During the first 10 years of the Corvette there have been some highs and lows along the way, but ten years after the model's first introduction came one of the truly great ones - the 1963 Sting Ray.
Motor racing played a key role in the evolution of the '63 Sting Ray. To begin with, Bill Mitchell acquired the test vehicle from the abandoned Super Sport project, a program developing a Corvette for endurance racing. Christened his racer the Stingray Special, In the SCCA C-Modified class it quickly proved to be a winner, taking the championship. At the end of the 1960 season, Mitchell decided he couldn't afford to keep funding the racecar and so sold it back to GM, where it was rebuilt as a show vehicle.
By that time, progress was well in hand for what would become the sensational 1963 Corvette. Mitcheli made no secret of his love for knife-edged styling and used it to great effect on the final production design, which also incorporated the "triple hump" feature seen on the fenders and hood of the Stingray racer and Mako Shark concept car. But while the '63 Sting Ray was just about all-new from the ground up. Mitchell was careful to ensure some continuity of styling from the preceding years, and to this end had introduced the "duck-tail" rear on the *61 Corvette to give everyone the chance to get used to the theme.
At the Sting Ray's leading edge, the aggressive appearance was emphasized by the use of hidden headlights - the first time this device had been seen on a Chevrolet, and not used on any other US car since the 1942 Desoto - but it was the rear window in the fastback "boat tail" coupe model that would prove to be the most contentious feature of all. Bill Mitchell was adamant that the split rear window should stay and he argued long and hard to get his way saying "...if you take that off, you might as well forget the whole thing." Mitchell won the day, but criticisms in the press about restricted rear visibility The central spine removed for the '64 models, giving the 1963 Sting Ray a unique identifying feature and instantly turning it into a highly collectible item.
It has to be said, however, that some '63 models subsequently had their split rear windows replaced with a one-piece window and, after the 1964 model became available, Chevy dealers even offered a factory conversion - which immediately destroyed the car's value and it's certain that many Corvette owners today regret their actions
