The split window Corvette is arguably one of the most iconic cars of all time. In fact, it is often considered the icon of American muscle car culture. But what you probably don’t know is how many different versions there are. And how much history surrounds each model. Of course the 1963 is the crown jewel.
We saw this one in Arizona at a car show in Tucson. Enjoy the walk around video we did.
History of the Split Window Corvette
The first generation of Corvettes were built in 1953. They featured a single windshield with no side windows. The design was inspired by the 1951 Ford Thunderbird.
The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray notched another milestone with the introduction of the production version of Chevrolet’s new small car, the Corvair.
The Stingray was introduced as a concept vehicle in January 1961, and it went into production later that year. In total, 21,513 Stingrays would be produced during the 1963 model year, making it the most popular Corvette ever.
More than three times as many Stingrays were sold as Corvettes in 1962, and the trend continued in ’63. A total of 11,837 Stingrays were manufactured in ’63, while just 4,716 Corvettes rolled off the assembly lines.
The coupes accounted for 9,611 of those Stingrays, while the convertibles totaled 2,216. Of course, the convertible still remained the best-selling Corvette of the era.
In addition to the new styling, the Stingray gained some additional power. Its standard 350 cubic inch V8 now generated 200 hp, up from 175 in ’62.
A new option package called “Powerglide” included a heavy duty automatic transmission with overdrive and torque converter lockup. This option wasn’t offered in the previous model year, so it helped boost sales of the Stingray.
The Stingray also became much lighter thanks to a redesigned frame and body structure. With a curb weight of 3,100 pounds, the Stingray was nearly 300 pounds lighter than the Cougar XR-7 it replaced.