Split decision: ’63 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
The second generation Corvette known as the C2 was designed by Larry Shinoda with major inspiration from a design called the “Q Corvette” by Peter Brock and Chuck Pohlmann. Of course, GM’s design guru Bill Mitchell was the one stirring the soup. With the new design came a new name, Corvette Sting Ray, the 1963 model year Corvette was the first year for a Coupe with its distinctive split rear window and non-functioning Hood vents as well as an Independent rear suspension. The split rear window was discontinued in 1964 because of safety concerns. Don’t really understand that but that is what they said. Split window coupes are very cool and highly coveted in the collector car world. The most valuable of the splits are the few Grand Sport race cars that were built to stop the domination of the Shelby led Ford Cobras. They would have succeeded if GM brass let them. This featured Split Window is just a nice example of a standard ‘Vette of the day. It is said to be 99% original and that is very remarkable. That means exterior paint, interior and mecahnicals are all applied by the factory in ’63. The goal is not perfection but preservation. Perfect trailer queens might fetch $70 grand with this modest 250 horsepower engine but the originality of this one might trump that…or not. Click here for the eBay listing.