A singular 1954 Chevrolet Corvette design prototype for an unreleased facelift is headed to public sale at Gooding & Firm’s Monterey Automotive Week occasion, scheduled for Aug. 18-19.

This automotive dates again to the very earliest days of the Corvette. Based on the public sale itemizing, it began out as considered one of roughly 15 hand-built present vehicles constructed previous to the beginning of Corvette manufacturing in 1953. Used for testing and appearances at Common Motors’ Motorama exhibits, these vehicles weren’t assigned typical automobile identification numbers (VIN), as an alternative getting an “S.O.” designation for “store order.”

1954 Chevrolet Corvette design prototype (picture through Gooding & Firm)

The automotive up for public sale bears the serial quantity S.O. 2151, which marks it because the prototype for a proposed 1955-model-year refresh of the Corvette. The automotive was despatched to GM’s design division, then overseen by legendary design boss Harley Earl, the place it obtained a lot of styling tweaks, together with a nonfunctional hood scoop, entrance fender vents, an eggcrate grille, bumper-exit exhaust ideas, and a brand new trunk lid based mostly on the Corvette Corvair fastback idea.

A touch that this automotive was used to check out new design concepts is the location of Corvette script, which is excessive on one aspect and low on the opposite for comparability. Designers additionally added a big gold “V” to the lettering to indicate that the 1955 Corvette can be out there with a V-8 engine, offering extra muscle than the inline-6 engines used for the primary two mannequin years. S.O. 2151 was additionally painted in Bermuda Inexperienced, a GM manufacturing coloration of the time.

The finished physique was mounted on a 1954 Corvette chassis geared up with an experimental solid-lifter-camshaft engine. The design prototype was formally accomplished on July 30, 1954, in response to a tag riveted contained in the engine bay.

1954 Chevrolet Corvette design prototype (picture through Gooding & Firm)

The proposed facelift for the 1955 Corvette by no means occurred, although. Fearful about competitors from the Ford Thunderbird, GM administration determined to delay the facelift. Except for the V-8 possibility, the manufacturing 1955 Corvette ended up just like the 1954 mannequin, however for 1956 Chevy gave the Corvette a totally new physique.

S.O. 2151 escaped the destiny of most GM design prototypes, surviving intact in personal palms. The way it exited GM is unknown, Motor Pattern notes, however the one-off Corvette was preserved by a collection of homeowners and handled to an 1,800-hour restoration to its 1954 state.

This piece of Corvette historical past will not be low cost. Gooding & Firm expects S.O. 2151 to promote for $1.5 million to $2 million at public sale.