NEWS RELEASE
Contact:
Charles Dressing
cdressing@ameliaconcours.org
CONTROVERSIAL EXPERIMENTAL CORVETTE COMING TO AMELIA
JACKSONVILLE, FL; MONTH 00, 2011 --- The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is famous for
featuring unique and rarely seen “star cars”. The radical rear engine experimental Corvette XP-819
will keep that tradition alive on the weekend of March 9-11, 2012.
GM legend and Corvette godfather Zora Arkus-Duntov did not like the rear engine Corvette
XP-819 concept. It was created in 1964 despite a disagreement between Duntov and Chevrolet
engineering chief Frank Winchell about the viability of a rear engine Corvette.
Experience with the Corvair project caused Winchell to believe that a Corvette with a rear
mounted aluminum V-8 engine was conceptually and commercially sound. Duntov disagreed. Famed
GM designer Larry Shinoda was given the task of improving Winchell’s mold-breaking rear engine
Corvette. After refining the concept and designing a car that was to Duntov’s liking, the experimental
rear engine Corvette was running in just two months. The XP-819 couldn’t be mistaken for anything
but a Corvette. But some GM insiders claimed it bore an uncomfortable resemblance to the new midengine Porsche 904.
The XP-819 did not see production. With the weight of a V-8 engine behind the rear axle,
proper balance was not achieved. The XP-819 was crashed during a high-speed lane change test.
While the rear engine’s weight and position were at the core of the XP-819’s shortcomings, its
dynamic problems were also blamed on the use of standard size Corvette wheels and tires.
What was left of XP-819 was sent to Smokey Yunick’s legendary “Best Damn Garage in
Town “ in Daytona Beach, FL, where it was cut up and stripped of usable parts. The rest was bought
by a Corvette collector. The XP-819 was rebuilt and is now owned by Corvette aficionado Mike
Yager, founder of Mid America Motorworks , one of the nation’s leading suppliers of Corvettes parts.
“So many valuable prototypes disappear or end up in the junk yard once their usefulness
ends,” said Bill Warner, Amelia’s founder and chairman. “I’m glad this one made it back to tell its
story. It’s a unique piece of GM heritage and a design that might have worked if it had more
development and testing time; just look at the Porsche 911.”
The 2012 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance will be held March 9-11 on the 10th and 18th
fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia
Island. The honoree for 2012 will be rally and endurance legend Vic Elford and the iconic Ferrari
GTO will be featured. The show’s Foundation has donated nearly $1.8 million to Community
Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other charities on Florida’s First Coast since its inception in
1996.
About The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
Now in its second decade, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is among the top automotive events in the world. Always
held the second full weekend in March, “The Amelia” draws nearly 250 rare vehicles from collections around the world to The
Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no
other. Since 1996, the show’s Foundation has donated nearly $1.8 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc.
and other deserving charities on Florida’s First Coast. The 17th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is scheduled for
March 9-11, 2012. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.
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