1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Coupe
Spark - S2791 (resin)
Published 04/25/18
The Sting Ray Coupe was Chevrolet’s second generation (C2) of the Corvette. The car was heavily based on Bill Mitchell’s Stingray racer of 1959, and was the first production Corvette coupe. A fastback with futuristic lines, it had a split rear window, something that was novel for the times. A detail that made a lot of fuss were the headlights. The car sported quad headlamps that rotated into place when turned on. The chassis was also new, with a shorter wheelbase and an improved weight distribution that allowed a much snappier driving experience when compared to the original Corvette.
The base engine for all the 1963 models was a 5359 cm³ (327 ci) SOHC small block V8, that produced 250 hp. However, if the customer wished so, bigger engines were available. So if you wanted you could order the Z-06 version of Sting Ray Coupe. The Z-06 came with a big block V8 that delivered 360 hp.
Though I’ve always liked the Sting Ray Coupe, this one was NOT on my to-buy list. Well, let’s say it was listed just as a “target of opportunity”. But as luck would have it, both this Sting Ray and the SS showed up. They were from the same seller, and he offered me a good package deal on both. I resisted (bravely!) for about 5 minutes (10 perhaps?) and caved… Right now though, I’m glad I didn’t resist. The model was brand-spanking-new, still in its plastic wrap, and is easily one of my top three passenger cars from Spark. Detail level is overall fantastic and Spark did in ace of a job recreating the car in scale. So all-in-all I would dare say it’s a must-buy for American Iron lovers. And a great buy if you just like great cars.