1963 Daytona Blue Corvette Split Window, Factory AC, Build Sheet, Duntov Award

1963 Daytona Blue Corvette Split Window Coupe
Spectacular, frame-off restoration!
Daytona Blue w/Dk. Blue interior, 327/300hp, Powerglide automatic transmission.
Very rare (only 278) factory air conditioning
N.C.R.S. Zora Arkus-Duntov Mark of Excellence Award winner!
Super rare Dealer Invoice!
Back when Chevy finally decided to drop a V8 between the fenders of a Corvette in ’55, it was pretty much all about how much horsepower could be squeezed out of that small block! Then in ’65 things changed drastically again with the introduction of the big block 396, and then the 427, 454 and so on. More power! More performance! . . . However, there was a portion of Corvette buyer who really wasn’t that concerned with 0-60 times and lbs./ft of torque. They were more interested in just cruising with the radio blasting and the air conditioning blowing! Did we say air conditioning? Well, yes, we did! Because starting in ’63, you could order your brand new Corvette with A-C! Even though factory a-c had been offered for years in full-size cars, it was never available in Corvette. Probably because adding it didn’t make the car go any faster. But, tastes were changing. And having the freedom of choice to “build” your car exactly the way you wanted was becoming just as important to a Corvette buyer as a Cadillac buyer. So, in ’63 a-c was added to the list of comfort and convenience items such as power brakes, power steering, power windows, and even your choice of am or AM/FM radio! You could order you Corvette wild! Or slightly on the mild side with a degree of comfort not previously offered in an American Sports Car. But however way you decided to go, Corvette was always a blast to drive! Which leads us to this absolutely spectacular example . . .
Whoever ordered this Split Window Coupe from the St. Louis factory back in the day was more concerned with comfort than all-out, tire melting performance. Because he checked just about every box that had anything to do with the ease of driving it. First on the list was the optional 327/300hp engine mated up to a Powerglide automatic transmission. Then, of course, the aforementioned (and very rare with only 278 units built) air conditioning, Followed by power brakes, power steering, power windows, tinted glass, am/fm radio, and whitewall tires. The car has been meticulously and correctly frame-off restored with no expense spared! Its Daytona Blue exterior gleams in the sun! And it’s just as great a driver! And the icing is that this car is an N.C.R.S. Zora Arkus-Duntov Mark of Excellence Award winner! It even has a copy of the very rare Dealer Invoice! This was the ultimate Corvette cruiser back in ’63. The performance was there, but you got it along with a high degree of comfort! That’s what Corvette was slowly becoming and has remained to this day!