1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE S.O. 2151 PROTOTYPE

This one-of-a-kind “Proposal Car” is an integral part of the Corvette story, with a fascinating history that dates to early 1953 – well before the first production models rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.
Prior to series Corvette production Chevrolet built approximately 15 handlaid fiberglass bodies intended for experimental or Motorama use. These hand-built show cars were not assigned standard VIN numbers but were referred to by internal codes. One such example was EX122, the first Corvette prototype unveiled to the public at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January 1953. Other famous Corvette-based show cars are referred to by their Shop Order “S.O.” numbers like the Corvair (S.O. 2071), the Nomad (S.O. 1954), and the Hardtop (S.O. 2000), which were stars of the 1954 Motorama. Many of these show cars were dismantled, destroyed, or reused for other projects, and repurposed for further promotional duties. As a result, precious few of these Motorama-era prototypes survive today.

The history of this car originates with S.O. 2000, the pale-yellow Hardtop prototype that debuted in early 1953. According to various accounts, at least two of these show cars were built and it is believed that one was retired early so its body could be reassigned to a new project – S.O. 2151 in January 1954. In its new role, S.O. 2151 served as the department's Proposal Car for 1955 – a prototype built for GM management to review and determine the look of next year's Corvette.
During this process, the Corvette body was restyled to incorporate several notable new features: a decorative hood scoop, eggcrate front grille, bumper-exit exhaust tips, and a distinctive trunk design, like the one seen on S.O. 2071, the fastback Corvair. A prominent element of the new design was the slanted front-fender vents, painted body color on the passenger side and trimmed with chrome on the driver side – giving GM executives two different looks to choose from.
Similarly, the Corvette script was placed high on one side and low on the other. It also incorporated a large gold “V” to signify that the 1955 Corvette would be available with a V-8 engine. Once these changes were implemented, the body was repainted Bermuda Green, a beautiful jade-like metallic green used on production GM vehicles of the period, as well as another famous show car, the 1955 Corvette Biscayne (XP-37).
Photographed in GM's design studio in March 1954, S.O. 2151 was mounted on a new 1954 Corvette chassis, powered by an experimental engine equipped with a high-performance solid-lifer camshaft. The 1955 Proposal Car was officially completed on July 30, 1954, as evidenced by the tag riveted inside the engine bay.
In the end, the 1955 Proposal Car never made its way into production. Facing stagnant sales and new competition from the recently announced Ford Thunderbird, GM executives decided to completely reimagine the Corvette for 1956. The 1955 Corvette was virtually identical to the 1954 model, albeit with a new, optional V-8 engine.

As for S.O. 2151, it escaped the fate of most GM prototypes. Instead of being destroyed or rebuilt into a new show car, this one-off somehow slipped through the cracks and eventually made its way to California, surfacing in 1963 at a Dealer in San Jose, CA and passed thru only 2 owners, the last of which kept the car for 45 years all the while collecting parts for its eventual restoration. The Consigner, a well respected Restorer, acquired the car from the estate of this long term owner in 2015.
Throughout the restoration process, which consumed three years and more than 1,800 hours, the consignor painstakingly researched the car's history and studied period photographs to ensure that the restoration was as accurate as possible, including expertly re-creating any of the missing trim pieces. During the disassembly phase, evidence of the S.O. 2000 origins were uncovered, with sections of original pale-yellow and Bermuda Green paint found in several locations. The bodywork also possesses the telltale characteristics unique to the earliest Corvette prototypes – crude, handlaid fiberglass construction, a one-piece structure, and custom fabricated brass trunk hinges. The chassis was also found to be remarkably original and intact, complete with its original shock absorbers, brake shoes, and experimental engine block, all numbered with appropriate early-1954 date codes.
Although every effort was made to return the car to its authentic 1954 appearance, remnants of the original pale-yellow and Bermuda Green paint were intentionally preserved in hidden areas like the trunk and behind the seats, as well as the steering column paint and original seat leather – clear evidence of its earliest days as a GM factory prototype. The body including doors are original to S.O.2151, also the brake shoes, shocks, frame and drive train sitting on original 1954 tires were all installed by the manufacturer in 1954. The cars drive train is original numbers matching.
Since the restoration was completed, S.O. 2151 has been shown just once, at The Amelia Concours d'Elegance in March 2023, where it was selected by Bill Warner to receive the prestigious The Founders Award.
Chevrolet's earliest advertisements for the Corvette featured the tagline, “The first of the dream cars to come true.” That statement is most certainly appropriate for S.O. 2151, one of the few Motorama-era prototypes that escaped destruction and survives today. The car has been featured in numerous publications. The car is accompanied by extensive documentation including rare Factory Photos and Negatives, Letters from Corvette Expert Noland Adams, Complete Restoration photos, and more.
A fascinating and utterly unique piece of General Motors history, this magnificently restored Corvette design study represents an exciting, truly once in a lifetime, opportunity for any collector who appreciates this golden age of the American automotive industry.