The 4-Seat Corvette Stingray That (Thankfully) Never Was (Torque Tuesday Presented by Continental ExtremeContact DWS^{06 Plus})

GM was planning on unveiling a four-seat, more family-friendly Corvette Stingray. Thankfully, they came to their senses. 

Automotive design is a true artform. We would argue that few do it as well as the team behind Corvette. For eight generations they have kept the sports car ahead of the curve, always evolving. Not that they haven’t had their struggles. GM Design recently shared some images of a Chevy Corvette prototype that almost became a part of the line up. The 1963 Corvette Stingray XP-796 prototype featured an unusual feature in a sports car: seating for four.

GM Design shared a few photos from the archive. Surprisingly; the four-seat, stretched-out Corvette doesn’t burn the retinas. Oh it is a bad idea, but it looks good.

“In response to the popular Ford Thunderbird, GM designed this four-seat Corvette fiberglass model in 1962, but the vehicle was never produced,” GM Design posted on Instagram.

In 1962, Chevrolet’s General Manager Ed Cole felt the best way to take down the Ford Thunderbird was to add two more seats to the Corvette. But the idea of a Corvette 2+2 was a thorn in the side of Chevrolet Division General Manager Bunkie Knudsen. Knudsen and Cole had a tense relationship already, and the four-seat Corvette made it all the more fraught. Unfortunately, the decision came from the top.

So Knudsen and the design team got to work. This dream team included Bill Mitchell, Zora Duntov, and Larry Shinoda. And by all accounts, they all shared Knudsen’s disdain for the concept.

With Shinoda at the helm, the team did design the four-seat Corvette XP-796 prototype–and did so remarkably well. Needing to accommodate the rear seats; the Stingray was stretched 6 to 10 inches, doors elongated, and the iconic roof was raised.

But the overall feeling was that it just wasn’t right for Corvette, a Corvette sedan would be a huge mistake. According to legend, GM Chairman Jack Gordon got stuck in the Corvette Stingray sedan when he went to check it out. Somehow, someone (cough, cough) accidentally locked the seatback latches. Accidents do happen. Engineers had to unbolt the seats to free him. It was the final straw, and the four-seat Corvette XP-796 became a fascinating piece of history.

And it is a cool Corvette looking at it through todays eyes. Ultimately we are very glad that they stayed true to sports car DNA to keep it pure Corvette.

Photos: GM Design

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Sherry Bryan

Longtime automotive journalist S.J. Bryan has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is an editor with Ford Truck Enthusiasts and regular contributor to F-150 Online, Harley-Davidson Forums, and The Mustang Source, among other popular auto sites.

Bryan first discovered her passion for all things automotive while riding in her parent's 1968 Ford Mustang. The automotive expert cut her teeth growing up riding on Harleys, and her first car was a Chevy Nova. Despite her lead foot, Bryan has yet to receive a speeding ticket.

The award-winning former playwright was first published at age 18. She has worked extensively as a writer and editor for a number of lifestyle and pop culture publications. The diehard gearhead is a big fan of American muscle cars, sixth-gen Ford trucks, and Oxford commas.

S.J. can be reached at sherryjbry@gmail.com.