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When General Motors almost created the ultimate sports car with the Chevrolet CERV II

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Created on October 30, 2013

Reading time 5min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Michael Furman - Courtesy RM Auctions

Chevrolet CERV II (1964) - vierradangetriebenes Experimentalfahrzeug - wurde als Lot 139 an der RM/Sotheby's Versteigerung von New York am 21. November 2013 für eine Million USD versteigert

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Chevrolet CERV II (1964) - angeboten als Lot 139 an der RM Auction "Art of the Automobile" am 21. November 2013 in New York

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Chevrolet CERV I 1960 - Zora Arkus-Duntov mit dem Experimentalfahrzeug mit Mittelmotor und rund 355 SAE-PS

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Summary

In 1963/1964, Zora Arkus-Duntov built a racing sports car that was intended to compete with the best in the world. Because General Motors had sworn off racing, the four-wheel drive prototype degenerated into the CERV II test and experimental vehicle. This report describes the history and technology of the 1964 Chevrolet CERV II, which will be auctioned by RM/Sotheby's in November 2013.

This article contains the following chapters

Chevrolet Engineering Reserach Vehicles
Stage 1 as a monoposto
Stage 2 with all-wheel drive
Dynamic four-wheel drive
No racing possible
Stored and exhibited
Further information

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It reminds the observer of Matchbox and hot-wheel toy cars with its white and blue bodywork and the steeply rising eight exhaust tips. But the 1964 Chevrolet CERV II was no toy, and if Zora Arkus-Duntov's plans had gone further, the Le Mans story might be completely different today. Zora Arkus-Duntov began building experimental vehicles as early as the 1950s. These were called "CERV", which stood for "Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle". In November 1960, the first result of the work was presented at the Riverside race track and, surprisingly, this vehicle was a monoposto with free-standing wheels.

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