Corvette C2
General Motors introduced the corvette line of sports cars in 1953, and has been producing improvised versions to end up with an entire line of Corvettes. Corvettes primarily consist of convertibles and coupes. The corvette line started off with the C1 in 1953, and ten years later, in 1963, they introduced the Chevrolet Corvette C2. The Corvette C2 was the brainchild of Larry Shinoda and Bill Mitchell.
Production of the Corvette C2 commenced in 1963 and
was produced until 1967, when the C3 took over the line. It was produced at the St. Louis assembly plant.
The first car in this line of Corvettes was the Sting Ray coupe. It was a new concept, with fake hood vents, split rear windows and independent rear suspensions. However, due to safety concerns, Chevrolet had to stop the split rear window model. Later on, the hood vents were also discontinued.
The Corvette C2 engine was a 360 hp engine in the 1963 models, and was upgraded to 375 hp in 1964. The car saw further improvement in 1965 with the inclusion of disc brakes for all four wheels, and an option for the 6.5L Big Block V8 engine was introduced. The 1965 corvettes also saw side exhausts. In 1966, the Corvette C2 saw further upgrades with a higher capacity 7L Big Block V8 engine. This made the 1966 Corvette C2 one of the most collectible corvettes ever.
In 1967, the Corvette C2s engine was further upgraded to an L88 version of the 7L Big Block, with a rating of 430 hp. However, unofficial reports show that the actual power output of the L88 was close to 550 hp. There were only twenty of these ever produced. The 427 was available with a Holley Tri- Power carburetor from 1967 to 1969.
There were numerous optional upgrades available during the years in which the Corvette C2 was released. One could get a AM-FM radio, leather interiors and air conditioning included with the 1963 models, Telescopic wheels with the 1965 models, and head rests with the 1966 C2s.
The fuel Injection models didn’t have much success, owing mainly to the 425hp Big Block V8 engine, as the V8 was almost $245 cheaper, and offered 50 hp more than the fuel injection version. In 1965, they were forced to discontinue the fuel injection model, as only 771 units had been sold.
The Sting Ray received then honor of being on number five on the Sports Car International’s list of 1960s Top Sports Cars. The Corvette C2 styling and design by Bill Mitchell inspired many of the generation. This generation saw the production of a lighter car, based on the Corvette C2 design, which were eligible for Grand Touring Races, called the Grand Sport. This project was, however, discontinued after the production of just five units, which are among the most valuable corvettes ever made.
Using the 1963 Corvette C2 chassis, Chevrolet produced the Corvette Rondine. The Rondine was built for the 1963 Paris Auto Show as a Concept Car, and was designed and built by Tom Tjaarda.
The Chevrolet Corvette C2 line produced cars that had great performance and style for their time, and some of the C2s such as the Grand Sports and the 550hp Big Block variation are among the most valuable collectible corvettes ever produced.