Why is the 1963 split-window Corvette so valuable?

No other Corvette detail drives a premium quite like the 1963 split rear window. The reason is simple scarcity tied to an unmistakable look.

A one-year-only design

The split window was a styling signature of Bill Mitchell's first Sting Ray coupe. Chevrolet's chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov argued it hurt rear visibility, and he won the argument. For 1964 the coupe switched to a single-piece rear glass, and it never came back.

What it means for value

• 1963 is the only year you can buy the split-window coupe, so the body and the year are locked together.
• Original fuel-injected 327 cars and documented Z06 examples sit at the very top, with only 199 Z06 cars built.
• Many split-window cars were converted to single-glass in period because owners disliked the blind spot, which makes an unmolested original rarer still.

Buyer's note

Confirm the rear window structure is original and not a reproduction conversion, and verify the engine against the casting and stamping codes before you pay split-window money.