Chevrolet’s
Corvette took off in a completely new styling direction for the 1963
season. Based on the experimental
Mitchell Sting Ray Racer that had been on the race circuit since 1957, the new Corvette was more angular in looks
than its predecessors. A 1:4 scale model of the new sports car was tested in
wind tunnel experiments. Results from
those tests dictated the final shape that Corvette would take.
Side glass with
compound curves was the latest styling trend in Detroit that year. If
Rambler was having curved glass, so was Corvette. With the help of tiny motors, Corvette’s
headlights rotated out of sight when not in use. The pod-headlight styling trick was superb and
even added to the car’s aerodynamics.
Hidden headlamps also gave a sleek, uninterrupted front profile.
The
hood sported twin full-length depressions that carried large, simulated
air-intake plates. The grille, made up of thin, horizontal aluminum bars, was
deeply recessed into the lower half of the front. Bumpers were understated spaghetti straps in
chrome.
Lines flowed effortlessly in Corvette’s
profile. Two deep indentations moulded into the trailing edge of the front
wheelwell spoke of speed, even when the sports car was sitting still.
Corvette was one of the first American
automobiles to acquire the Coke-bottle
swell in its rear quarter panels. It was
the perfect look. A raised spine or dorsal fin that ran the length of the coupe
gave the perfect excuse for designing a split rear window, which was Bill
Mitchell’s brainchild. The gas filler
cap was centrally located in the rear, below the window. A pair of
bumperettes was given the task of silhouetting two small, round
taillights.
Inside the cabin,
designers made much of the split or dual theme.
Bucket seats nestled on either side of a massive centre console. The console in turn, set off the functional
and classy dual-cowled instrument panel.
AM/FM radio was available for $174.35.
Passengers were treated to rich, deep-pile carpeting, adding luxury to what one magazine said was
“America’s most sophisticated car.”
A Corvette2+2 was developed in styling alongside the
two-seater but it required an extra ten inches of length to accommodate the
rear passengers. Altered rear fenders
and a higher roofline changed proportions sufficiently that the larger model
never saw the light of day.
Advertising claimed
that streamlining was the goal and indeed designer Zora Arkus-Duntov--working
under the watchful eye of GM styling guru Billy Mitchell--created a classically
elegant and graceful fastback coupe and convertible. The latter could be
ordered with a hard or soft top. Basic
design for the ’63 models was locked up by September of 1960, although studio
photos show that the hardtop roof for the convertible came into being in
February of 1961.
The wheelbase
was cut ten centimetres (four inches) to 249 centimetres (98 inches) and the overall length was shortened by five centimetres (two inches)
from the 1962 model. Chassis, frame and the rear axle were all new to Corvette. So was the rear suspension, which was given a
three-link independent system at each wheel.
A multi-leaf transverse spring was bolted to the differential carrier
and extended from one rear wheel to the other. This set up handled vertical
loads. Radius arms, axles and control
rods, running from the differential to the frame, handled horizontal
forces. More of Corvette’s weight sat on
the back wheels than the front.
Engines
were carried over from 1962. The 5-3-litre (327-cubic inch) V-8 was standard with its 250 horsepower rating. 300 horses cost $54 more, 340 horses cost
$108 extra and the fuel-injected 360 horsepower version added a whopping $340
to the tab. For a short while the
higher horsepower engines came with a buzzer that sounded at 6500 RPM. The intention was to alert the driver that he was “…approaching
excessive engine speeds.” The buzzer was
dropped because no one could hear it over the engine’s roar.
Visit my old car website at: The Oilspot Eh!
A three-speed manual transmission was standard
but a close-ratio four-speed could be had for $188 or, for $199.10 Chevrolet’s
Powerglide automatic could be installed.
For the first time, power steering, power brakes and air conditioning
were available in Corvettes, though archives show that only 280 buyers
purchased the cool option at an equally cool $421. Leather seats were a choice for the first
time, if one had an extra $80 in his pocket.
For $202, purists could order the optional 136-litre (36- US gallon) gas tank on coupes.
Corvette
was kept ultra-secret and when it was finally shown to the public, the motoring public went
wild over the sensational vehicle. Chevrolet had an imediate hit and an instant
classic on its hands.
Chief Zora Arkus-Duntov even built five Grand Sport
specials to Challenge Carrol Shelby’s Cobras on the track. In its initial year
10,594 coupes were built and 10,919 convertibles in Chevrolet’s St. Louis,
Missouri plant, a full third more than the previous year.
All rights reserved.