Automotive test mules are not a new concept. Often used by automakers to test some new technology or powertrain, these test cars are either destroyed or kept in a private collection after their work is done. Seldom do they make their way into the hands of the general public, but when they do, you can bet they make headlines. Such is the case with the EX87 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Test Car on Bring a Trailer.
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A story of technical innovation
The story of the chassis EX87 Corvette test car is long and convoluted, so let me try to break it down. When it was first released, the Chevrolet Corvette C1 was not as big a sales hit as Chevrolet wanted it to be. In an effort to boost those sales, legendary engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov proposed that the automaker build a Corvette that could break the 150 mph speed record then held by the Chrysler 300. With the help of Chevrolet engineer and former Indianapolis 500 race winner, Mauri Rose, they took an unsold 1954 Chevrolet Corvette and began modifying it for the high-speed run.
The pair bored and stroked a 307ci V8, paired it with a special high-lift camshaft, now known as the “Duntov Cam,” and installed it into the test Corvette, marking the first instance of a V8-powered Corvette before the introduction of the 265 cu in (4.3 L) small-block in 1955. Body modifications included a low-cut windscreen, a passenger-side tonneau cover, a head fairing, a unique belly pan, and a three-speed manual transmission. Chassis #EX87 and Body #5951 became the Corvette EX87/5951, and was driven by Smokey Yunick to 163 mph at the GM Arizona Proving Grounds. GM planned to build a 1956 Corvette for official high-speed runs at Daytona Beach, so the car was separated into the chassis, EX87, and the body, 5951.
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Where are they now?
The modified 5951 body now sits on a normal 1955 Corvette frame in the Lingenfelter Collection and was reunited with the speed record Yunick engine back in 2003 after 50 years apart. The EX87 chassis had a 1955 Corvette body from car #6903 mounted on it, along with a 265ci V8 engine and a two-speed automatic transmission. It spent the next few years as a 1956 demo car before it was later sold to a GM engineer. The current owner’s husband purchased it from that engineer in 1968 and went on to enjoy it as a regular show Corvette before several judges and aficionados at those shows tipped him off to the car’s history, and its whereabouts were thus documented.
After the 265ci engine failed, it was replaced by a 327ci V8, and the car was repainted red with a beige convertible top in the 1970s. The odometer currently shows 21,000 miles, although its true mileage is unknown.
Fantasy Junction/Bring a Trailer
Final thoughts
Any test mule has an incredible story within its sheet metal, but one for a car as important as the Corvette has a special allure that few can replicate. This chassis gave birth to the V8-powered Corvette we know and love to this day. To call it an automotive icon is still an understatement. After 57 years of ownership, chassis EX87 is now up for grabs with no reserve. Upon purchase, the new owner will receive historic correspondence from GM, literature, service records, spare parts, and a clean California title that lists the car as a 1955 Chevrolet.
At the time of writing, the auction ends in just under eight days, with a current bid of $52,500. To put a price on something with this much historical importance is a nearly impossible task, but by the end of this auction, we’ll at least have an idea of its worth to someone.
