XP819

[Brian W.]

I checked out a 64 corvette for sale - it turns out this car is XP819 (proto-type) also out of my price range. The car appears original with some minor body cracking and such. It is blue in color and has a rear mounted 327-350 hp engine hooked to a 2 speed automatic transaxle with a wheel base of 90", it sits 44" high and a curb weight of 2700 lbs. The car also has 2 piece wheels adjustable in width to accommodate different size tires. Has anyone heard of or seen this car before? Just interested. Thanks.

[Loren L.]

It's going through the R&M Auction

at Monterey on the 16th & 17th of August.

[Duke W.]

Re: XP819

The XP-819 was one of Frank Winchells's R&D projects to explore the handling characteristics of alternative architectures, and I'm sure Zora had a hand in it. Shinoda did the styling, and as far as I know only one example was built, so it sounds like the real McCoy.

Even though it sounds like a neat piece, I doubt if it handles very well, and I don't know how you maintain and repair a unique experimental car. I hope it ends up in a museum where it belongs as apposed to being a trincket that gets sold every few years to another speculator.

Duke

[John H.]

Re: XP819

This was a Winchell R&D car, which Zora had no hand in - it was a stone, and it would be charitable to categorize the handling as "terrifying"; interesting historical piece, but little more. This car has been through MANY owners and has been pretty thoroughly butchered in the process.

[Patrick H.]

Re: XP819

As I believe, it was LITERALLY butchered by Smokey Yunick and placed in the back of his shop for many years. It was subsequently resurrected by grafting the pieces back together, and joined the Corvette show circuit once again in private hands.

I recall Zora saying that he hated the car.

Patrick