The EX87 frame was the first Corvette to have a V-8 engine. Driven by Zora Arkus-Duntov and Indy 500 champion Mauri Rose, this car holds a significant place in GM’s history. The bodywork and V-8 have been replaced, but the chassis still retains certain unmistakable traces of its past as a test bed. An 8-cylinder twin-turbocharged V-8 engine in the middle of the latest Corvette ZR1 car makes 1048 horsepower. This number tells you the screen’s size, not how much power it will use. But if you go back in time, you will see a clear link between this first-generation C1 Corvette with a V-8 engine and the most powerful Vette ever made. The 1955 Chevrolet Corvette with a 327-cubic-inch V-8 engine is the best deal at Bring a Trailer today. The company is owned by Hearst Autos, which also owns Cars and Drivers. But it’s more than that. Zora Arkus-Duntov, known as the father of the Corvette, drove the EX87 model at speeds exceeding 160 mph at General Motors’ testing facility in Arizona. The goal of this test bed was to show that a V-8-powered Vette was the best car of its kind. The Corvette’s history began in 1953, when 300 Polo White models were built by hand. Take a look at the first scene of the Fallout Netflix show Americana, which takes place in the 1950s. There is a lot of metal, bright curves, and hope for the future. The front-to-rear weight distribution was well done, but the six-cylinder engine didn’t live up to promises. The Corvette represented America’s vision of what a fast car ought to be. Maruri Rose, a three-time winner in the Indianapolis 500 and a GM engineer, knew that the Corvette needed a V-8. He did, after all, lead the group that made the small-block V-8 Chevy. Rose first put a V-8 engine in the EX87 in 1954, but it wasn’t sold. Later, it was sent to Arkus-Duntov to be developed further. By 1956, GM had already produced a V-8-powered Corvette, so the body of chassis EX87 was removed and transferred to a different vehicle. Additionally, its manual transmission and the Duntov-tuned 307-cubic-inch V-8 engine were replaced with a two-speed automatic transmission and a 265-cubic-inch V-8 engine. Later, a new V-8 motor with 327 cubic inches was put in. The car’s foundation is deeply tied to early Corvette history, though its body is constructed to meet the standards of 1955. The Ford Thunderbird could have put the Corvette out of business if Rose and Arkus-Duntov hadn’t been able to convince GM’s bean counters with this car. People who own Ferraris are wiping their sweaty cheeks because of the new mid-engine Vette, just like in the movie Airplane. This is where the beast known as the ZR1 got its start. Also, this car has been owned by the same person for 57 years, which is a lifetime in the world of collecting cars. A tow hook for placing speed-measuring equipment is one of the unique features of this test car. It also includes the typical piles of documents and correspondence. The car is beautiful in a Richard Scarry way, but its past is what really draws you in. Indiana Jones insists that this early V-8 Corvette belongs in a museum. You could also park it in your garage instead. The sale ends on May 19.
