History of the Sting Ray - do YOU know?

[VETDAWG]

i have a 13-year old future owner (we'll see) and we've "discussed" quite a bit about the Sting Ray and/or Stingray name. It looks like it showed up in about 58 as a "nickname" sorta thing, went till 68 or so, disappeared for a year, then came back for awhile- um - well, if you actually KNOW (which i don't) can you please help me out here? thanks - whoops, i gotta downshift for this next hairpin...

 

[Mac]

I'm not sure who came up with the name originally but the first Stingray was a concept car.


-Mac

1959 Corvette Stingray


The Corvette Stingray was built in 1959 to explore the limits of handling and performance of the future Chevrolet Corvettes. This Experimental concept car was designed and built in 1959 by then vice president of General Motors Styling, William L. Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell designed this unique thin shelled, fibreglass body for the minimum racing weight possible. The vehicle has an advanced multi-tubular chassis with de Dion rear suspension and inboard rear brakes. Powered by a fuel injected, high performance Chevrolet V-8 engine, this vehicle was campaigned as an independent on the sports car club circuit in 1959 and 1960. After its racing days were complete, the vehicle was retired and is now part of the vintage concept car collection, owned and cared for by the General Motors Design Center.

 

[67HEAVEN]

The '63 sting ray design was based on Bill Mitchell's Stingray Racer.



Corvette Stingray Racer The Stingray was adapted from the Corvette SS and designed by Bill Mitchell in 1959. After it won an SCCA Championship in 1960, Bill Mitchell modified the Stingray, added a passenger seat, and exhibited it as an experimental show car. Billed as a car “built to test handling ease and performance,” the Stingray featured a 92-inch wheelbase and was nearly 1,000 lbs. lighter than a ’60 production car. It’s fuel-injected 283 cubic-inch V8 engine produced 315 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. The Stingray’s body style would influence the design of the next generation Corvette in 1963.

P.S. I've driven this car and it's amazing.

 

[wishuwerehere82]

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/history/shinoda1.html
Larry Shinoda took the form of Bill Mitchell's concept car the Stingray racer and designed the 1963 Corvette Stingray. Truely one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

 

[67HEAVEN]

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/history/shinoda1.html
Larry Shinoda took the form of Bill Mitchell's concept car the Stingray racer and designed the 1963 Corvette Stingray. Truely one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

By the way, the author of that Larry Shinoda story is Wayne Ellwood, from Ottawa, Ontario. Wayne was in Carlisle last weekend.

Just another Canadian Connection.

 

[Mac]

I didn't realize Wayne was a Canuck! Cool!!

-Mac

 

[paul67]

Wayne is a long-time member of the Capital Corvette Club. As am I. It's a small world.

For several years he produced the "Shark Quarterly", a publication dedicated to C3 Corvettes.

http://www.capitalcorvetteclub.ca/

 

[Paranoid]

Have any more pictures?

 

[67HEAVEN]

Got some around here somewhere, Len, but first, what are you paranoid about?

 

[ZRGator]

Got some around here somewhere, Len, but first, what are you paranoid about?

Well, you just gotta remember one of my favorite sayings...."It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you!"

 

[JohnGrawcock]

Well, you just gotta remember one of my favorite sayings...."It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you!"

My favorite is: "Just because your paranoid, it doesn't mean that no one is out to get you."

 

[JohnGrawcock]

i have a 13-year old future owner (we'll see) and we've "discussed" quite a bit about the Sting Ray and/or Stingray name. It looks like it showed up in about 58 as a "nickname" sorta thing, went till 68 or so, disappeared for a year, then came back for awhile- um - well, if you actually KNOW (which i don't) can you please help me out here? thanks - whoops, i gotta downshift for this next hairpin...

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong here, but I seem to remember reading that the concept of a car resembled a stringray shark originated when Mitchell incountered the actual sharks while on vacation. He was impressed with the anaimals and wanted to create a car in their image. I may have read this in the NCM. I'm not sure.