The ’63 Corvette Was Too Advanced for Its Time

Much of the appeal for the ’63 Corvette lies in its split rear window designed by Bill Mitchell to mimic aquatic life.

Few vehicles spark a love affair quite like the ’63 Corvette Stingray. Since its release, its been an American icon and has maintained its status as one of the most desirable sports cars available for decades.

Recently, MotorWeek host Roger Mecca brought the spotlight back to this special vehicle.

Gotta Have It

“In 1963, GM unleashed the second incarnation of the Corvette, the C2. (The first one to have the Stingray name)” shares Mecca “It carried over many of the same beautiful design traits from the original Mako concept car… And today… this is still one of the best-looking things on four wheels.”

1963 saw Chevrolet release the second generation of Corvette. This go-around finally allowed customers to purchase a non-convertible Corvette. With a new hardtop solidly in the works, Corvette lead designer Bill Mitchell wanted to bring a marine touch to the vehicle.

Under Mitchell’s guidance, the Corvette was given a split rear-window. It was designed to mimic the back of a stingray for which it is named. Sadly, however, the C2 lost its unique split-rear window the next model year. This makes the ’63 the only Corvette with such a feature.

Cutting Edge

“It looked like something from outer space,” reminisces Greg Connelly, owner of the ’63 Corvette “And it performed that way also. That was the best part of it.”

With a near 50/50 weight distribution, killer looks, and incredible performance, it’s no wonder that even Buzz Aldrin and Neal Armstrong had to get their hands on one. It was truly something out of this world.

The Stingray was so far on the cutting edge, most mechanics had trouble simply working on them.

“Rumor has it that so few mechanics actually knew how to work on fuel injection systems they would tell Corvette owners to take them out and put in a carburetor,” tells Mecca “Which a lot of new owners actually did.”

The ’63: The King of Corvettes

This is one of the greatest looking cars of all time. It’s uniquely American and legendary amongst its automotive brethren. Be sure to watch the video. Words simply fail to do this car justice.

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