1963 Corvette Show Car Illustrated Series No.21

Here's the story:
lllustrated Corvette Series No. 21 - 1963 Corvette Show Car - "Showing Off"

The 1963 Sting Ray was one of the few Corvettes that was a smash hit right out of the box. American car magazines were falling all over the new Sting Ray and rightfully so. There was nothing like it anywhere.

The car had almost everything a car enthusiast could ask for; speed, style and sophistication. Independent designers such as Pininfarina and George Barris, couldn't resist the temptation to design their own Sting Ray. The Rohm & Hass company made experimental parts like a clear acrylic roadster hard top, clear headlight covers, metal finished acrylic wheel covers, and fender-to-fender lighting strips across the rear of the car.

Several months after the 1963 Sting Ray made its debut, stylists unveiled a showcar version of the roadster. Like most showcars, this beauty had all sorts of one-off parts and items that were completely undo-able for a production car. Most notably, the outrageous chrome header/side exhausts. In the '60s, side- pipes were a favorite theme for experimental and showcars. Knock-off wheels were another option that that came from Corvette's racing experience. Other special touches were the modified front fender openings and racing stripe. The interior features modified leather covered white seats with blue stripes, modified door panels, floor grills, a prototype console, tight-weave carpeting and a special two-spoke steering wheel.

There were actually three versions of this car built. The first was the original showcar. The second car was a retirement gift for the Corvette's father, Harley Earl, and had non-functioning side pipes. The third version was street driven by Chevrolet general manger "Bunkie" Knudsen until 1967.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Bill Mitchell, Larry Shinoda and crew were finishing up the stunning 1965 Mako Shark II.