Topic: Solved NIC#748 - Chevrolet 4-rotor Corvette prototype

[nicanary]

I can hardly believe it, but apparently this has never been a puzzle. Easy for the Rookies - what is it?

[Brock05]

1973 Chevy Four Rotor XP-882 AeroVette?

[nicanary]

1973 Chevy Four Rotor XP-882 AeroVette?

I've just realised that I don't know exactly what car is in my puzzle photo! It could be the XP-882 either with Corvette or 4-rotor engine, or the later XP-895 which appeared in 1973. My source doesn't tell me.

I'm going to award you the point, because you clearly know what we're looking at, but I think it's probably the later car.

[sixtee5cuda]

The real name of the puzzle car is not that easy to nail down.  It began life as "The four-rotor Corvette Prototype", and was not actually assigned an XP- number.  After the wankel project was cancelled, it was fitted with a 400 cubic inch V8 and renamed the AeroVette.

XP-882 was an early mid-engined Corvette prototype, of which 2 copies were built.  One chassis was rebodied into the AeroVette/4-rotor car.  The other chassis was remade into XP-895 by Reynolds Aluminum, to show how much weight could be saved by using less steel.

[nicanary]

The real name of the puzzle car is not that easy to nail down.  It began life as "The four-rotor Corvette Prototype", and was not actually assigned an XP- number.  After the wankel project was cancelled, it was fitted with a 400 cubic inch V8 and renamed the AeroVette.

XP-882 was an early mid-engined Corvette prototype, of which 2 copies were built.  One chassis was rebodied into the AeroVette/4-rotor car.  The other chassis was remade into XP-895 by Reynolds Aluminum, to show how much weight could be saved by using less steel.

Thanks. TBH your explanation is easier to understand that all the info on the internet. I'm still pretty sure this is one of the later cars, so it could be the Reynolds car.

[sixtee5cuda]

The puzzle car is the 4-rotor car, later known as the Aerovette. 

The following picture shows the XP-895 Reynolds car.  It still exists.

[nicanary]

For some reason I thought the bodywork was the same on all the cars. Thanks for helping me out - I'll change the thread title.

[navara]

One of these Rotary Corvettes is in private ownership, it is residing in a private Corvette dealership, south of London, in the UK.  It is the earlier split windscreen, red car XP-897, I was not expecting to see such a car out of GM's captivity.

[sixtee5cuda]

The car in the UK is the smaller, "2-rotor Corvette".  It was built by Pininfarina, based on a Porsche 914 chassis.  The car is currently powered by a Mazda 13B 2-rotor engine.  It is also the only steel-bodied Corvette.

[Lofotleif]

A Chevrolet Corvette built in Italy on a German base with Japanese engine - Donald; are you aware of this ?? ;-)

[nicanary]

A Chevrolet Corvette built in Italy on a German base with Japanese engine - Donald; are you aware of this ?? ;-)

Doesn't matter - stubby fingers, that's the future. Stubby fingers will make America great again. I guarantee. Listen to me, believe me.