A six-figure car and then some
On rare occasions, “fishing for a great idea” leads to a legendary fish story. Such was the case with this “Red” gem. Inspired by the shape of the Mako Shark he reeled in on a deep-sea fishing trip, GM design Chief Bill Mitchell combined the style of his beloved Jaguar XKE and his trophy shark to conceive the very first Corvette Stingray in 1963.
This one, I saw while visiting my buddy Darrel Burnett, who runs the Automobile Gallery in Green Bay, is just one of 2610 fuel-injected, 4-speed, 360-horsepower Corvette Stingrays produced in 1963. Radical in design, it was the first American car since the 1942 DeSoto to feature hidden headlights. Doors were cut into the roof for easier entry and exit, and giving this car its historic split personality is a divided rear window unique to the ’63 Vette.
Red Lewis, who started the Automobile Gallery with many of his own cars before passing away in 2021, purchased this masterpiece from famed automobile dealer John Bergstrom with just 2,000 miles showing on the odometer. More than a quarter century later, the odometer reflects just 4,238 miles, making it perhaps the most valuable Split Window Corvette in existence.
RELATED Spot: What you get when you combine a Vette and Jeep Wrangler.
Adding to the rarity of this Split Window is its “double wing” knockoff wheels that were changed to a three-wing hub just two months into production in 1963.
Proving that even geniuses get it wrong sometimes, the father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, disliked the split window design so much that it disappeared after 1963, never to be seen again.
What is it worth now? If you can find one, according to Hagerty, one in Fair condition will go for just under $80,000, all the way up to $840,000 for one like this in Concours condition.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out the spot I found this week. Come back next Sunday for another one, along with some of its history. Have a fun rest of your weekend and a great week ahead.
Savage On Wheels 
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