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Here's the story:
lllustrated Corvette Series No. 78 - 1988 Geneve Corvette
"A Well Received Study"
People have always wanted the
Corvette to be something different. Inside Chevrolet you had the full
range of ideas from quasi-racers to four-seater Corvettes. In the
aftermarket world there has been a steady stream of custom Corvettes.
Most were kooky, many were very good, and a few looked even like
production cars.
ASC of
South Gate, Michigan, specializes in sunroof and convertible
conversions for the big-three car makers. ASC began a Corvette
convertible development program in 1984 that eventually arrived on the
showroom as the '86 Corvette convertible. As an R&D developer
for Chevrolet, the ASC team was aware of the Corvette Indy project.
Armed with this knowledge, ASC did their own styling analysis of what a
Corvette Indy-inspired C4 Corvette might look like. The concept
drawings were blessed by Design VP Chuck Jordan and Sr. Designer John
Cafaro, and ASC had the green light to build a prototype.
Concept
cars are always "far-out." Prototype and show cars are much closer to
real cars. When a new model is finally released, it has hints that came
from the original concept. ASC looked at the Corvette Indy and asked,
"what would this look like on an existing Corvette?" The Corvette Indy
had wild proportions and applying those styling cues to an existing
Corvette would be quite a challenge.
ASC began
the Geneve project early in 1987 with a stock, 230hp Corvette that
would serve as an armature for the new body parts. The Corvette Indy
could be characterized as "smooth and sleek." The ASC team set out to
emulate that aspect of the Corvette Indy.
The front
auxiliary lights were mounted under the bumper and integrated with the
new front spoiler. The hood dome was simplified with a single bulge
instead of the stock design. Front and rear wheel openings were
reshaped to incorporate new side sills that flared out and were
integrated with the rest of the body. The rear end design had a low top
deck spoiler that jutted out, as well as a lower spoiler. Taillight
lenses were flush mounted, and the side marker lights were long and
narrow. With the blood red paint and new 17-inch wheels, the car looked
fantastic.
At the
1988 Geneva Car Show, Jordan and Cafaro were very impressed and ordered
new exterior, interior, and power top styling studies. The ASC Geneve
was a hit. Before the car went to Geneva, a spy photo showed up in the
magazines as the "The Next Corvette!" The automotive press has always
been hungry for Corvette appetizers, and the Geneve Corvette show car
was a very tasty treat.
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