The 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe stands alone in Corvette history—a one-year-only design decision so bold, so controversial, that it instantly became legend. In a single model year, Chevrolet introduced the all-new second-generation Corvette and, just as quickly, walked away from its most dramatic styling feature: the split rear window. For today’s market feature, CorvSport kept the lens “pure,” eliminating customs and restomods to focus strictly on authentic, factory-correct Split Window Coupes. What remains is a story of rarity, ambition, and a design that dared to put form over function—only to be cancelled almost as soon as the public laid eyes on it.
A Radical Break From The C1, And The Birth Of The Spine
1963 was not just a redesign—it was a revolution. The C2 Sting Ray marked the first clean-sheet Corvette since the original, carrying over only its engine while everything beneath and above it changed. Zora Arkus-Duntov engineered an entirely new chassis, featuring a fully independent rear suspension that transformed ride quality, traction, and stability. Weight distribution shifted to a more balanced 48/52 percent, a meaningful improvement over the C1’s 53/47 split. Shorter wheelbase, revised track, and modern suspension geometry signaled that the Corvette was no longer just America’s sports car—it was a world-class one. And visually, it arrived with a statement down the middle.
What Were They Thinking? Form Over Function Takes Center Stage
That statement—the now-iconic rear window spine—was the brainchild of Bill Mitchell, General Motors’ Vice President of Design, and his young prodigy, Peter Brock. At just 19 years old and still a student at ArtCenter, Brock sketched the foundation of what would become the Sting Ray in November 1957. Influenced by European exotics like the Bugatti 57SC Atlantique and experimental concepts such as Harley Earl’s Golden Rocket, Mitchell insisted on a spine motif that ran through the car—right through the rear glass. Larry Shinoda helped translate those ideas into clay and metal, refining the shape into something dramatic, muscular, and unforgettable. But while the coupe created a sensation, the split window itself quickly became a lightning rod for criticism.
Praise, Pushback, And A Design Error That Made History
The complaints were loud and immediate. Poor rear visibility wasn’t just inconvenient—it was seen as unsafe. Some dealers even replaced split windows with single-pane glass at customer request. Zora Arkus-Duntov strongly opposed the design from the start, valuing function over visual drama, and within a year, he won the argument. When the 1964 coupe arrived, the split was gone. Ironically, that cancellation transformed the 1963 coupe into instant mythology. With Chevrolet producing just 21,513 Sting Rays total for the model year—and only a portion of those being coupes—the Split Window became a one-year unicorn. Demand was so strong in 1963 that Chevrolet added an extra shift at the St. Louis plant, yet the design still didn’t survive past its debut.
From Controversy To Crown Jewel, And Today’s Market Reckoning
What was once criticized is now revered. The same spine that blocked rearward vision has come to define one of the most collectible Corvettes ever built—a design so influential it later echoed in the modern C8 ZR1. The Sting Ray name itself carried weight, used only during the C2 years before becoming one word, then re-emerging decades later to mark another generational leap. Today, six decades after its one-year stand, the 1963 Split Window Coupe has become a benchmark for rarity, originality, and historical significance. That brings us to 2025, where the collector market has spoken loudly. After surveying the world’s top auction stages—Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, and Bring a Trailer—we now reveal the seven highest Split Window sales of the year, each one a testament to a design mistake that became an icon.
The Top 7 Split Window Sales From 2025
7 — 1963 327/360hp Fuelie Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $286,000
Highlights:
- Numbers matching original fuel-injected 327/360 HP V-8 engine, 4-speed transmission, and rear end
- Sebring Silver with Tuxedo Black interior
- Factory original body/trim tag
- Body-off restoration with only break-in miles since completion
- In the care of the same owner for 30 years until 2016
- CCAS/Grenning affirmation of engine block, stamp pad and engine stamp
- This Corvette has yet to be shown, creating an exciting opportunity for the next owner to exhibit the car and compete for trophies, awards and recognition
- Documented with the NCRS/GM shipping data report, CCAS/Grenning engine stamp affirmation, inspection report from Pancho Thompson of ProVette dated November 2016, owner’s manual packet, warranty book, sales brochure, registrations, old titles, restoration photos and receipts, owner history back to 1967 via research by Bill Gould/Auto Ancestry
- Production date of August 5, 1963, and sold new by Dement-Mollison Chevrolet of Birmingham, Alabama, dealer code 88 in zone 31
- Late production car built on the 3rd day prior to the last 1963 Corvette produced
Venue & Date: Mecum Indy, May 2025
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6 — 1963 327/360hp Fuelie Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $286,000
Details:
“This 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 Split-Window “Fuelie” coupe previously received a meticulous body-off restoration and is powered by its matching-numbers 327/360hp fuel-injected engine linked to a T10 4-speed manual transmission. This detailed and correct car has been refinished in its correct factory 923-code Riverside Red color, along with a matching red interior that features an AM radio.”
Venue & Date: Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, January 2025
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5 — 1963 327/340hp Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $330,000
Highlights:
- Recent restoration with an estimated $130,000 invested
- 327/340 HP V-8 engine
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Positraction rear end
- Power steering
- Aluminum knock-off wheels
Venue & Date: Mecum Houston, April 2025
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4 — 1963 L76 Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $356,000
Highlights:
- 28k Miles Shown
- 327ci L76 V8
- Four-Speed Manual Transmission
- Positraction Differential
- Tuxedo Black Paint with Black Vinyl Upholstery
- Kelsey Hayes 15″ Two-Bar Knock-Off Wheels
- 2018 Duntov Mark of Excellence
- NCRS Awards & Shipping Data Report
- CCAS Certificates
Venue & Date: Bring a Trailer, March 2025
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3 — 1963 Z06/N03 Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $418,000
Highlights:
- 1 of 63 N03 Tanker coupes and 1 of 199 Z06 Corvettes produced in 1963
- L84 fuel-injected 327/360 HP V-8 engine
- M20 4-speed transmission
- G81 4.11 Positraction rear end
- Z06 Special Performance equipment option with special heavy-duty metallic power brakes with cooling fans and dual circuit master cylinder, special heavy-duty suspension, shocks, springs and sway bar
- N03 36.5-gallon fuel tank
- Very rare P48 cast aluminum Kelsey-Hayes knock-off wheels
Venue & Date: Mecum Dallas/Fort Worth, November 2025
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2 — 1963 Z06/N03 Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $489,500
Highlights:
- 1 of 63 N03 Tanker coupes and 1 of 199 Z06 Corvettes produced in 1963
- Numbers-matching fuel-injected 327/360 HP engine, M20 4-speed transmission 3.36 Positraction rear end
- Z06 Special Performance equipment option with special heavy duty metallic power brakes with cooling fans and dual circuit master cylinder, special heavy duty suspension, shocks, springs, sway bar
- N03-36 gallon fuel tank
- Riverside Red paint with Tuxedo Black interior
- Factory original body/trim tag with a CCAS/Grenning affirmation
- Less than 200 miles since personal 5-year meticulous restoration by Andy “Mr. 63” Cannizzo to exacting standards primarily utilizing NOS parts, resulting in a plethora of awards over a five year period:
- NCRS Regional Top Flight September 8, 2012, Monmouth County Concours d’Elegance, Best Post War Car October 6, 2012, AACA First Junior Award and nominated for National Award October 13, 2013, Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Best GM Performance Car June 1, 2013, Corvettes at Carlisle Z06 Display, Chips Choice August 24, 2013, Saratoga New York Concours d’Elegance, Best in Class September 29, 2013, AACA First Senior Award and nominated for National Award October 12, 2013, Bloomington Gold Certified June 28, 2014, French Lick Indiana Concours d’Elegance, Best in Class October 5, 2014, Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, Best in Class November 2, 2014, Amelia, Island Concours d’Elegance, Best American Post War February 2015, Pinehurst North Carolina Concours d’Elegance, Best in Class 2015, Beach Bums Corvette Show on Long Island, New York, First and Class and Best in Show July 7, 2016, AACA First Grand National Award in Pennsylvania in 2016
Bloomington Gold Special Collection in Charlotte, North Carolina in October 2017 - Editorialized in September 2016 Corvette Magazine and November 2014 Muscle Machines
- Documented with the Z06 Tank Registry, CCAS/Grenning Trim Tag affirmation, owner’s manual packet, Jeff Reade of American Motoring Memories (Culver City, California) mechanical receipts, copy of previous owner title showing theft recovery, Corvette Magazine and Muscle Machines magazine, Shipping Data Report showing delivery by BF Chevrolet in Commack, New York and a 3-ring binder
- Production date of April 30th, 1963 and delivered new by B.F. Chevrolet in Commack, NY (dealer code 18 in zone 27) per the official NCRS/GM Shipping Data Report
Venue & Date: Mecum Kissimmee, January 2025
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1 — 1963 Z06/N03 Split Window Coupe
Hammer Price: $511,500
Highlights:
- NCRS Top Flight award
- Professional Naber Bros Restoration completed in 2015
- 1 of 63 produced with N03 36-gallon fuel tank
- Z06 special heavy-duty brakes and suspension
- Original matching numbers 327/360 HP engine
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Sintered metallic power brakes with dual master cylinder and finned drums
- Finished in correct Sebring Silver with Black interior
Venue & Date: Mecum Kissimmee, January 2025
Click here for the full listing
The CorvSport Takeaway begins where this story has always lived—at the intersection of bold design, unintended consequence, and long-term collectibility. The 1963 Split Window Coupe was never meant to be rare; it became rare because Chevrolet listened, reacted, and corrected course after just one year. That single decision froze the Split Window in time, and six decades later, the collector market continues to reward originality, documentation, and the courage it took to build something so visually polarizing. The 2025 results confirm what seasoned Corvette watchers already know: this isn’t nostalgia driving values—it’s historical gravity.
The Market Has Spoken, And Mecum Owned The Spotlight
The bright lights of the Mecum big tents dominated this year’s results, capturing five of the top seven sales and reinforcing its role as the epicenter for elite, no-excuses collector Corvettes. Barrett-Jackson, the undisputed king of no-reserve auctions, placed just one Split Window in the Top 7—and notably, its most significant Split Window results leaned toward custom examples, not the factory-pure cars that now command the highest respect. The takeaway is clear: the market is rewarding authenticity. As buyers become more educated, factory-correct Split Window Coupes—especially those with rare performance options—are separating themselves from the rest of the field.
When Z06 And N03 Enter The Conversation, Prices Escalate
If there was a defining trend in 2025, it was the dominance of Z06/N03 “Tanker” coupes at the top of the market. Three of the four highest sales carried the ultra-rare Z06 Special Performance Package paired with the massive N03 fuel tank, with hammer prices cresting past the half-million-dollar mark. These cars weren’t just expensive—they were exceptional, combining fuel-injected power, heavy-duty brakes and suspension, and documented production rarity that borders on mythical. Awards like NCRS Top Flight, Bloomington Gold Certification, Duntov Marks of Excellence, and CCAS/Grenning affirmations weren’t just footnotes; they were value multipliers, reinforcing that the most money follows the most correct cars.
Would Zora Smile At This Outcome?
It’s hard not to wonder what Zora Arkus-Duntov would think today. He opposed the split window, fought for function over flair, and yet here we are—celebrating a design “mistake” that became one of the most coveted Corvettes ever built. Perhaps the irony would amuse him. These top seven sales finish the story that began in 1963: a car born from daring design, reshaped by controversy, and ultimately crowned by history. With Z06/N03 examples leading the charge, ironclad documentation commanding premiums, and demand showing no signs of cooling, the 1963 Split-Window Coupe isn’t peaking—it’s still climbing. The spine may have blocked the rear view, but for collectors, the road ahead has never looked clearer.
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