The present invention relates to molecular approaches to the production of nucleic acid sequences which comprise the genomes of chimeric hepatitis C virus-bovine viral diarrhea viruses (HCV/BVDV). The invention also relates to the use of these chimeric nucleic acid sequences to produce chimeric virions in cells and the use of these chimeric virions in HCV antibody neutralization assays, and for the development of vaccines and therapeutics for HCV.