1960 CERV 1 Concept Heads For Monterey Car Week Auction

While rumors continue to swirl regarding a production mid-engined Corvette, one of the concept cars that helped hatch that idea is headed for auction during next month's Monterey Car Week.

It's the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV) I, one of the many concepts and prototypes built by General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] over the years to test the waters for a possible mid-engined Corvette. It will cross the block at an RM Auctions event in Monterey on Friday, August 14, with an expected selling price of $1.3 million to $2 million—a bargain for this incredible piece of GM history.

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The CERV I looks more like a race car than a prototype sports car, and that's because it essentially was, although it never competed in any organized series. Original Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus Duntov (below), always had an eye on the racing scene, and the CERV I was built as both a possible track weapon and a development vehicle.

It was first demonstrated in November 1960 ahead of the Formula One United States Grand Prix in Riverside, California, and was later tested at Pikes Peak.