To say this one-of-one CERV I replica is the product of a meticulous custom design and build process is a severe understatement considering it was built by the son of a former Chevrolet Engineering Transmission Technician who worked on the CERV 1 at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. “One summer day, the department held an employee open house event, and Dad took me to the Tech Center. I was 7 years old. I remember the fountains, the Design Dome, and the turbine cars that looked like spaceships. Near Dad’s work area, around a privacy curtain, propped up on a white platform, was the neatest little car I’d ever seen: the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle No. 1, or CERV I, sans body. Dad introduced me to two men standing nearby, Zora Arkus-Duntov and Mauri Rose, then plopped me in the car’s metallic blue driver’s seat. I played with the controls, and at that moment, I became a car guy. Nearly 60 years later, I built my own CERV I.” For starters, that boy who experienced the original vehicle first-hand in 1959, thanks to his dad, grew up to become a trained engineer at GM himself. His fascination with CERV I is natural, given the renowned personalities at GM who designed and engineered it, including Zora Arkus-Duntov, Harold Krieger, and Walt Zetye, plus body designers Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine. Adhering closely to the original intent and design of the original CERV I, this exacting replica features a handmade fiberglass body based on one of the earlier CERV I designs originally proposed by Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine. The custom Frost Blue Poly over Snowcrest White paint scheme is as seen in period testing at Sebring in 1962 and documented in the May 1962 edition of Sports Car Graphic magazine. Power is delivered by a 388 CI stroker small-block V-8 with 12.5:1 compression, a Holley Sniper EFI system, aluminum heads, a Comp roller cam, 6-inch 4340 rods, forged pistons and a steel crank. Similar to the original vehicle, the custom manual transaxle combines a Saginaw 4-speed transmission, hydraulic clutch and a narrowed Champ IRS quick-change rear end. Controls include a Tilton pedal box and a highly modified Hurst Competition Plus shifter. Cooling is provided by two large aluminum radiators up front with two auxiliary units in the tail, three electric fans, an electric water pump and a B&M oil cooler. The 3D CAD-designed frame was fabricated with attention to the requirements of the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) rulebook, including larger tubular members and a bolt-in, SCTA-spec roll cage, while emulating the original chassis layout. A period-correct Corvair front suspension system and steering emulating the original was modified to minimize bump steer. Featuring a custom ride height with improved damping, the chassis includes a rebuilt and modified early second-generation Corvette rear suspension setup emulating that of the 1963 Corvette IRS developed on the original CERV I. Additional rear end features include Speedway Engineering Bells, a Detroit Locker, custom forged stub axles, sunken bearing retainers and a custom through shaft. Stopping is via updated GM disc brakes, and fuel is delivered from two 10-gallon pannier tanks and an Aeromotive brushless electric pump. A Vintage Indy Registered Vehicle, this stunning CERV I replica has been driven at many historic venues including the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, three times at the American Speed Festival (M1 Concourse, Pontiac, Michigan), and down the legendary Woodward Avenue during the Dream Cruise. Displays include the National Corvette Museum’s Performance Gallery during 2022 and two showings at the Woodward Avenue Dream Show. A featured subject in ‘Vette Vues (twice), Corvette Magazine and Hagerty Magazine, this brilliant CERV I tribute is accompanied by over 600 photographs documenting the build and a digital copy of the famous Jerry Titus Sebring test drive of the original CERV I published in the May 1962 issue of Sports Car Graphic magazine.
