Chevrolet Testudo

Vehicle Overview

The Chevrolet Testudo: Bill Mitchell, on GM’s staff, wanted to promote the Corvair on the old continent but using a European-styled version. Two Italian coachbuilders were contacted to accomplish this. Pininfarina made an initial sketch as early as 1960 called the Corvair Speciale but it was discarded. In late 1962 Bertone’s proposal was selected. Based on a 1962 Corvair 900 Monza coupe built at the Willow Run plant, Bertone shortened the chassis by reducing the wheelbase from the original 2743 mm to 2,400 mm. The car’s design was created by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was working for Bertone at the time. The Chevrolet Testudo was presented at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. In 1965 the Testudo was involved in an accident while filming a promotional spot for Shell at the corner of the Parabolica on the Monza circuit. The other car involved in the accident was the Alfa Romeo Canguro. The Testudo suffered several damages, and because Bertone was unwilling to pay for repairs, the damaged car sat idle for several years. In 1974 the still-damaged car was offered for sale at an asking price of $10,000 but remained unsold. In the early 1990s under the direction of Luciano d’Ambrosio, Bertone’s new chief designer, the Chevrolet Testudo was restored and shown in 1996 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Testudo later influenced numerous Bertone designs such as the Lamborghini Miura, Alfa Romeo Montreal and Fiat 850 Spider. Designer Dick Teague was inspired by the Chevrolet Testudo when he designed the 1975 AMC Pacer. Designer Anatole “Tony” Lapine said the Testudo influenced his work on the Porsche 928 for 1977. The Testudo’s engine was the Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 mounted cantilevered on the rear end derived from the Corvair. It was an air-cooled, six-cylinder boxer architecture with a single block camshaft and overhead valves with two valves per cylinder. The cylinder block and cylinder heads were aluminum, but the cylinder liners were iron. The shape of the Chevrolet Testudo was that of a sedan with an elongated front hood. The body was made of 0.8 mm thick steel, with the hood and other panels made of aluminum.