Everything is original — even the paint — in this 1963 Corvette owned by Butch Ward of Sidney.
SIDNEY — Butch Ward has owned three Corvettes: a 1960, 1962 and 1963 model. He doesn’t even hesitate when asked to pick his favorite.
“Definitely the ’63. No doubt about it,” he says.
One feature separates the 1963 model from other Corvettes is the boat-tail rear end that housed a split rear window. It was only available that one yearand was a source of controversy among the top brass at General Motors. There were those who loved its looks and stressed the need to make the design of the second-generation Corvette unique. Others lobbied against it, saying it wasn’t practical. They were concerned the split window was a hindrance to rear visibility.
Many people who purchased a 1963 Corvette bought kits that allowed them to change the split window to a singular one. That was enough for General Motors to ditch the split window after just one year. It also makes it more difficult to find a split rear window car such as Ward’s.
“It does hinder visibility in your back window. You need to be mindful of that, but boy, it’s sharp,” said Ward, a Sidney insurance man who had the car at the Western Buckeye Region Vintage Chevrolet Club of America car show in Lima.
Ward has owned the car for five years. He is only the second person to own it.
“It’s in excellent shape,” he pointed out. “Everything is original, even the paint. It has a 327 cubic-inch V8 300-horsepower engine.”
Ward’s Corvette also has three of the four options offered that year: power steering, power brakes and power windows. The only option it doesn’t have is air conditioning, which sold for $421. There are only 278 Corvettes known today with all four options, according to Motor Trend magazine.
