LOT F222 KISSIMMEE 2023 JAN 4-15
1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE SPLIT WINDOW COUPE
Fuel-Injected 327/360 HP, Bloomington Gold Certified STAR
Bloomington Gold Certified in January 2021
Concours restoration completed in November 2020 with approximately 30 miles since completion
Estimated $150,000 invested in restoration
Matching numbers fuel injected 327/360 HP V-8 engine
M20 4-speed manual transmission
J50 power brakes
Riverside Red with Red interior
Signal-seeking Delco AM radio
Spinner wheel covers
Firestone Blackwall tires
Serial no. 802, early production car
1963 was the first year for the second generation Corvette and the only year for the split rear window
Futuristic and almost otherworldly in terms of styling, the new-for-1963 Corvette Sting Ray was now available in coupe and convertible guises. From introduction, it continues to stand as one of the finest designs from the legendary Bill Mitchell-led GM styling studios and included the influences of design legends Peter Brock and Larry Shinoda. Heavily influenced by Mitchell’s personally funded Stingray racing car that won the 1960 SCCA championship, the 1963-67 Corvette Sting Ray remains an unqualified automotive icon today. Featuring a broad array of available power teams and competition options, the 1963 Sting Ray ushered in a new independent rear suspension design spearheaded by Chief Corvette Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov.
Record production for 1963 included 10,594 split-window coupes. While a bold design statement that has only grown in popularity over the past six decades, the Sting Ray’s unique split rear window was somewhat controversial, resulting in its one-year-only status and immensely collectible and valuable nature today.
Bloomington Gold Certified in January 2021, this concours-quality restoration was completed in November 2020 with an estimated $150,000 investment. Only an approximate 30 miles have been traveled since completion. Strikingly finished in Riverside Red with a red interior, this Corvette’s serial number ends in 802, denoting it as an early production example. Powered by a matching-numbers, Rochester fuel-injected 327/360 HP V-8 engine, this Corvette legend’s other desirable features include a Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission, J50 power brakes and a signal-seeking Delco AM radio. Steel wheels mounting spinner wheel covers and period-style Firestone blackwall tires provide road contact.
While the Corvette had enjoyed consistently rising production numbers, sales and performance ever since the first V-8 models arrived in 1955, the 1963 Sting Ray is, in the hearts and minds of many collectors, the true basis for the Corvette’s dramatic ascent to worldwide renown. With its 1963-only body design and legendary fuel-injected power, this example is even more significant.
