Chevrolet Aerovette
Mid-engine Chevrolet concept with gullwing doors.
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The Chevrolet Aerovette was a concept car developed by Chevrolet, originating as Experimental Project 882 (XP-882) in the late 1960s. It featured a mid-engine layout with a transversely mounted V8 engine. The program faced cancellation but was revived for display after Ford announced plans to sell the DeTomaso Pantera through Lincoln-Mercury dealers.
History
In 1972, John DeLorean authorized further work on the XP-882 chassis under a new project code, XP-895. An aluminum-alloy body resembling the XP-895 was built, called the Reynolds Aluminum Car, and powered by a 4-rotor, 420 hp engine formed from two Chevrolet Vega 2-rotor engines. The XP-895 debuted in late 1973. Another concept, XP-897GT, appeared in 1973 with a 2-rotor engine, but the energy crisis led GM to abandon rotary development.
The XP-897GT was later sold to Tom Falconer and fitted with a Mazda 13B rotary engine in 1997. In 1976, the 4-rotor engine was replaced by a 400 CID Chevrolet V8, and the car was renamed Aerovette, approved for 1980 production with a 350 CID V8 and a price of $15,000-$18,000. After supporters Duntov, Bill Mitchell, and Ed Cole retired, David R. McLellan canceled the program, citing that a front/mid-engine car would be more economical and perform better.
Poor sales of imported rear mid-engine cars in the U.S. compared to the front-engined Datsun 240Z also contributed to the cancellation.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Chevrolet Aerovette (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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