1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (split-window)
Build Sheet
| Year | 1963 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 327 cu in (5.4 L) small-block V8 offered in four states of tune; the top L84 used Rochester mechanical fuel injection |
| Horsepower | 250 hp standard, with optional 300 hp (L75), 340 hp (L76), and 360 hp fuel-injected (L84) versions |
| 0–60 mph | About 5.8 seconds for a fuel-injected four-speed car (Motor Trend test) |
| Production | 21,513 Corvettes built for 1963, split nearly evenly between body styles; coupe production was 10,594, and the split rear window was exclusive to the 1963 coupe |
| Original MSRP | $4,037 base price for the 1963 coupe (1963 dollars) |
| Current value | Driver-quality (#3) split-window coupes commonly trade well into six figures; Hagerty values a #3 L75 at roughly $130,000, with L76, L84 fuelie, and concours cars higher; estimate as of 2025 |
The Story
The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray marked a complete reinvention of America's sports car and introduced one of the most celebrated design details in automotive history. It was the first year of the second-generation Corvette, and the only year of the split-window coupe, whose divided rear glass gives the car its instantly recognizable silhouette. That single-year feature, combined with the model's dramatic styling, has made the 1963 coupe the most coveted Corvette of its era.
The reinvention ran deep. The 1963 Sting Ray rode on an all-new chassis with independent rear suspension, a first for the Corvette, transforming its handling and ride. The fixed-roof coupe joined the traditional convertible, and designer Bill Mitchell's aggressive, pointed bodywork drew directly on the earlier Sting Ray racing concept. Power came exclusively from the 327-cubic-inch small-block V8, offered in four states of tune: 250 horsepower standard, 300 horsepower in the L75, 340 horsepower in the L76, and 360 horsepower in the fuel-injected L84, which used Rochester mechanical injection. A fuel-injected, four-speed car could reach 60 mph in well under six seconds, genuinely quick figures for the period.
Production for 1963 totaled 21,513 cars, divided nearly evenly between coupe and convertible, with 10,594 of those being the distinctive split-window coupe. The coupe listed at a base price of $4,037, placing the Corvette firmly in premium territory for its day. Chevrolet famously dropped the split rear window for 1964 in favor of a single pane, a decision that improved rearward visibility but inadvertently created a one-year collector's prize.
Today the split-window Sting Ray is among the most valuable and sought-after Corvettes ever produced. Driver-quality examples regularly trade well into six figures, with Hagerty valuing a good-condition L75 coupe near $130,000 and higher-output L76, fuel-injected L84, and concours-grade cars commanding substantially more, as of 2025. The 1963 split-window endures as a high-water mark of American sports car design.
