The Corvette is currently in its eighth, and arguably its most controversial, generation, given that it's now electrified, turbocharged, all-wheel drive, and mid-engine -- the original recipe has almost all but disappeared. That's not necessarily a bad thing for more progressive enthusiasts, as the C8 is also the fastest Corvette ever made, but for those who favor a more traditional approach, they would likely prefer to spend their money on something a little older.
There is no shortage of past Corvette
models to splash cash on, although one of the most iconic and beloved is the split-window Corvette. This sweet-looking coupe hails from the second or C2 generation of 'Vette, and more specifically, model year 1963. While the C2 generation spanned multiple years, from 1963 through to 1967, only the 1963 cars came with the now hugely sought-after split rear window. While desirable today, the design wasn't well-received when new, and so it was dropped after just 10,594 were produced. This small production run means that prices are now sky-high for surviving examples.
According to Classic.com -- a site that gathers sale and auction data from over the last five years -- the average price achieved for a 1963 Corvette is $166,403. While this gives us an indication, it also includes convertibles, and so we must look elsewhere for an accurate figure on split-window models alone. Hagerty can help us out here, providing average values for split-window coupes. The cheapest comes in at $126,000 in good condition, although it's possible to spend much more than this on very well-preserved or restored examples with more powerful and rarer engines equipped.
Read more: 8 Enthusiast Cars That Are Absurdly Overrated
It's Possible To Spend Over A Million Dollars On A Split-Window Corvette
To be specific, Hagerty pegs an L30-powered split-window Corvette at $126,000. The L30 is a 327ci V8, which kicks out 250 horsepower. Other options with more power command significantly higher values than this, and especially so when in remarkable condition too.
For example, an L75 '63 C2 manages 300 horsepower, whereas an L76-powered example pushes out 340 horses. In good condition, these are worth $140,000 and $159,000 respectively, with those in concours condition fetching $237,000 and $259,000. This is already quite pricey, and enough to place a 2025 Corvette ZR1 in the drive and still leave $75,000 in the bank, but split-window Corvette models have the potential to secure figures well north of this still.
One of the rarest iterations of Corvette is the 'big-tank' Z06 split-window. Only 63 of these were ever made -- fitting for a '63 Corvette -- and Hagerty places a $840,000 valuation on those in perfect condition. Thanks to a 327ci L84 engine, these performance-prioritizing models kicked out 360 horsepower and sit among the most desirable Corvettes ever made. Truly special examples have been known to eclipse even that figure, though, with one '63 Z06 managing to fetch $1.24 million at auction in 2022. Collectors clearly love spending when it comes to split-window Corvettes, but perhaps none more so than Bring A Trailer user "DDSEOE", who has spent a whopping $5.26M on buying 26 split-window Corvettes through the platform since 2021.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
