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The second generation of Chevrolet Corvette was launched in 1963 and was a real breakthrough with the C1. The style of the new Sting Ray (in two distinct words), signed by Bill Mitchell, appeared clearly more brutal and agressive, with its 4 turning front lights and the sculptural sides. The car was designed like a "show car" with many stylistic false air intakes dissiminated all around the body. Corvette designers tried to simplify the shape during all the C2 production, in the same way as they have done for the C1 generation.


1963.
The legend : the "Split Window"

Bill Mitchell designed the Sting Ray like he dreamed it : an incredible musculous body shape, characterized by a central fold inspired by the Bugatti T57 Atlantic, running from the engine bonnet to the rear extremity of the car, splitting the back window in two parts. Very esthetical but not really usefull...
The Sting Ray 1963 was proposed in a convertible version too.

A 1963 Sting Ray is easy to recognize : the coupe and the convertible version has chromed fakes air intakes on the engine bonnet and two horizontals air intakes (false too) on the sides, behind the front wheels.

1964. The beginning of the design's simplification.

The split window was so criticized that it disappeared at the second millesime.The chromed grids of the engine bonnet has disappeared too, only the space of the air intakes remained.
False air intakes located just behind doors were replaced by real ones, in order to improve the interior ventilation.
A new injection engine was proposed with 375 hp.
1965 : More powerfull engine V8 6,4 L 425 hp, with new disk brakes.
The lateral air intakes became fonctional with a different design : 3 verticals lines. The last trace of air intakes on the engine bonnet has disappeared.
Inside the car, more ergonomical seats replaced the old ones.
1966. Sales of the C2 Sting Ray were good : 28 000 units in 1965.
A new option was proposed : the 427 engine. New back light and chromed front grid.

1967. Last millesime for the C2 Sting Ray. The lateral air intake change another time with 5 thins vertical lines. The chromed logos on the side were suppressed, always in order to "clean" the design.
A new engine upgrade was proposed with the L71 option : a triplet of carburators could raised the maximum power to 435 hp.


In
1968, the third generation of Corvette, the C3 Stingray (in one word) was presented with a new design, called the "Coke-Bottle" shape, inspired by the beautiful Mako Shark concept car of 1965.

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