In 1963, Chevrolet released what has since been considered one of the most iconic sports cars of the American automobile industry. The second-generation Corvette, also called C2, received a warm welcome among the public, who now had the chance to drive a futuristic-looking car with some unique features.

No doubt, the '60s was such a wonderful decade to be alive if you were a gearhead. American car manufactures gave birth to some of the coolest cars ever, and in particular, some memorable Chevrolet models. Among the huge fleet of '60s muscle cars, the Corvette really stood out. Check out the formula that made this car so amazing.

Related: These Are 10 Of The Sickest Mopars From The 1960s

8 Its Popularity

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As soon as the C2 was launched, the streets became to be filled with these sports cars. The 1963 Corvette was the final result of more than half a decade’s worth of research both on and off the racetrack. “Only a man with a heart of stone could withstand temptation like this” was what the inaugural Sting Ray advertising. How true.

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The Corvette, which was offered both as coupe and convertible version, saw a near-50-50 production: 10,594 units were coupes, and 10,919 convertibles. For a total of 21,513 units made, the sales figure was up 50 percent from the 1962's version.

7 Unique Split Window Design

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The Corvette Coupe had something unique that no other Corvettes would share — its unique split rear window design. Surprisingly, many split-window coupes were modified by customizers, who would replace the two stock windows with a one-piece window made of plexiglass.

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What's even crazier about this, is that Chevy began to offer, as a replacement, one-piece windows through its dealerships. As a result, several 1963 Corvette coupes lost a considerable amount of their future collectible value. In fact, what makes these gorgeous cars highly collectible today, is actually their rare and fancy "split-window."

Related: These Are The Most-Produced Sports Cars Of All Time

6 Convertible

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Gear-heads have always felt like pilots behind the wheel of their sports cars. And this is exactly how it feels to sit in a 2-seater coupe. But since the very beginning of the automobile industry, rolling the roof back has always granted a wonderful and higher-end drive experience.

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The convertible option came in two different variants. The first one was the classic soft-top, that could be rolled and stored in the back. The second option was that of the removable hardtop. This particular model is the gorgeous car that belonged to Harley Earl, a GM designer.

5 An Iconic 2-Seater

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Let's check out some of the design traits that made the C2 so great. Let's start off with the chrome parts, which are sober but they well-highlight the front of the car, the sides, and the windows. The C2 boasted hideaway headlights long before they would become a late '70s/early '80s must-have feature.

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The rear of the car is one-of-a-kind. Particularly for its split window design, but also for that unique sort of "boat tail" it has. The muscular look is slightly accentuated by the rear wheel arches, the rear lights, well encapsulated in chrome frames, look like those of an aircraft, and the bumper, which recalls the style of the front one, gives the car a balanced but sharp look.

4 The Options

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The optional equipment installations for the 1963 Corvette definitely reflected the consumers’ higher expectations of what they wanted in a sports car. Corvettes were ordered with power brakes and power steering – both of which were features that were absent in the earlier Corvette. Also, power windows, a 36-gallon fuel tank (coupe only), and AM/FM Radio were also available as optional extras.

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Items such as air conditioning and leather upholstery were only ordered on a few hundred units. However, almost 18,000 of the 1963 Sting Rays came with a manual four-speed gearbox, which equated to about 4 out of every 5 Corvettes built that year. Although there were some interesting amenities offered by Chevrolet, serious drivers would prefer spartan interiors and features coupled with the maximum power available.

Related: Collectors Pay A Fortune For These Classic Chevrolet Muscle Cars

3 The Power

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The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette came equipped with a 327 cu in engine, a 5.4-liter V8 made 250hp standard, with optional variants that made 300hp, 340hp, and 360hp. The most powerful engine was the Rochester fuel-injected engine, which produced 360hp.

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Chevy's small-block V8 has been rated as the most consistent and well-made component of classic Corvettes. The 1963-year model was noted to have an edge over past models in both traction and handling because the new independent rear suspension reduced wheel spin compared to the live-axle cars. The 4-speed fuel injected version could do the 0–60 mph sprint in 5.8 seconds and managed a 14.5-second standing quarter-mile at 102 mph.

2 Fuel Injected V8

Corvette fuel injection logo
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Unlike carburetors, a fuel injection system is composed of a complex set of electronics and sensors. In carbureted systems, the fuel gets drawn from the tank, while in a fuel injected system it uses a fuel pump installed inside the tank for a fine-tuned control over fuel flow.

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It is true that carburetors' systems can be precise and easy to maintain, but without any doubts, fuel injection marked the way to fuel the engine of the future. In fact, they are more accurate and could grant an increase of 10-20hp to the engine.

1 The Z06

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This is what performance-addicted drivers would aim to buy. The Z06 was the best-performing 1963 C2, and this package was what turned the Stingray into a successful race car. It included top-line Al-Fin power brakes with sintered metallic brake linings, a heavy-duty front stabilizer bar, stronger shocks, much stiffer springs, a dual master cylinder, and a long-distance 36.5-gallon fuel tank.

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The Z06 was produced in 63 units only. Overall, the 1963 Sting Ray was not only a commercial success but was welcomed by the automotive press as one of the best Corvettes of all time. And this 360hp "Tanker" - as 36-gallon tank Corvettes were labelled - made this already stunning car, a real pearl for collectors and drivers.

Next: These Classic Muscle Cars Had Some Incredible Luxury Features