Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Fort Lauderdale
event, March 31-2, 2017.
Chassis No.
30837S120543
Estimate:
$100,000 - $125,000 US
In the October 1962 Road & Track magazine technical analysis, it
was concluded that "the 1963 Corvette has come a long way in 10
years - in fact, from a stylists' plaything to a full-blown,
out-and-out dual-purpose sports car." They also had gotten their
hands on a 1963 Corvette for one of their respected road tests and
were anxious to see how the handling differed from the
predecessors; especially with the advent of a full independent rear
suspension. The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette not only provided exciting
new styling, its handling characteristics were now considerably
different.
Road & Track road test staffers wrote that "In a word, the new
Sting Ray sticks! Whether you slam the car through an S-bend at 85
or pop the clutch at 5,000-rpm at the drag strip, the result is the
same - great gripping gobs of traction." There were many
improvements elsewhere in the new-for-1963 Corvette, including
completely new (production based) front suspension, frame, seats,
outside body panels, inside panels, dash, steering wheel and so
much more. The car was virtually all new, wisely applying the
education gained from building the earlier models.
Road & Track also enthused about the way the new Corvette fit the
driver. They said the new layout allowed the ability to drive
"Italian-style," from comfortable seating and the desired legroom.
All-new instrumentation was dominated by the proper placing of
six-inch diameter speedometer and tachometer. Entertainingly, the
now "trademark" split rear window and accompanying raised spine
that signifies the 1963 sport coupe as unique and all-the-more
beautiful, was the staff's only interior complaint, where "all we
could see in the rearview mirror was that silly bar splitting the
rear window down the middle." For those putting one in their
garage, it was a minor inconvenience. Some may have even said,
"what's behind me does not matter."
Looking great in code 923 Riverside Red with Black trim (matching
the attached data tag), this 1963 Corvette Coupe has its NCRS
recognition displayed on the front bumper center plate and is
driven by one of the 327-cid, 340-hp V-8 engines; there were three
different levels of tune. Of the over 21,000 Corvettes built in
1963, (10,594 coupes) 6,978 in both styles received the L76
powerplant at an upcharge of $107.60. The transmission is a
four-speed manual and among the factory equipment are the pop-up
headlights being utilized in their first year, AM/FM radio (with
frequency requirement placard), seatbelts, whitewall tires and
factory hubcaps providing the perfect period look for this
well-respected and coveted platform. This award winning example has
earned an NCRS Top Flight, a 2nd in class at the Boca Raton
Concours d'Elegance and first class at Ocean Reef.
Considerable work for the styling was executed in the field of
aerodynamic research at the GM Tech Center and Cal Tech in
Pasadena, California. The results were immediately appreciated by
the buying public and that has never changed.
