1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray SPOTLIGHT

While this issue's car lives up to the phrase today, it never started out that way. Its highly collectable status is largely the result of a tussle between two people - Bill Mitchell and Zora Arkus-Duntov. Both were big wigs at General Motors in the 1950s and 60s - Mitchell in styling, Arkus-Duntov in engineering - and one of their arguments revolved around the styling of the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette.

Arkus-Duntov had been involved in the Corvette project from the outset, and had also helped develop the XP-87 'SS' racers that were campaigned with minimal success in SCCA (Sports Car Club or America) competition in 1957. While they did little to build the image of Corvette, the SS racers served as important testbeds for Corvette engineering developments. Much of the chassis and drivetrain improvements on the upcoming production Corvette were hammered out on the SS and CERV (Chevrolet Experimental Racing - later Research - Vehicle) projects developed by Arkus-Duntov's engineering team.

When the SS racer was shelved after the 1957 season, Mitchell took it upon himself to revive the project, but in his own image - an image that would ultimately find its way into the production Corvette, too.

The basic Sting Ray shape went as far back as the XP-84 "Q" Corvette of 1957. That project never went anywhere, but the style lived on in Mitchell's reborn SS racer - the 'Sting Ray' - of 1959. Both were the work of junior designers, Peter Brock, Charles Pohlman and Larry Shinoda. Mitchell's project was very hush-hush, though, as he never had management approval for the project and GM had also put a ban on all factory-backed racing.

The Sting Ray made its track debut in 1959, in bold red bodywork unlike any existing 'Vette, but conspicuously devoid of Corvette badging. It certainly stood out on the track, with its broad, headlight-free prow, sharp waistline and sleek wheelarch flares.

As good as it looked, the Sting Ray didn't do much on the track, unfortunately. The body was heavy, the brakes - that had been the car's Achilles heel in SS guise - were still not right, and the chassis needed work. For 1960, a reborn Sting Ray, with a much lighter body, won the SCCA C-Modified National Championship.

In 1961, the Sting Ray was reconfigured for use as Mitchell's personal road car. The positive reaction it received at the Chicago Auto Show that year, as a Corvette 'Idea Car', cemented its style for the next generation Corvette.
A closed coupe had been in the planning for the next generation Corvette as far back as '57, and the form it ultimately took is shown in this issue's feature car. The hidden headlights and minimal chrome trim made for a much cleaner front end and profile compared to the previous generation, while that rear window treatment was a distinctive feature.
To this day, exactly who created the split rear window remains unknown. Many attribute the concept to Shinoda, while Brock and even Mitchell himself have been credited by various sources.

Regardless of who was responsible, Mitchell was so confident in, and protective of his restyled Corvette, that when Arkus-Duntov wanted the split window removed, (arguing that it restricted rear vision) Mitchell allegedly retorted with "If you take that off, you may as well forget the whole thing".

As the Corvette 'belonged' to the Design Department and not Arkus-Duntov's Engineering Department, Mitchell won out and the split rear window stayed - at least for the 1963 models, which were also the first Corvettes to formally bear the 'Sting Ray' name. The actual gap between the rear windows turned out wider on the production models than Mitchell had intended, but within a year, Arkus-Duntov's logic prevailed, and the split was gone - for good.

In early road tests of the '63 Sting Ray the split window barely rated a mention, as there was much, much more to the new 1963 Corvette than just its rear window! Motoring scribes of the time applauded the Corvette's engineering improvements: a four inch shorter wheelbase; more rigid chassis; lower centre of gravity; lighter fibreglass body; and independent rear suspension (a first for a modern US production car), all of which made the '63 'Vette much more enjoyable to drive. Front/rear weight distribution of 48/52 (as opposed to 53/47 in the previous model) meant the new Corvette cornered and handled better, too. In fact, the 1963 Corvette was such a thoroughly new package that the only components it shared with the outgoing '62 model was the steering, front suspension & engine options.

Speaking of which, our feature car boasts the 340hp 327ci 4 barrel V8, the most potent, non-fuel injected engine available for that year. A number of performance-oriented options like heavy duty suspension, bigger fuel tank and metallic brake linings were offered as options for 1963, with the aim of getting Sting Ray coupes into the hands of privateer racers for GT class competition.

A Califonia car all its life, our feature 'Vette is fairly stock, but does have the desirable 4 spd manual transmission and leather seat trim options. The Saddle Tan duco is in mint condition and the matching Saddle interior is tidy, but would benefit from a little detailing.

The cast aluminium knockoff-style wheels on this car are, strictly speaking, a later model option. They were on the '63 RPO list, but due to quality control problems with the castings, were not made officially available until the 1964 model year.

Enthusiasts that know their 'Vettes will already appreciate the investment potential that our feature car represents. The one-year-only exclusivity of the split window means '63 coupes generally command more dollars than '63 convertibles, and a scan of current US prices confirms this.

It is a big initial outlay, but at least it's one you can enjoy while it accrues. Sting Rays in this condition rarely appear for sale here, so if you're interested, contact Classics-R-Us soon. This 'Limited Edition' will likely be around for a limited time only!
Mike Ryan

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH
Model: Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
Year: 1963
Dealer: Classics-R-Us
Brisbane, QLD
P: (07) 3805 9005
F: (07) 3805 9006
E: [email protected]
Price: $100,000
0-100 kph: About 6 seconds
Best point: Huge investment potential
Worst point: Huge initial outlay
Recommendation: If the bank balance allows, go for it!

In 2001, Chevrolet promoted the C5 Corvette with a billboard featuring the classic '63 Sting Ray with the tagline "They don't write songs about Volvos" - a pointed reference to the enduring 'cool' factor of the classic C2 Corvette.