Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Split Window Coupé - 1963
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2019
Estimated : € 140.000 - 170.000
Zora Arkus-Duntov had a dream of making Corvette a world-class sports car. It was a dream Zora would not see realized until Herb Fishel and the GM Corvette crew made it come true with their overall victory at Daytona and class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001.
Zora's 1963 Corvette should have done it. A brilliantly-designed all independently suspended chassis finally caught up with the power of Chevy's small block engine. The Sting Ray's chassis was four inches shorter than the preceding generation but had more interior room than its predecessor. Weight distribution was 48-52%, the reverse of prior Corvettes, and the chassis torsional rigidity of the coupe was 90% better than before.
GM Design Chief Bill Mitchell enlisted Peter Brock and Larry Shinoda to clothe it in a singular and instantly identifiable Sting Ray body. Marked by a strongly accented beltline below gently sweeping fender tops, it had electrically-operated hidden headlights that preserved its sleek aerodynamics.
For the first time in Corvette history the '63 Sting Ray offered a coupe. In profile it sloped smoothly to the tail. From above, however, it displayed the signature feature of the '63 Sting Ray, a tapered, almost boattail, greenhouse with a simple split in the rear window that accentuated its classic lines. It was excitingly styled and aerodynamically effective. Its chassis rigidity was 90% greater than prior Corvettes, contributing to the extraordinary handling of its independent rear suspension.
The attraction of the Split Window Coupe was manifest in its production numbers: 10,594 coupes to 10,919 convertibles, an unexpected demand for the Split Window coupe that continues to the present day. Collectors recognize the uniqueness of the Split Window coupe's design and its one-year availability as well as the spirit and confidence of Chevrolet in continuing to develop and build the low production Corvette.
Split Window values today are regularly 40-50% more than comparable convertibles.
Top of the line in '63 was the L84 Rochester mechanically fuel injected engine, boasting 360 horsepower from Corvette's 327 cubic inch pushrod overhead valve V8 engine. Earlier Corvettes had capitalized on the magic "fuel injected" formula with soft camshaft hydraulic lifter engines. Not so in '63. The only Fuelie was a solid lifter, aggressive camshaft fire-breather that rattled on startup until its clearances shrank when warmed up and loped suggestively at idle, like the thoroughbred it is, tensed at the starting gate for a shot to 60mph which independent testers verified at under 6 seconds.
Even at $ 430.40 extra '63 Corvette buyers bought 2,610 of the L84s, 12.1% of the total '63 Corvette production, usually with the $ 180.30 4-speed manual transmission.
Offered here is the near-ultimate spec 1963 Corvette Fuel Injection Sting Ray Split Window coupe, chassis number 30837S111365.
As such, it has the 327/360 hp solid lifter L84 engine, M20 4-speed manual transmission, centerlock alloy wheels, signal-seeking WonderBar AM radio and 3.73:1 Posi-Traction differential.
The engine block is stamped with the correct chassis and engine numbers for the 327/360 hp configuration with Rochester mechanical fuel injection breathing through a correct Winters "snowflake" intake manifold.
Restored a few years ago in its original Silver Blue Poly with striking Dark Blue upholstery and interior trim, it has been maintained since its acquisition in late 2013 in its British-based collector's stable as an outstanding example of the marque, model, Fuel Injected specifications and the unique, one-year Split Window Corvette coupe body style.
"Icon" is usually an overworked word, but when applied to an L48 327/360 hp Fuelie Corvette Sting Ray Split Window Coupe it is entirely appropriate, embodying the confidence and flair of the Sixties with instantly recognized style, design and performance.
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Split Window Coupé - 1963
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
Bonhams
Parijs - Paris
Frankrijk - France
February 2019
Estimated : € 140.000 - 170.000
Zora Arkus-Duntov had a dream of making Corvette a world-class sports car. It was a dream Zora would not see realized until Herb Fishel and the GM Corvette crew made it come true with their overall victory at Daytona and class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001.
Zora's 1963 Corvette should have done it. A brilliantly-designed all independently suspended chassis finally caught up with the power of Chevy's small block engine. The Sting Ray's chassis was four inches shorter than the preceding generation but had more interior room than its predecessor. Weight distribution was 48-52%, the reverse of prior Corvettes, and the chassis torsional rigidity of the coupe was 90% better than before.
GM Design Chief Bill Mitchell enlisted Peter Brock and Larry Shinoda to clothe it in a singular and instantly identifiable Sting Ray body. Marked by a strongly accented beltline below gently sweeping fender tops, it had electrically-operated hidden headlights that preserved its sleek aerodynamics.
For the first time in Corvette history the '63 Sting Ray offered a coupe. In profile it sloped smoothly to the tail. From above, however, it displayed the signature feature of the '63 Sting Ray, a tapered, almost boattail, greenhouse with a simple split in the rear window that accentuated its classic lines. It was excitingly styled and aerodynamically effective. Its chassis rigidity was 90% greater than prior Corvettes, contributing to the extraordinary handling of its independent rear suspension.
The attraction of the Split Window Coupe was manifest in its production numbers: 10,594 coupes to 10,919 convertibles, an unexpected demand for the Split Window coupe that continues to the present day. Collectors recognize the uniqueness of the Split Window coupe's design and its one-year availability as well as the spirit and confidence of Chevrolet in continuing to develop and build the low production Corvette.
Split Window values today are regularly 40-50% more than comparable convertibles.
Top of the line in '63 was the L84 Rochester mechanically fuel injected engine, boasting 360 horsepower from Corvette's 327 cubic inch pushrod overhead valve V8 engine. Earlier Corvettes had capitalized on the magic "fuel injected" formula with soft camshaft hydraulic lifter engines. Not so in '63. The only Fuelie was a solid lifter, aggressive camshaft fire-breather that rattled on startup until its clearances shrank when warmed up and loped suggestively at idle, like the thoroughbred it is, tensed at the starting gate for a shot to 60mph which independent testers verified at under 6 seconds.
Even at $ 430.40 extra '63 Corvette buyers bought 2,610 of the L84s, 12.1% of the total '63 Corvette production, usually with the $ 180.30 4-speed manual transmission.
Offered here is the near-ultimate spec 1963 Corvette Fuel Injection Sting Ray Split Window coupe, chassis number 30837S111365.
As such, it has the 327/360 hp solid lifter L84 engine, M20 4-speed manual transmission, centerlock alloy wheels, signal-seeking WonderBar AM radio and 3.73:1 Posi-Traction differential.
The engine block is stamped with the correct chassis and engine numbers for the 327/360 hp configuration with Rochester mechanical fuel injection breathing through a correct Winters "snowflake" intake manifold.
Restored a few years ago in its original Silver Blue Poly with striking Dark Blue upholstery and interior trim, it has been maintained since its acquisition in late 2013 in its British-based collector's stable as an outstanding example of the marque, model, Fuel Injected specifications and the unique, one-year Split Window Corvette coupe body style.
"Icon" is usually an overworked word, but when applied to an L48 327/360 hp Fuelie Corvette Sting Ray Split Window Coupe it is entirely appropriate, embodying the confidence and flair of the Sixties with instantly recognized style, design and performance.