1963 Corvette C2 Stingray
Engine Selection

The Corvette office area got an upgrade, and not a moment too soon. All the instruments (except the clock) were placed in front of the driver, allowing him/her to use them while still paying attention to the important business: driving. Most prominent was the all-important 6,000 RPM* tachometer. The refined layout drew rave reviews from buyers. The center console housed the clock, heater controls and optional radio.

*270 hp, 290 hp engine tachometers read to 8,000 RPM.

C2 Corvette concept drawing by Larry Shinoda, one of the designers working for Bill Mitchell. Dated April 22, 1960. While not a perfect prediction of how the 1963 model would look, it is close. Note the rounded front edge; also the hood cutlines are not there. A "Corvette" script on the front left of the hood would not appear until 1966. Plexiglass headlight covers, while they had aerodynamic, weight and cost advantages, ran afoul of lighting regulations at the time. Below: The covers could be found on the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport however.

Designer Larry Shinoda was not a tall man, but he did accommodate them by supplying a cut out in the roof to make entry / exit easier for taller enthusiasts in the low slung Corvette coupe.

Left: The hood of all 1963 Corvettes had faux vent grills. The story is that originally they were functional but the hot air escaping from the engine found its way into the passenger area via fresh air venting in the cowl.

Corvette "Sting Ray"

1963 saw the introduction of "Sting Ray" as a Corvette moniker. It would be retired for 1968 but resurrected for 1969 thru 1976 as "Stingray", and reappear for the 2014 C7 Corvette and 2020 C8 Corvette.

Amazingly enough, the one thing that didn't change in 1963 was the engine selection, which was the same as 1962. The standard engine was a 327 cubic inch 250 horsepower unit. Also available were 300 horsepower (RPO L75; $53.80) and (above left) 340 horsepower (RPO L76; $107.60) engines.

Right: The 327 cubic inch fuel injected mill (RPO L84; $430.40) continued as the top performer with 360 hp, well beyond the one hp / cubic inch milestone. The air cleaner and Plenum chamber (affectionately known as "the doghouse") was updated.