1963 Corvette® Sting Ray -
Fiberglass - Blue Metallic
Part Number: B11E666
Approximately 7 1/4” (18.4 cm) in length. Scale
1:24.
Franklin Mint has created a model that is worthy
of any collector regardless of their budget. The 1963 Corvette
Sting Ray with fuel injection is this car. The designers at
Franklin Mint decided it was time to make a truly authentic
Corvette model and put a fiberglass body on this baby. The
first time you pick it up you realize how special this car is
The 1963
Corvette Sting Ray offered so many new things it is hard to know
where to start. The most obvious place for the Vette enthusiast
was the radical new split window design. This design was used
to enhance the roof line and carry that line all the way to the
rear of the car. . In this model it doers just that. It
brings the roof line from the wind shield to the back of the
trunk. The serious sight limitations of the split window made
this a one year design option for Corvette.
The faux vent
grilles gave a nice look to the hood but were only there as a
decoration. It breaks up the hood nicely and provides the
effect of additional cooling for the engine. The reality is
that this was just some nice looking decoration the engineers
and designers dreamed up.
The
interior of this car is gorgeous. The carpeting is
throughout the whole interior and the seats have that leathery
feel to them as well. The dash is set up like the inside
of an airplane which lends itself to the speed and power of this
sports car. The passenger grab bar is included in this
model and fits nicely as part of this interior. The gauges
are small but readable and the shifter is well positioned as
well.
1963 marked the debut of the all-new Sting-Ray--the
only year for the now-coveted "split-window" body
style and the first time Chevy offered the Z06
model. Technically called the Special Performance
Package, it could be ordered as Regular Production
Option number Z06. The idea was to assist Corvette
race teams by homologating the hi-po hardware at the
same time. Some of the changes were larger,
dual-circuit power brakes with sintered metallic
linings, cooling fins for those Alfin front drums, a
36-gallon fuel tank, knock-off alloy wheels, and a
360-horse version of the fuel-injected 327 V-8. The
Z06 was theoretically available only in the coupe
body style, but one documented Z06-equipped roadster
snuck down the production line. One of the first
Z06s off that line won a road race at Riverside
International Raceway in late 1962. RPO Z06s cost
$1818, plus another $650 or so in required options.
Just 199 were built, and they're among the most
interesting--and rare--of all Corvettes.
As you look
through one of the rear windows the original jack instructions
are clearly visible. This was a nice detail added by the
folks at Franklin Mint and makes the owner feel like he just
picked up the car from the factory floor. The flip up
headlights are included in this model as well. They turn
up nicely and the spacing around the hood is excellent as well.
This car is a
must buy for any Corvette collector. The split window
design makes this a one of a kind collector item to begin with
let alone all the other amenities included in this model.
Franklin Mint has certainly shown they can produce top end
models and the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray is no exception. I
highly recommend this car and look forward to adding it to my
Christmas list.
Bet you didn't know....
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The earliest serial number air conditioned
Sting Ray has a production build date in October, about 6
months before the rest of the AC cars. The reason? The owner
was a GM executive and the car returned to Chevrolet for
refitting with AC.
Power
steering was first available in the 1963 Corvette.
Bill
Mitchell and Zora Arkus-Duntov argued over the "Split" rear
window for the new Corvette. Bill Mitchell won out for the
1963 Model, but it was removed for 1964 never to be seen
again.
The 1963
Grand Sports, while originally looking much like the
production coupes, had no body parts in common. The
fiberglass body panels were roughly half the thickness of
production panels to save weight.
The 1963
Grand Sports originally were released without fender flares,
using the stock look. However, they were wider to allow a
wider tire 8.25x15 rather than the stock 6.70x15 tire.
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