The Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray was in its second guise in 1963 when the C2 was introduced and the styling, along with the significant upgrades over the already well loved C1, made the C2 an instant hit. This is the 1964 edition and with that comes more improvements to ride and mechanicals with some subtle, small styling changes. 

The most significant change in 1964 was the loss of the coupe’s ‘backbone’ rear window, dropped for visibility improvements. A few other styling cues saw the bonnet vents removed albeit with the indentations remaining, and the coloured steering wheel rim replaced with walnut veneer. In the handling department, the front coils and rear leaf springs thickness was changed to give more comfort without sacrificing handling. 

The Corvette that year sold a record number of 22,229 and the roadster increased its sales compared to the ’63 C2 and the previous convertible C1s. Some say this is the best year of the C2 and judging from this example, we’d have to agree. 

This Sting Ray has been with the current owner for 7 years now, a long time American car enthusiast and collector, the current owner knows a thing or two about keeping these classics is top condition. Used for shows here and there with very low mileage, this car only comes out on the nicest of days and rarely sees the wet, salted and filthy roads of the long winter months in the UK. 

All this knowledge and care has seen the car kept in this stunning condition, a true credit to the car’s custodians. 

The current owner has now decided to move the car on, as with collectors, sometimes things need to be sold to bring in new additions, although we feel this one might be a bit more difficult than most to part ways with. 

There is a folder of paperwork for the Sting Ray that comes from its time on this side of the pond. The car has its V5 and some receipts for work done. Below is a summary of the paperwork with regards to parts and purchases. 

The interior of the Sting Ray is stunning, the red leather is in fantastic condition and the contrast of the brushed aluminium is perfectly matched to the exterior paintwork. The ‘double bubble’ dashboard is reminiscent of old plane cockpits and is plenty spacious enough for two and luggage. 

The dials and switch gear reinforces the ‘cockpit’ aesthetic with everything labelled and arranged in a way that it makes even turning the lights on or setting the wipers an event. Even down to the ‘pull towards you’ parking brake and the deep inset needle spindles in the dials which are a delightful design addition and continue with the smaller dials. There is a theatrical element to all aspects of the car, inside and out. 

The huge wood and aluminium steering wheel is in great condition with little to no wear. It is also easy to turn even when stood still and gives great visibility to the dashboard behind it. The manual gear lever is a work of art with its metal base plate showing you the pattern of the gears should you need reminding. 

The carpets and upholstery of the folding seats are all in fantastic condition as if it were recently brand new, further evidencing how well this car has been cared for. The rear luggage space where the hood also retracts into is the same high quality of the rest of the interior. The interior of this Corvette is beautiful, and the red leather goes a long way to introduce Chevrolet’s desired ‘penthouse’ level of luxury. 

The Sting Ray was achingly cool back in the year of its conception of 1963 and it was greatly applauded by the public and press. It’s not hard to see why as Chevrolet continued to improve on the C1 Corvette with the 60’s giving us some fantastic American car designs, with the links of the Pontiac GTO, the Ford Thunderbird and the Camaro to name a few. 

The Silver mist exterior paint is regularly and fastidiously detailed and is in fantastic condition with no scratches, dents or scuffs to be seen. The chrome trim is in great condition also with no pitting or fading and compliments the paint work very nicely. All lights and electrical work and the vacuum powered spinning headlights work as intended. The wheels are American Racing Equipment items and give the Sting Ray a drag racing/street rod inspired look. 

The exhausts are mounted higher up in this stingray as opposed to the stock exhausts which hang down much lower than the rear valance. This gives it a very clean look from the rear, where the frenched in rear lights are delightfully minimalistic and show off the sharp, clean lines of the body. 

In summary for the exterior then, this is most probably the best presented convertible C2 in the country and the exterior really makes an impact visually upon first seeing the car. A rare car in the States, this Sting Ray was one of 13,925 and must be even more a rarity in the UK, to see one in as good a condition such as this is a real treat. 

The owner was kind enough to let us photograph the underneath of the Stingray and we’re glad they did as the underside is just as good if not better presented than the topside. As you can see in the photo gallery below, you could eat your metaphorical dinner off the underside of the Sting Ray with the car not showing any signs of corrosion or damage to the underside. 

The engine is the 327 cu in V8 and its 5.4 Litres of American muscle, producing, when new, 300hp. This Sting Ray has been treated to a ‘hot cam’ however so BHP figures may vary to the original numbers stated by Chevrolet. The engine is regularly maintained and well looked after though, so that variation is likely to be higher. 

The four speed ‘on the floor’ Muncey gearbox (known to enthusiasts as the 'Rock Crusher') is a similar unit to the Borg-warner ones used previously but was a GM manufactured unit with stronger internals. The movement is crisp and purposeful with no crunching or grinding. The exhausts give the car a satisfying burble that is just loud enough to maximise the smile on your face without being deafening. Mated to the V8 block, the whole mechanical package of this Stingray needs to be experienced to understand just how good this car was back in 1964. 

We really don’t need to explain the appeal of this car, but we can confirm some things. This car being the 1964 version was close enough to the original concept design but with some yearly improvements to refine the styling and the mechanicals. Whilst the convertible does away with the design style point of rear window, the gain far outweighs the sacrifices in the fact the entire sky opens up. 

This example is exceptionally kept and must be one of the best examples around, to have this in the summer months would be a real dream. With this car going up for auction soon, that dream is within reach, all you need do is place your bid.