Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

This is the Chevrolet Corvette C2 produced by GM from 1963 to 1967. It is one of the true classics of American cars in 1963, and shows another fine piece of judgement by the range builders at Corgi to choose this one - not only a fantastic choice of car but the features - retracting headlamps, vacuum plated plastic detailing and golf clubs visible in the back! Look closely at those clubs - they must be for a small child! However when I met the real car at the Classic Car Show (NEC, 2006) I made it my business to find out if you really could fit a set of clubs in there - you can. The back does not open and that 'boot' area is one big open void inside the car, it was just empty behind the seats.

Corgi first released the Corvette Stingray in 1963. There was a later stock-car re-release of this casting under a new model number in yellow which was re-released again in metallic blue with Whizzwheels.

310 Corvette Stingray

You will find the original release Corvette in copper, metallic silver and metallic red, the wheels can be spun hubs or wires. Values are always high but the copper coloured car is the one to look for. It was launched in 1963 and remained in the range until 1967

337 Stock Car

Was this model a portent - a sign of the dumbing-down to come? Taking a fine model from a few years previously, removing features and adding garish colour? In this case it's OK, but subsequent attempts with the Marcos for example, were not. The No.337 Stock Car version of the C2 Corvette was released in July 1967 and deleted in 1969.

376 Stock Car; WhizzWheels

This is a 1963 Corvette Stingray.  In 1970 it is a new model in the Corgi range where it remains for another two years. The casting was first released in 1963 when it was a finely engineered model of the car with the new feature of pop-up lights and vacuum plated detail. In 1967 it was re-released as a stock car with the pop-up lights removed, add-on exhaust pipes on the sides and a chunk of engine poking out of the bonnet, and covered in decals. To me it was a dumbed-down model that time round, here it is being worked over yet again and given Whizzwheels. Enough said. The car is found in metallic silver or blue it was introduced in September 1970 and deleted in 1972.