1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Tanker Is a 1-of-63 Split-Window Special

By Tony Markovich - August 23, 2016

tanker

The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette is already a gem of a collector’s item. As the only year with the rear split-window design, its value has grown and grown with each year that passes. But what some people might not realize is that there’s an even more rare version of this rare piece of American automotive history.

Of the split-windows, 199 of those were Z06 models. And of those 199 Z06s, 63 were fitted with the RPONo3 36-gallon fuel tank. Thus, the nickname “Tanker.”

The Z06 Tanker was nearly 50-percent more expensive than a regular Corvette, but the list of upgrades was huge. It had a fuel-injected L84 solid-lifter 327 small-block V8 that put out 360 horsepower. That was hooked up to a four-speed manual transmission, a positrac rear end, better brakes, and a much stiffer suspension.

The one you see here was restored in the ’80s and has been kept in storage ever since. It just went up for auction last weekend at Mecum, where it fetched $230K plus commission.