THE FIRST STING RAY
The second-generation Corvette turned America's sports car into an object of desire and an instant icon
For one glorious year, the engineering stars aligned, there were no compromises to Bill Mitchell’s passion for design, and the most gorgeous Corvette of all time was built. And that’s just the beginning if this tale.
The original Corvettes from the mid-1950s through the early 1960s had become increasingly more powerful and better-handling roadsters, thanks largely to the efforts of chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. However, by 1962, the ’Vette’s dated X-frame-based underpinnings were becoming less capable of handling the up to 360 horsepower that was being stuffed under its aging bonnet.
Penned by Chevrolet styling guru Bill Mitchell, the 1963 Sting Ray made instant antiques out of the previous 1953-’62 Corvettes. The car’s knockout good looks featured sharply cut fenders, split front and back bumpers and pop-up headlights.
The roadster was joined by a fastback-styled coupe with a distinctive spilt-rear-window design. The top of the doors on this version were cut well into the roof, making entry and exit simple.
Underneath the new bodywork was a ladder-type frame and independent rear suspension, the first time such a setup had ever been offered in an American-based production car.
The ’Vette’s available V-8 engines were positioned well back of the front wheels, creating nearly equal fore-and-aft weight distribution. Combined with beefier brakes and leading-edge chassis and suspension, the new fiberglass Chevy was able to run circles around previous models.
The only available engine was a 327-cubic-inch V-8 in four output ratings; 250; 300; 340 and 360 horsepower (the latter being the rare fuel-injected version).
For 1964, the hardtop’s split rear window was gone by a one-piece design that improved visibility. Designer Mitchell fought a losing battle to keep his original two-window design, claiming that changing it “spoiled the whole car.” The ’63 Corvette was a one-hit wonder.
In 1965, the horsepower wars escalated with the arrival of the new 396-cubic-inch V-8. For those Corvette buyers wanting to advertise ownership of the big block, the car could be ordered with optional side pipes that dumped the exhaust just ahead of the rear wheels. Available for only one model year, the 396 V-8 came in three power levels with the hottest pumping out an impressive 425 horses.
The fastest, toughest, meanest Corvette Sting Ray on the block arrived in 1966. The optional 427-cubic-inch powerplant was available in 390- and 425-horsepower versions. That latter’s three two-barrel-carb setup turned the $6,000 Corvette into a heart-stopping monster that could reel off zero-to-60-mph (96 km/h) runs in less than 5.5 seconds. But the 427 saga didn’t end there. If you were brave enough, you could order your ’67 with the L71 engine option, which got you a 435-horsepower (its true rating was apparently well over 450) variant of the 427 that came with single four barrel carburetor and plenty of exotic-for-the-day hardware.
For drag-racing purposes, a special run of 20 L88-designated Sting Ray coupes was constructed for 1967. These factory specials featured race-prepped engines that produced 560 horsepower.
By the time the last of the second-generation Corvette Sting Rays departed the factory floor in 1967, nearly 118,000 copies had been produced. Of those, nearly two-thirds were convertibles.
But, as pretty and as fast as the Corvette was, even Duntov himself later conceded the early Sting Rays were the least satisfying of all Corvettes.
Never mind. This is still the car people of all ages drool over and would own in an instant if only its rapidly escalating value didn’t put it out of reach of mere mortals.
An all-new Stingray (note the joining of the words) was supposed to have arrived for 1967, but development problems delayed its launch until the following year. It, too, had its distinctive features and plenty of available cubes to boss its way around the streets. But for die-hard ’Vette-heads, it was missing the soul of the previous Sting Ray. While the muscle might have been there, some of the magic was gone. Some say gone for good.