1963–1964: Restyled along lines laid down by design boss Bill Mitchell’s 1959 race carand re-engineered to be the first Corvette that Duntov wouldn’t be ashamed to drivein Europe, the Sting Ray arrives for ’63 with hidden headlamps the famed “split-window”fastback that lasts for only one model year. It is smaller, has an independent rearsuspension with a single transverse leaf spring, and offers electronic ignition. The Z06Special Performance Equipment option is introduced on the 1963 Sting Ray (199 built),and the Corvette Grand Sport program builds five lightweight, race-ready cars, allsold to racing privateers.

1965: The big block V-8 arrives in the form of Chevy’s 396-cubic-inch “L78” engine.Four-wheel disc brakes become standard, and fuel injection disappears until 1982’sthrottle-body injection.

1966: The big block grows to 427 cubes. Originally listed at 450 horsepower in Chevyliterature, numbers for the solid lifter beast were revised to 425 after introduction. Thisis solely an administrative decision, and no changes to the engine were made. Backuplamps and Holley carbs (previously available only on certain models) were madestandard.

1967: The C2’s swan song, the 1967 model introduces the legendary L88 cast-ironbig-block engine. GM rates it at 430 hp, but it routinely tops 500 hp in independenttesting. Aluminum cylinder heads became an option for the L71 engine, and a dual-master-cylinder braking system becomes standard.