- Hidden C5 development mule secretly built on under modified C4 body.
- Prototype fuel door, hood, trunk, and cabin previewed C5 design cues.
- LT1 V8, six-speed manual, FX3 suspension, and BBS wheels were fitted.
Most people wouldn’t give a second glance to a C4-generation Corvette. It’s not the loudest presence in a parking lot, nor the kind of car that demands attention at first sight. Yet this one is anything but ordinary.
Meet the Corvette CERV-IVb, a clandestine creation developed entirely off the books, a fully functional prototype so secret that even some of GM’s top brass didn’t know it existed. After years in quiet obscurity, it’s now preparing to take the spotlight at auction.
More: This Chevrolet CERV I Replica Is A Blast From The Past
It’s worth noting here that Chevy built five CERV prototypes starting in 1959, short for Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle. This particular one stands apart as the only example with a front-mounted engine layout.
The Hidden C5 Prototype
In 1993, the Corvette development team knew that it needed to start work on what would become the 1997 C5. Executives were skeptical of major architectural changes so engineers pushed the project off the books and used this testing mule that packed a fifth-generation Corvette chassis beneath the modified skin of a C4 as the starting point.
The result of that work was CERV-IVb, an experimental car that retains its original GM Proving Grounds stickers on the windshield today.
Mecum
Much of the work that went into and came out of this car focused on evaluating structural and functional designs that would define the C5. The hood is an early C5-style assembly where the fenders and lights stay fixed in place when the hood opens.
A custom fascia with a wide center intake hinted at the next Corvette’s design language long before anyone outside the proving grounds had seen it.
The EPA also forced Chevrolet to rethink the Corvette’s top-filling fuel door, so CERV-IVb has a side-mounted door years before it showed up on the Corvette. At the rear, engineers cut an experimental trunk compartment into the body to evaluate the packaging of the future C5 convertible.
A Frankenstein Interior
Step inside and the prototype’s experimental nature becomes clear. The interior is a patchwork of early C5 components and what seems to be a Pontiac Firebird dashboard, giving it the look of a rolling lab rather than a finished product.
And if that doesn’t grab your attention, the note plastered across it, “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT DRIVING THIS CAR BEFORE CHECKING THE OIL!!!”, surely will.
A Chevrolet Engineering car record book documenting every modification is also included in this sale.
Mecum
Power is said to come from an LT1 5.7-liter V8 rated at 300 hp (223 kW) mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and FX3 Selective Ride Control suspension.
The development team added revised mounting brackets for the power steering pump and alternator, along with power four-wheel disc brakes, an auxiliary hardtop, and BBS 17-inch gold-mesh wheels.
Sold For $340,000 In 2009
The Corvette CERV-IVb was acquired by the Yager family in 2009 after winning the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction that year for $340,000 before buyer fees, where it has since been carefully preserved as a rare glimpse into Chevrolet’s secretive engineering process.
As a bridge between two Corvette generations, it represents a piece of internal history that was never meant to be seen outside GM’s proving grounds.
Now, this one-off prototype is set to cross the block once again at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction on January 17. You can view the full listing on Mecum’s website here.
Mecum
