Which Year is That!? The Ultimate C2 Corvette Spotter’s Guide

Here’s the official CorvetteForum cheat sheet for identifying each year of the C2 Corvette at a glance.

To the uninitiated, all C2 Corvettes (’63-’67) look alike. Of course, everyone knows that the split window coupe was ’63 only, and quite a few might know that side pipes and a stinger hood denote a big block car (’65-’67). Today, we’re going to tell you how to tell each year apart so that you can impress your buddies at the next cruise-in (whenever it happens).

We’re not going to get into mechanical changes or interior changes. Instead, we’re going to focus on how to identify each year from ten paces out. We’re going to focus on a few key parts: the hood, the grille, the fender vents, and the rocker trim. Pay attention to these details, and you’ll be able to identify any C2 Corvette you see down to the exact model year.

1963

The most obvious 1963-only feature is the dramatic split rear window seen on the coupes. Famously, the split rear window was a major point of contention between Bill Mitchell and Zora Arkus-Duntov. Mitchell loved the look of the split window, while Duntov raised concerns about rearward visibility. The split was gone by 1964, replaced with a more conventional single rear window.

Another, less-noticeable 1963-only feature is the hood, which featured a pair of simulated air intakes. These would be removed for the 1964 model year. The rocker panel trim does not have paint between the ribs. The non-functional fender vents are two horizontal indentations, while the grille is made up of horizontal bars.