Corvette Prints on Parchment|1964 Corvette Illustrated Series No.22

After 12 model years, the Corvette was finally a sales success. 1961 sales hit a high mark of 10,939 units. Two years later, the stunning 1963 Corvette was sold to 21,513 customers. Now that made the GM bean counters happy! The demand for new Corvettes was so high that Chevrolet had to start a second production shift. Finally, there was a waiting list for Corvettes.

Normally, when a car hits the showroom floor, the manufacturer already has changes in the works. The new Sting Ray was no exception. What little criticism the '63 Corvette got, Chevrolet heard loud and clear. The biggest complaint was the Bill Mitchell split-rear window. One magazine said that it was just wide enough to conceal a motorcycle cop! So the split-window was soon history, making the '63 "Split- Window" Coupe one of the most valuable cars in Corvette history. The over-done, fussy, 1963 chrome trim was removed. Gone were the fake hood grilles, and the chrome trim from the A- pillars. The vents at the B-pillar were made functional. However, the vents on the front fenders still didn't function. The interior was toned down by eliminating the bright-center dials on all of the instruments.

There was also exciting new hardware offered in '64. Most obvious was the new optional knock-off aluminum wheels. The $322.80 wheels were only ordered on 806 Corvettes. The suspension was improved by adding new variable-rate springs that gave the car a reasonably soft ride under normal driving, but stiffened up when pushed in heavy cornering. Body and interior noise was reduced with improved insulator mounts, foil-backed firewall insulation and thicker fiberglass in the body's rear section.

Under the hood, buyers had their choice of four small-block engines. Power ratings of 250, 300, 365 and 375 horsepower were available. The hot setup was the L84 Fuel-Injection version for a stiff $538!

Ordered with the 188.30 four-speed and the $43.05 Posi rear, the '64 Corvette could be a potent customer. One automotive publication tested a fuel-injected '64 Corvette with 4.11:1 gears, clicking off 0-60 in only 5.6 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 100 mph! The Corvette Sting Ray was coming into its own in 1964, with more in store for 1965.

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