Miguel Sánchez
At the end of the 356s, Porsche was taking its first steps with a range based solely on the XNUMX. A model that, thanks to the commercial instinct of importer Max Hoffman, was a remarkable success in the United States. And it is that, contrary to the pessimistic vision of Ferry Porsche, Hoffman sensed that the North American market would receive the 356 very well precisely because it was a different car from those made in Detroit.. And he was right. Because while the Germans were planning to import only about five Porsche 356s a year into the port of New York… Max Hoffman's dealer demanded five a week from the Stuttgart factory.
As it is, the truth is that the formula for a light and exotic European sports car worked wonderfully in a market full of heavy convertibles with long-travel suspensions. Something that, in terms of driving, gave an obvious prestige to the drivers of Porsche. A fact that was amplified in 1954 with the Spartan 356 Speedster. Proving that it is more meritorious to handle a light and nervous engine hanging behind the rear axle in curves than in straights a huge displacement of slow response like that of Detroit vehicles.
However, the truth is that Porsche also tested the possibility of competing in a more practical vehicle segment. But how? Offering a four-seater model. An idea embodied in 1951 with the project Type 530, which consisted of a 356 with a slightly elongated chassis. A priori an interesting idea, but that finally ended up buried by the bad omens given in the market studies. Curiously a story similar to the one General Motors experimented with with the 4-Place Vette. The prototype with which Chevrolet envisioned a four-seater Corvette.
The rear windows acted as a roof over the rear seats
THINKING OF A FOUR-SEAT CORVETTE FOR THE SECOND GENERATION
In 1953 General Motors introduced the first generation of the Corvette. The most significant model for sportsmanship understood in an American key, which was born with a high-impact fiberglass body among many small European manufacturers. A novel element, in clear contrast to its old-fashioned rigid axle suspension and almost artisanal mounting. Characteristics that, however, They were no problem for the Corvette C1 to conquer the American market, going from 300 units in 1953 to 14.531 in 1962. Last year of production before jumping into its second generation with the C2 Stingray.
At this point, the CEOs of General Motors with Ed Cole at the helm knew that the C2 had to be a mass-market car. And indeed it was, selling 117.964 units in just the five years that passed before being replaced by its third generation. So things, General Motors thought of making a four-seater C2 to compete well with the spacious Ford Thunderbird "four seats" 1958 since, for this, they only had the Buick Ribiera that was about to come out in mid-1965. Of course, the interesting thing about all this is that the idea of a four-seater Corvette was not conceived with the C2 already presented.
The elongated wheelbase is very noticeable in the extension of the doors
On the contrary, since the first steps of the 4-Place Vette were taken in 1961. The year in which Larry Shinoda had already completed the body of the C2 Stingray Split Window Coupé. Closed version that was used as base for the four-seater Corvette whose design was assigned to the special projects department headed by Shinoda himself. A designer as important as he is mistreated by the North American industry. With Ford firing him and then using his design on the Mustang Boss and AMC appropriating without credits the clay model that would become the Grand Cherokee.
C2 Stingray. Shinoda's best creation
4-PLACE VETTE. A WARM PROTOTYPE IN DISGUST
Under a greater secret than that kept with the Split Window Coupé and convertible versions of the Stringray, the 4-Place Vette was developed on the basis of one of the pre-series C2s, lengthening its wheelbase by 15 centimeters. In this way, not only the possible gap was opened to insert two rear seats. The doors were also made longer, increasing the glazed area to create a bright cabin. All this making use of fiberglass. A lightweight material that, even so, did not prevent this four-seater Corvette from gaining extra weight frowned upon by General Motors managers.
Brief but correct. 4-Place Vette rear seats
In addition, although the rear seats were achieved with apparently comfortable individual seats ... Tests confirmed that the vehicle could not be sold as a double bed sedan like its competitor the Ford Thunderbird. "Four seat" of 1958.
The rear seats of the Thunderbird Four Seats were much roomier
A less sporty car than the Corvette, but graceful with two huge, padded rear seats. In addition, the appearance in other General Motors brands of models similar to what could have been the four-seater Corvette caused the 1963-Place Vette project to be definitively canceled by 4.
A shame, since far from being a simple anecdote the four-seater Corvette could have been closer to series production than we think. In the first place, for having emerged from the almighty Ed Cole. But also for being developed on dates that would have allowed it to come out with the rest of the C2 Stingray range. Nevertheless, the 4-Place Vette was a footnote in the long history of the Corvette. Even more so when, after languishing for several years in a Chevrolet warehouse, it was finally destroyed.
Photographs: General Motors / Ford
