Chevrolet Astro II (XP-880)
Even though this concept wasn’t called a Corvette, everyone at the 1968 New York Auto Show knew this was the next generation of America’s favorite sports car. In those days, Zora Arkus Duntov, Chevrolet’s engineer, and Bill Mitchell, head of GM design, lobbied hard for Corvette to go mid-engined. The Astro II was one of the first in a long line of mid-engine Corvette concepts. For a while, it looked like Chevrolet would produce it. The idea was a fully functional prototype with the engine placed behind the passengers. Its 390 HP big block V8 powered its rear wheels and gave the Astro II a very convincing performance (via Motor Trend).
Ultimately, Chevrolet decided to abandon the mid-engined Corvette and go with the standard drivetrain layout for Corvette’s third generation in 1968. Had Chevrolet agreed to greenlight the Astro II, Ferrari would have had a hard time on the American market. Today, 50 years after the Astro II, we’re eagerly expecting the introduction of the Corvette Zora, which will finally be mid-engined like so many concepts before it.