1963 Chevrolet Corvette

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible — Numbers Matching 327/340hp, Muncie 4-Speed, NCRS Documented

Why This Car Is Special

The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette is one of the most significant years in the entire C2 generation, and that is not a casual statement. The C2 Sting Ray — introduced for 1963 after Chevrolet retired the first-generation C1 — represented a complete reinvention of the Corvette formula. Bill Mitchell and Larry Shinoda delivered a body design that drew directly from the 1959 Stingray racer and the XP-720 show car, giving the production Corvette its first truly purpose-built sports car architecture. The 1963 model year is also the only year the coupe received its famous split rear window, making it the most discussed single year of C2 production. The convertible, meanwhile, offered a lighter overall package and remains deeply desirable in its own right.

This particular 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is finished in Riverside Red with a matching red leather interior — one of the most requested color combinations of the era and a combination that photographs exactly as well in person as it does on screen. The car carries its original, numbers matching 327 cubic inch V8 engine rated at 340 horsepower, paired with the correct numbers matching Muncie 4-speed manual transmission. It has been NCRS documented, which means it has been evaluated against factory records and judged to meet the National Corvette Restorers Society's standards for correctness. For a buyer focused on authenticity and long-term value, NCRS documentation is one of the most meaningful credentials a vintage Corvette can carry.

The VIN on this car decodes to a 1963 Corvette convertible built at the St. Louis assembly plant, confirming the body style and model year. The sequence number places it within verified 1963 production, consistent with the NCRS documentation on file.

Features List

- Original numbers matching 327ci V8 engine, 340 horsepower
- Original numbers matching Muncie 4-speed manual transmission
- NCRS documented
- Riverside Red exterior
- Red leather interior
- Convertible body style
- New vintage-style air conditioning
- New electric power steering
- Stainless steel exhaust with dual outlets through the rear fascia
- New convertible top
- Knock-off turbine style wheels
- Radial redline tires
- Four wheel disc brakes
- Tachometer
- Chrome bumpers
- Hood vents


Mechanical

The 327 cubic inch small block V8 in this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette is the 340 horsepower version, which in 1963 was factory equipped with a Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and a more aggressive camshaft than the base 250hp unit. The 327 in its various states of tune was widely considered one of the best-balanced performance engines Chevrolet ever built — free-revving, responsive, and durable when properly maintained. The fact that both the engine and transmission carry matching numbers to the car is a significant detail. In the C2 Corvette market, matching numbers cars command a meaningful premium over those that have been re-engined, and NCRS documentation adds an independent layer of verification that casual claims cannot provide.

The Muncie 4-speed manual is the correct transmission pairing for this engine output level. Muncie transmissions were built in Muncie, Indiana and were the preferred close-ratio gearbox for performance Corvette applications throughout the 1960s. Rowing through the gears with an original Muncie is a tactile experience that owners of these cars consistently describe as one of the defining pleasures of driving a C2.

Modern drivability upgrades have been thoughtfully applied without compromising the car's authenticity where it matters most. A new vintage-style air conditioning system has been installed — this is a period-correct appearing unit that integrates under the dash without requiring major modifications to the firewall or dashboard. New electric power steering replaces the manual rack, which meaningfully reduces par