspring, not Earls. Its like the kid who looks like the mailman, only in this case, the kid who looks like the chief engineer…..
Ben S.
Zora wasn’t working for GM/Chev at the time Harley conceived that America needed a sports car and GM needed to produce it.
Zora started working for GM/Chev May 1st, 1953, months after Corvette was introduced at the GM Motorama,
January 17th, 1953.
Harley conceived America needed a sports car on September 15th, 1951.
So your idea that Harley was encouraging Zora to conceive a Vette is all wet.
That written, Zora pushed GM to produce a rear engine race/sports car starting with CERV 1.
And that is why GM/Chev is giving credit to ZAD where credit is due.
Jay S.
All the GM Divisions had Corvette look-a-likes designs. And they were all butt ugly.
But Harley had an agreement with Ed Cole that Chevrolet would produce and sell his 2-seat sports car.