Of all the legendary sports cars produced after WWII, the 1963-1967 Corvette Sting Ray stands as a landmark in the development of Chevrolet’s revolutionary fiberglass-bodied sports car. Design and development were lengthy, dating to 1957 with sketches by Peter Brock, GM’s youngest designer. Bill Mitchell, Harley Earl’s handpicked successor as head of GM’s famed styling studios, took things further by building a new racing car, using a frame from the canceled Corvette SS. Designed and built with GM stylist Larry Shinoda, Mitchell’s “Stingray” took a 1960 SCCA class championship with ace driver Dick “The Flying Dentist” Thompson. Subsequently driven around Detroit by Mitchell, his stunning racer was a major evolutionary step, followed by the XP-755 Mako Shark show car of 1961, which predicted the next-generation Corvette that entered production under Shinoda’s guidance by mid-1962. Sleek, aggressive and otherworldly in appearance, the production Corvette Sting Ray remains stunning today. Underneath that gorgeous body was a serious sports car, riding on a shorter wheelbase than before and featuring a new front suspension and independent rear setup. Interestingly, the 1963 Sting Ray coupe’s split rear window treatment was controversial when new. While this distinctive cue was dropped after the inaugural model year, 1963 “Split Window” Corvette coupes are highly sought after today. Power choices for 1963 were numerous, topped by the RPO L84 fuel-injected 327 CI V-8, delivering 360 factory-rated HP. According to published sources, just 2,610 of 21,513 Corvette Sting Rays built for 1963 were equipped with the potent L84 mill, which carried a $430 option cost. Built on August 5, 1963, with 1964 model production starting just a few days later on August 7, this split window coupe is a thrilling find as one of the last Corvettes built during the final week of 1963 model production. Following assembly, it was delivered new to Bruder Chevrolet in Hollywood, California. Benefiting from a comprehensive nut-and-bolt frame-off restoration completed in 2008, it earned Bloomington Gold Certification in 2011, plus the NCRS Top Flight Award and MCACN Concours Gold honors. It retains its matching numbers 327/360 HP V-8 engine with Rochester Ramjet fuel injection, which is paired with a 4-speed manual transmission and 3.70 Positraction rear end. Code 936 Ermine White paint coats the exterior, complemented by tinted glass and a black bucket seat interior. Knock-off alloy wheels with spinner centers mounting 1960s-style bias-ply whitewall tires offer the finishing touch to this historic split window Corvette.
