has anyone seen this? I was completely unaware that Olds had a concept car based on the 'Vette. The article goes so far as to say it was the most significant concept of all time to come out of GM. I think that's overstating it a bit considering the car never made to production...

Cliky

 

I saw it live on speed channel... doing the barrett-jackson auction. The guy bought it for a museum in Colorado that should be open to the public in september. Pontiac did a concept car off the corvette too, in the 60's. http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/96898/

 

When I look at Corvette-based concepts like the Banshee and F88 I can't help but to wonder how they would have tured out and how they would look today.

 

Beautiful car.

They were right, most likely if that car had been put into production, it would have effectively killed the Corvette.

 

Only because the Olds powertrain was better. The real reason it didn't make production was because of slow Corvette sales.

 

guess GM really is and has always been GM no matter how far you reach back.

"lets build a beautiful sports car with a crappy engine and 2-speed automatic. oh crap, it's not selling well. i guess that PROVES there's no market for ANY sports cars. lets kill it."

 

the 1964 Pontiace Banshee (XP-883) wasn't Corvette based. It was a custom vehicle (actually 2, a coupe and a roadster), but it definitely lifted styling cues from the already being designed 1968 Corvette. Nonetheless, the 1964 Banshee actually hit the show circuit PRIOR to the 1965 Mako Shark II show car that "previewed" the look of the 1968 'Vette to the public. The Banshee had a 90 inch wheelbase to the C3 'Vette's 98 inch WB and had a solid rear axle vs. the C3s independent suspension. DeLorean pitched the XP-883 at GM management all the way up until 1966 (he did suggest that they combine Pontiac and Chevy's efforts to make the XP-883 and Corvette platform mates at that time - but going with the XP-883 design, not the 'Vette design). DeLorean was then told in March of 1966 he could get back in the F Car program and share with the Camaro, or he could have nothing. So, he went with the F car program, but the extremely late start (Chevy had been working on Camaro since 1964) is why there's so little differentiation between the 1967 1/2 Firebird and 1967 Camaro - no time.