Incredibly Cool C1 Corvette Styling Prototype Discovered After Decades in Storage

Used as a show car and engineering model, this C1 Corvette styling prototype was purchased in the 1970s and restored recently.

While many rare and historically significant Corvettes have been unearthed and saved by numerous classic car hunters over the years, few can hold a candle to the amazing discovery recently highlighted in this video from YouTuber Jerry Heasley. Known internally as S.O. (Shop Order) 2151, this C1 Corvette styling prototype has lived one heck of a life that started out on the show circuit and was later used for future design proposals within General Motors. The car disappeared in the 1950s, but was discovered years later and restored to its former glory.

S.O. 2151 actually began life as EX-129, a car that participated in GM’s Motorama tour before designers gave it a makeover and transformed it into an engineering prototype. Corvette fans will undoubtedly notice that there are some seriously quirky details present on the prototype – such as its Corvair-like trunk, hood scoop, and 1955 Chevy Bel Air grille – but also a handful of items that eventually made it to production, including the side gills and exhaust pipes.

But perhaps the most unusual thing about this C1 Corvette styling prototype is the fact that depending on which side you look at it, you’ll see something different. GM stylists did this on purpose to give their higher-ups choices on which look they liked the best – painted or chrome-plated gills, different headlights, and the placement of the Corvette script – all different, depending on which angle this car is viewed from.

Still sporting its original one-piece body, this styling prototype disappeared in the 1950s before it resurfaced for sale in the Hemming’s classifieds back in 1975. It was purchased at that time by George Campbell, who proceeded to store it until 2015, when he enlisted Billy Jay – who is admittedly more of a Ford expert – to restore it.

Jay managed to preserve most of the car’s original parts, but some were missing or damaged to the point where they had to be replaced with hand-fabricated pieces, including the hood scoop, side vents, and rear grille. Five years later, this amazing piece of Corvette history is looking better than ever, an unlikely ending for a car that should have probably wound up in the scrap yard like so many others.

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