Legends: 1963 Stingray

The 1963 Sting Ray represented a significant turning point in the history of Chevrolet’s Corvette. It was a make-or-break effort for a car that had had a rather unimpressive debut a decade earlier. Assembled from a hodge-podge of Chevy parts-bin components, the original Corvette’s lack of performance and quality-control-issues resulted in lackluster sales. Enter a young General Motors engineer with a racing background and an unshakable faith in the Corvette’s potential. Zora Arkus-Duntov (right) convinced GM to transplant its new 327-cubic-inch V8 engine into the redesigned ’63 car, an exquisite-looking piece spearheaded by then GM Design Vice President Bill Mitchell. He envisioned a shark-like identity for the ’Vette, not unlike that of the Mako show car that received favorable reviews. Despite strong objections due to hampered rear visibility, Mitchell managed to push through his unique design signature for the 1963 model year: the split rear window. The new Sting Ray was an instant success even when, for 1964, Mitchell lost out and the “split” was replaced by a single piece of rear glass. Because of this, the 1963 Sting Ray, the only year the split rear window was available, is one of the most desirable and significant Corvettes ever built.