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1963 Corvette

1963 Corvette
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The first year of the C2 Corvette. Design based on the XP-755 Mako Shark concept.

Model Year Notes

The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Chevrolet Corvette (C2) page on 29 March 2016, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray not only had a new design, but also newfound handling prowess. The Sting Ray was also a somewhat lighter Corvette, so acceleration improved despite unchanged horsepower. 21,513 units would be built for the 1963 model year, which was up 50 percent from the record-setting 1962 version. 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, not until 1969 (by which time the coupe came with removable T-tops) did the closed Corvette sell better than the open one. Equipment installations for 1963 began reflecting the market's demand for more civility in sporting cars. - the power brake option went into 15 percent of production, power steering into 12 percent. On the other hand, only 278 buyers specified the $421.80 air conditioning; leather upholstery - a mere $80.70 - was ordered on only about 400 cars. The beautiful cast aluminum knock-off wheels, manufactured for Chevy by Kelsey-Hayes, cost $322.80 a set, but few buyers checked off that option. However, almost 18,000 Sting Rays left St. Louis with the four-speed manual gearbox - better than four out of every five.

All 1963 cars had 327cid engines, which made 250 hp (186 kW) standard, with optional variants that made 300 hp (224 kW), 340 hp (254 kW) and 360 hp (268 kW). The most powerful engine was the Rochester fuel injected 327cid V8, which made 360 hp (272 kW). Options available on the C2 included AM-FM radio (mid 1963), air conditioning, and leather upholstery. Also available for the first time ever on a Corvette was a special performance equipment package the RPO Z-06. These Corvettes came to be known as known as the "Big Tanks" because the package initially had a 36.5-gallon gas tank versus the standard 20-gallon for races such as Sebring and Daytona. At first, the package was only available on coupes because the oversized tank would not fit in the convertible. Only 199 1963 Z-06 Corvettes were produced usually reserved for racing, of the 199 a total of 6 were specifically created for Lemans racing by Chevrolet.

1 of 6 1963 Z-06 Sting Ray's built late in 1962 to race at Riverside in October. They were destined to compete in a different sort of race for sports cars, a NASCAR sanctioned event on the famous Daytona Oval. This meant the cars needed to be prepared to a different set of rules, the same as those for the big Grand National stock cars. The chassis was modified extensively and an experimental 427 engine installed. The car was lightened in every way possible and weighed just over 2800 pounds. Extra fuel was carried in a specially fabricated tank occupying the area behind the driver. Driven by Junior Johnson, this special car was the fastest qualifier at over 162 mph. Plagued by rain in the race, substitute driver Billy Krause finished third behind Paul Goldsmith's Pontiac and A.J. Foyt in another Corvette.

New for the 1963 model year was an optional electronic ignition, the breakerless magnetic pulse-triggered Delcotronic, first offered by Pontiac on some 1963 models.

Images

	Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette for $1,500,000 at the 2013 Mecum Chicago Auction Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden View photo of Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - 3.3MB
	Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette for $1,500,000 at the 2013 Mecum Chicago Auction Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden View photo of Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - 3.6MB
	Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette for $1,500,000 at the 2013 Mecum Chicago Auction Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden View photo of Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - 3.5MB
	Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette for $1,500,000 at the 2013 Mecum Chicago Auction Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden View photo of Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - 3.5MB
	Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette for $1,500,000 at the 2013 Mecum Chicago Auction Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden View photo of Harley J. Earl's Custom 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - 2.7MB
	Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden Miller's Dog N Suds Cruise Night: June 2, 2008 in Ingleside, Illinois View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe - 2.4MB
	Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden Miller's Dog N Suds Cruise Night: June 2, 2008 in Ingleside, Illinois View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe - 2.1MB
	Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden Miller's Dog N Suds Cruise Night: June 2, 2008 in Ingleside, Illinois View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe - 2.4MB
	Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden Miller's Dog N Suds Cruise Night: June 2, 2008 in Ingleside, Illinois View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe - 2.4MB
	Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden Miller's Dog N Suds Cruise Night: June 2, 2008 in Ingleside, Illinois View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe - 2.1MB
	Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden Miller's Dog N Suds Cruise Night: June 2, 2008 in Ingleside, Illinois View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe - 2.5MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 3.4MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 1.9MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 2.9MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 3.8MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 3.1MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 2.8MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 3.5MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 3.9MB
	Fuel Injected Engine Photo ©2013 Bill Crittenden 2013 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with Fuel Injected Engine - 3.3MB
	Photo by "Softeis" Gaisbergrennen 2005 in Salzburg, Austria View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray - 728KB Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
	Photo by "Softeis" Gaisbergrennen 2005 in Salzburg, Austria View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray - 612KB Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
	Z06 Photo ©2010 Bill Crittenden 2010 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals November 21, 2010 View photo of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 - 2,726KB
	Z06 Photo ©2010 Bill Crittenden 2010 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals November 21, 2010 View photo of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 - 2,879KB
	Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden 2012 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine - 3.2MB
	Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden 2012 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine - 2.4MB
	Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden 2012 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine - 3.6MB
	Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden 2012 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine - 3.2MB
	Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine Photo ©2012 Bill Crittenden 2012 Muscles for Muscles Car Show View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible w/327 Turbo-Fire Engine - 2.8MB
	2004 Zippo United States Vintage Grand Prix Driven by James Bartlett Photo by Nathan Bittinger View photo of 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Vintage Racer - 303KB This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.
	1990 Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance Artist: Ken Eberts Cars: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport/1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Event: Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance Image courtesy View 1990 Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance at Stanford Poster - 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport/1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 - 77KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,977KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,645KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,593KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,792KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 806KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,824KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,734KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,715KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,900KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,980KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,934KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,507KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,894KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,768KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,693KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,665KB
	Grand Sport Replica Photo ©2007 Bill Crittenden Buss Ford Car Show View photo of 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Replica - 1,980KB
	Clint Curtis Races the '63 Corvette Hot Rods and Racing Cars #64 July 1963 View Hot Rods and Racing Cars: Issue 64 - 770KB
	Clint Curtis Races the '63 Corvette Hot Rods and Racing Cars #64 July 1963 View Hot Rods and Racing Cars: Issue 64 - 713KB
	Clint Curtis Races the '63 Corvette Hot Rods and Racing Cars #64 July 1963 View Hot Rods and Racing Cars: Issue 64 - 751KB
	Clint Curtis Races the '63 Corvette Hot Rods and Racing Cars #64 July 1963 View Hot Rods and Racing Cars: Issue 64 - 785KB
	Clint Curtis Races the '63 Corvette Hot Rods and Racing Cars #64 July 1963 View Hot Rods and Racing Cars: Issue 64 - 734KB
	Clint Curtis Races the '63 Corvette Hot Rods and Racing Cars #64 July 1963 View Hot Rods and Racing Cars: Issue 64 - 735KB

Merchandise

Type & Item #	Name	Details
Die Cast - Racing Champions 76262	1963 Corvette Sting Ray	Corvette 50th Anniversary Collection, Series 3, small scale, white
Die Cast - Hot Wheels L3103-0918B	'63 Corvette	2007 All Stars, small scale, blue w/silver stripe
Model Kit - Revell 85-1968	'63 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe	Snap-Tite 1:25 scale
Model Kit - AMT 6774	1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible	1:25 scale
Model Kit - AMT 6520	1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray	1:25 scale