The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

[Michael J.]

This one would be very difficult to judge I think, or maybe not? I do wonder how you would ever get it titled and registered in the US, except for a museum display.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/01/15/earliest-known-sting-ray-corvette-comes-up-for-sale/?refer=news

[Rick A.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

Yepper, owned by Chris Howard in "olde" England. Think it is/has been known as pilot line #23. Believe it was "judged" by NCRS back in the day????? Know that is was a VERY pain-staking restoration process that many of the "olde farts" on this TDB were part of, and / or provided expertise to Chris and the folks helping him restore the car.

[Donald T.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

Didn't the pilot cars have 2 bar knock offs? Looks like it is pictured with the later production 3 bar spinners.

[Michael J.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

I think you're right, but very little of the car is as it was "delivered" it seems.

[Rick A.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

Am hoping Jim Gessner sees this posting as he knows quite a bit of the history of this car.

[Rich G.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

Does it have a "standard" VIN ending in 23? If not, what does "pilot line 23 " mean?

[Loren L.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

Sorry, but a lot of what has been previously stated has been created from "thin air". Ask first where the "May 62" date comes from? The reference to Chuck Jordan comes from an inquiry I made of Mr Jordan, who denied any direct knowledge of the car, while noting that he was "GM Styling, not Chevrolet Styling or Engineering" while allowing that either Chevrolet Styling or Engineering could have been the source. The SO # has been referred to as for the "London Show Car" in the records, but something occurred so that did not happen.
The details of the car were and remain, a mystery.

[Steven B.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

I recall something written about this car the past few years but can't remember the details of the story or where I read the story. Anyone remember seeing such a story?

[Erik S.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

We have been looking at this car numerous times, and it was also judged during the 2006 NCRS UK/Dutch Chapter event at Lemans France. With all the anomalies it was difficult to have top flight ;-)

I must have detailled pictures somewhere, also from VIN tag.

Have a look here for some generic pics of the event. http://www.ncrs.nl/index.php?job=act...mages&act_id=8
Jack Humphrey has the best knowledge probably

.

[Dan A.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

I do not understand the title of "The Earliest 1963 Split Window Coupe... maybe VIN #23, body #13 and was a GM Styling show car shop order # S.O. 10271 which was spared from the crusher by never returning to the United States after its tour of duty in Europe. Click here to read more on this historically important Corvette"

#3 was found in California through a VIN search in 1975 by an engineer and
purchased for $1450.00.

#20, a coupe was owned by a friend of the buyer of #3 in California.

Due to the VIN seach the CHP came knocking on the engineers door as #11 had just been
stolen.

See "CORVETTE THE SENSUOUS AMERICAN" volume 1984-2 for the rest of the above story.

I believe Jerry Bramlett, no longer a poster on the NCRS National Discussion Board (unfortunately), and Michael Hanson who was a frequent poster, have been following 1963 pilot cars. Others, who do not come to mind at this
time also have info on '63 pilot cars. I wonder what their thoughts are.

[Rob M.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

I believe the story of this car is as follow: it was made earlier than the pilot cars (1 - 25) by GM Styling under an SO number, the fiber was hand laid (I've personally seen copies of the original SO documentation for this car, in GM AIM style). It received later in life frame #13 and VIN number #23 during the pilot phase of the 63 model year.

I was in the lucky position to judged the interior of this car at LeMans 2006 personally (which was very difficult due to the nature of this car) and all deviations I found on the car looked extremely authentic and as delivered by the GM styling department. Many special, hand made features, like the heavily chromed door jambs (see pic #1), a special ring at where the steering column enters the dash, one piece brass and chromed rear window moldings (see pic #2 and #3), etc., etc. Also the fiber glass body was hand laid (visible from the under/inside of the car) and the Corvette Sting Ray logo positioning on the rear of the car was experimented by the styling division (shown by the different holes positions which were filled up).

Also I've seen copies of the original drawings (again in GM AIM style, on huge drawings (A0 or B0)) of the experimental power seats (with two cylinders under each of the seats), the reason why the extra clearance is in the car body under the seats (so these were not meant for a never implemented toolbox compartment as widely believed).

The seller had tons of evidence for lots of the stuff special on this car.

He has the correct, 2 bar spinners for the car, but at the time the car was photographed he didn't posses them yet (he found an original set later).

034_IMG_0039.jpg DSC01863.jpg IMG_0912.jpg

[Dan A.]

Re: The earliest known Sting Ray up for sale

VIN #3, a convertible has some hand laid panels and the frame did not havea vin #.

I wonder what the story is behind the frame change of #23.