With the second Corvette generation, GM finally hit the spot on the sports car market, improving the vehicle in any way so it could match the performance of any of its European competitors.
Chevrolet introduced the pop-up headlights and the narrow front end of the Corvette, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Underneath the fiberglass bodywork, it improved the brakes by adding front discs and the suspension by introducing an independent system. For the keen drivers that wanted to take their cars to the track, it even provided a positronic differential.

The streamlined car’s look featured a slight bump at the front, continued by an almost flat hood. Its aerodynamically profiled front fenders channeled the air so it could run with fewer turbulences. Thanks to a curved windshield and a long, boat-tail-shaped rear side of the greenhouse, the Stingray was a work of beauty. The enlarged rear fenders, with taller shoulders, created a muscular look, and it wasn’t for nothing since the car could do a quarter-mile in less than 15 seconds. For a car built in 1963, that was remarkable. At the back, the twin round taillights were unique for the Corvette.

Inside, the carmaker made the Corvette with two seats at the front and a bench in the rear, but with room just for two. Maybe, for some very short distances, someone could sit diagonally in the back. The trunk space was accessible only from the inside since there was no tailgate. A three-spoke steering wheel with a free space between nine and three o’clock allowed fast drivers to use the car properly on a track.

The Stingray featured a 5.4-liter V-8 paired with a four-speed manual. In addition, GM offered power-steering as an option.