1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray was a sensation. It saw Corvette sales skyrocket. The St. Louis factory where the Corvette was assembled added a second shift, but still couldn't keep up with demand. Customers were forced to wait up to two months for delivery, (and pay full retail price for the privilege). The Corvette Sting Ray maintained tradition by offering remarkable sports-car value for the money. Base price was $4,037 for the convertible and $4,257 for the split-window coupe. (which, is the last time you’ll ever see those numbers and the words “Split-Window Coupe” in the same sentence).

It’s one of the first “postwar cars” to surpass its original list price on the collectors' market. Today the Sting Ray generation stands as perhaps the most desirable Corvette of all . (The 1963 Split-Window Coupe in particular…naturally.)

The Sting Ray was celebrated in the automotive press for its handling, road adhesion, and sheer explosive power. It received an annual Award for Engineering Excellence. Chevrolet’s small-block V-8 was rated to be even better in the Sting Ray. The 1963 had an edge over past models in both traction and handling because the new independent rear suspension reduced wheelspin compared to the live-axle cars. A four-speed fuelie with 3.70:1 axle reported 0-30/45/60 mph in 2.9/4.2/5.8 seconds and a 14.5-second standing quarter-mile at 102 mph. It also recorded better than 18 miles per gallon at legal highway speeds and 14.1 mpg overall. (Pfft… who needs a “Hybrid ?”)

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray was above even the best European sports cars with contoured bucket seats, telescopic steering wheel adjustment, functional instrumentation, and a heating/ventilation system fully able to cope with the greater extremes of the North American climate. The steering column adjustment demanded a little wrench work, and the seats were a little low for some, but that was for a low center of gravity. Overall, the Sting Ray was the most civilized Corvette ever and one of the most refined sports cars built anywhere on the planet. Buyers now even had the option of ordering the car with leather upholstery and air conditioning.

21,513 units were built for the 1963 model year. Production was divided almost evenly between the convertible and the new coupe (10,919 and 10,594, respectively), and more than half the convertibles were ordered with the optional “lift-off “hardtop. Nevertheless, the coupe wouldn't sell as well again throughout the Sting Ray years. In fact, it wasn’t until 1969 when the coupe came with removable T-tops that  the closed Corvette sold  better than the open one.

Today, collectors are spending large sums of money to add a Split Window Coupe to their personal Toy Box. Watching any of the major auctions is always exciting anytime one rolls across the auctioneer’s block…. SOLD! (Hammer sdfx)