Built atop a shortened Porsche 914/6 chassis, fitted with a steel body designed by GM but crafted by Pininfarina, and powered by a GM two-rotor engine mounted amidships, the 1973 Chevrolet Corvette XP-897 GT concept hinted at a future that might have been – but never was – for America’s sports car. Rescued from the crusher by British Corvette enthusiast and author Tom Falconer, this evolutionary dead end will make a rare North American appearance at the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, taking place on Sunday, March 10, at The Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, Florida.
In the early 1970s, GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC all looked to the Wankel rotary as the engine of the future. It was significantly smaller and lighter than piston-equipped equivalents, and with fewer internal components, easier and cheaper to build.
However, looming energy shortages and technology challenges resulted in this Corvette being a unique specimen.
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