1963 split window Corvette Coupe. Photos from www.hemming.com

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe was the first in a long line of Corvette Sting Rays. Its timeless design makes it as appealing today as the day that it was brought to the market. This beautifully designed car is recognizable by almost everyone that ever wanted to drive a car.

Not only was the design flawless, but the handling was superb for the time. Sporting an independent suspension, the lighter weight Sting Ray boasted a power to weight ratio that improved the performance despite the same horsepower performance as the previous year.

While the production numbers were up by 50 percent over the previous year, the production number of coupes and convertibles were fairly equal. For our top spot in the top five list, we are only considering the Coupe.

All of the 1963 models were equipped with the 327ci V8 that was rated at 250-horsepower as the standard powerplant. Engine options included a 300-horsepower version, a 340-horsepower variant and the L84 327ci 360-horsepower model that was equipped with the Rochester fuel injection system.

Initially these Corvette Coupes were produced with 36.5-gallon fuel tanks as opposed to the standard 20-gallon tanks that were used in racing. Chevrolet created six of these specifically for racing in the LeMans race.

Also new for the 1963 Corvettes was the new breakers Deltronic electronic ignition. Power brakes and power steering were options that went into less than 15-percent of the Corvettes that were manufactured. The 4-speed manual transmission was an overwhelming favorite with consumers with four out of every five cars leaving the factory with the 4-speed.