1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (C2)

The second-generation Corvette — the C2 Sting Ray — arrived for 1963 as the most dramatically styled American car of its era, with a fastback coupe silhouette, a boldly divided rear window (one year only), and the first fully independent suspension in Corvette history. Beneath its sculpted bodywork, a range of 327 small-block V8s from 250 to 375 horsepower served buyers who wanted refinement, while the arrival of the 396 in mid-1965 and the 427 big-block from 1966 onward gave enthusiasts raw, thundering power that no rival could match.

Designed under Bill Mitchell and Zora Arkus-Duntov, the C2 Sting Ray broke from the C1's roadster-only tradition by offering a closed sport coupe alongside the convertible. The 1963 coupe's most distinguishing feature was its spine-like split rear window — a styling element Duntov opposed as a safety hazard but Mitchell insisted upon. Just 10,594 split-window coupes were built for 1963 before the dividing bar was removed for 1964, making the first-year car an instant collectible.

Power choices for 1963-1965 centered on the 327 cubic inch small-block V8 in outputs ranging from a tractable 250 hp all the way to 375 hp with Rochester Ramjet mechanical fuel injection. The fuel-injected 327 — the 'fuelie' — was a sophisticated and expensive option that delivered crisp throttle response and a racing-derived character, but most buyers chose carbureted versions. Fuel injection was quietly dropped after 1965, not returning to Corvette until 1982. The arrival of the 396 big-block at mid-year 1965, and then the 427 in three states of tune for 1966-1967, transformed the Sting Ray into a genuine supercar. The L71 Tri-Power 427 at 435 hp was the most powerful advertised engine of the C2 era; the legendary L88, nominally rated at 430 hp to discourage street buyers, produced approximately 560 hp and was sold to only 20 customers in 1967.

The C2 generation also introduced the Corvette's first Z06 performance package in 1963 — a $1,818 option that added a 36.5-gallon fuel tank, sintered metallic brakes, and heavy-duty suspension, produced in just 199 examples. Five lightweight aluminum-bodied Grand Sport racers were hand-built under Duntov's direction before GM shut the program down, becoming some of the most storied American racing cars of the 1960s. Across five model years and 117,964 units, the C2 Sting Ray stands as the generation many Corvette historians regard as the most beautiful the marque has ever produced.