Fake Vents Galore 

Bill Mitchell’s stingray inspiration was thoroughgoing on the 1963 Corvette and extended well beyond just the name and the split window “spine.” The second-gen Corvette also got gills on the side panels and C-pillar, all of which ended up being fake. That even extends to the large vents on the ’63 Corvette’s hood. Duntov had wanted those vents to be functional. The Corvette’s new design tended to lift off when running at high speed and Duntov intended the hood vents to alleviate that upward pressure. Though they might have been nice for the Z06 racing version, the vents were deemed impractical for everyday use (letting inrainwater to the engine bay, for instance) and thus became merely ornamental.  

The Porsche 911 (pronounced Nine Eleven or in German: Neunelf)

Don’t be shy say hey to me 🤭🥰

@hossenbaccus

1968 Plymouth Sport Satellite

Iconic Split Window One Year Only  

You’ll find “one year only” is a recurring theme when it comes to the 1963 Corvette. The car’s iconic split window design is another feature that did not survive its initial year of production. The origin of the split window design is credited to GM’s exec Bill Mitchell and stylist David Holls. Mitchell was enamored of the shapes of fish and so imbued the new Corvette with fins, gills, and slipstream smooth body panels. The ’63 Corvette’s fishy finishing touch, a spine-like centerline running the length of the car and splitting the rear window, was also inspired by European-style split window designs like those of the ’37 German Alder Trumpf Rennlimousine and the Bugatti 57SC Atlantic.  

The Corvette’s split window was certainly high fashion, but it was also not entirely safe or practical as it severely restricted rearward visibility. Duntov had disliked the design from the start and argued for its elimination. He got his wish as the 1964 and subsequent models dropped the split window. That the split window design lasted only one year makes the ’63 Corvette especially collectable today. The fact that dealers sometimes cut out the split window and traded it for a full pane of glass at a buyer’s request only adds to their rarity. 

Porsche Cayman GT4 RS