1963 Corvette Sting Ray: Biography of a Sports Car

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1963 Corvette Sting RaysHere’s a rare 1963 General Motors film showcasing the design and development of the all-new Corvette Sting Ray—includes a look inside the GM Technical Center and a visit with Mr. Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov. Enjoy!

 

 

Thanks to the King Rose Archives, here’s an exceptionally clean, bright copy of a rare General Motors film, Biography of a Sports Car, originally produced back in 1963 to showcase the development of the brand new Corvette Sting Ray. At 19 minutes, this film-to-video is a little long for Internet attention spans, possibly, but the content makes it more than worth the time.

Indeed, there’s a ton of wonderful stuff here for your viewing pleasure, including:

+   The construction of a prototype fiberglass coupe body with internal steel birdcage.

+   Fabrication of the experimental four-wheel independent Sting Ray chassis and integration with the body assembly.

+   Priceless in-period views of the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan and the GM Proving Ground in nearby Milford, Michigan.

+   A final segment featuring the father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov (note the distinctive accent) speaking with star Corvette road racers Dr. Dick Thompson and Dave MacDonald, and footage of the two drivers on the track with a Sting Ray convertible and coupe.

And much, much more, as they say. Here’s an excellent look inside the history of the Chevrolet Corvette. Please enjoy.

 

3 thoughts on “1963 Corvette Sting Ray: Biography of a Sports Car”

  2. Great film! I seen something similar on the old Speed Channel a few years back that showed the construction of the coupe. Great to actually hear Mr Duntov speak, would have loved to have met him. I always wanted a Corvette since I was a small boy, finally was able to purchase a 84, then an 86 a couple of years later after they had went down in price. The 86 is a great car except for all the electronic garbage that goes bad with age. I’m thinking I may just convert it all back to old school carbs and analog gauges so I can enjoy it again.

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