Hot Rod, Oct 1962: “FIRST REPORT ‘1963 Corvette Sting Ray
A Look at the First “Revolutionary” Corvette: the 1963 Sting Ray
To read the PDF version of the October 1962 issue of Hot Rod’s feature story, “1963 Corvette Sting Ray – FIRST REPORT”, CLICK HERE.
We haven’t posted any “Breaking News” because almost all the news is about the 2026 ZR1X Monster Vette! The ZR1X is an astonishing automotive technological achievement. Many will comment about the XR1X, “Why in the HELL does anyone need 1,250 horsepower?”
Well, unless you need to get to work REALLY, REALLY fast, no one “needs” 1,250 horsepower. No one “needs” to go up in Jeff Bezos’ rocket ship for a 5-minute look into outer space. But if it’s in your budget, enjoy!
From my perspective of studying the world of Corvette since 1965, there have been three “revolutionary” Corvettes.
First, the 1963 C2 Sting Ray: Four-wheel independent suspension, lower center of gravity, 327 Fuelie engine, aluminum Knock Off wheels, the hidden Z06 “Racer Kit” option for the Fuelie, and four-wheel disc brakes and big-block engines soon to come.
Second, the 1997 C5 Corvette: Way back in 1957, Zora Arkus-Duntov outlined his wish list to fulfill Ed Cole’s directive that by 1960, all Chevrolet cars would use a transaxle, including the Corvette. This has later been called the “Q-Corvette”.
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Zora was born on Christmas Day, so he must have treated this like his Christmas Wish List. “Dear Santa (Ed), I would like a Corvette with an all-aluminum engine, fuel injection, four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes, and the Q-Chevrolet required transaxle.” Love, Zora.”
That’s an outline of a prehistoric C5 Corvette. The C5 finally put the Corvette on the map in endurance racing, winning more championships in 20 years than any other sports car racing team.
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Third, the 2020 C8 Corvette: When the 2019 ZR1 Corvette came out, everyone in the Corvette community knew that the C8 was close at hand. Just the same, the 2019 ZR1 was a beautiful beast. Packing 755 horsepower, the 2019 ZR1 was the most powerful Corvette ever made to that point.
However, even with 105 horsepower more than the Z06, the 2019 ZR1 was only a few tenths quicker than the Z06. Why? It’s all about “power to the ground”. Tadge Juchter and his team proved with the 2019 ZR1 that the in-the-works C8 was the correct direction for Corvette.
If you’re a TechHead and you love juicy details, you’ll love this car. But back to the question of “who needs a car such as the ZR1?” The answer is still “no one”, but that’s not the point of the car. The ZR1X is a Hero Car, a Halo Car, a Technological Showpiece to show the automotive world what General Motors can do! The General has thrown down the gauntlet.
So, let’s spend a little time and enjoy the enthusiasm, Technical Editor, Ray Brock, had for the new 1963 Sting Ray, back in the summer of 1962 when he attended the Chevrolet Press Preview, out on the hot, hot Test Center black lake of asphalt. – Scott
To read the PDF version of the October 1962 issue of Hot Rod’s feature story, “1963 Corvette Sting Ray – FIRST REPORT”, CLICK HERE.
Be sure to check out our Corvette swag
in our Etsy Store, Car Guy Merch, HERE!
Be sure to check out our Corvette swag
in our Etsy Store, Car Guy Merch, HERE!
