sharks
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
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From: Crossville TN
GM honcho Billy Mitchell came up with the Mako Shark and the Sting Ray names used for the prototype C3 cars and for the C2 series. He was a "trophy" fisherman and liked the lines and coloration on those two sea creatures. The "Sting Ray" moniker died with the '67 Corvette....but in '69, the name was remolded into "Stingray" which stayed thru '72 or '73.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,231
Likes: 7
From: Fort Pierce Florida
GM honcho Billy Mitchell came up with the Mako Shark and the Sting Ray names used for the prototype C3 cars and for the C2 series. He was a "trophy" fisherman and liked the lines and coloration on those two sea creatures. The "Sting Ray" moniker died with the '67 Corvette....but in '69, the name was remolded into "Stingray" which stayed thru '72 or '73.
Sharks are all the C3's right?
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
Stingrays stayed until 76...(which I have)..as far as I know you can still call them sharks from 68 to 76..The Beach Boys had a song "Shut Down" that had the lyrics "two cool Sharks standing side by side"..followed by "with a fuel-injected Stingray and a 413"..So the Shark and Stingray name go hand in hand,,.(someone correct me if I am mistaken)..That is interesting about Billy Mitchell...I also though back in the early years that an ole Ford nemesis (Carroll Shelby) had his hands in the early corvettes before he and GM had a fallout and he went to Ford to create the Mustang.....Anyone else chime in....
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Mako Shark I C2
Mako Shark II C3
STINGRAY 63-67 68-77
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c3/gan...Y/stingray.htm
Some Corvette history & knowledge is helpful to ID a Stingray.
63-67 In 63, the new smaller body & chassis w/ I.R.S. was called a Sting Ray.
68-77 When the body was redone in 68 at first called Sting Ray & then used Stingray emblems in 69. Emblems are for identification & some can not identify w/o the emblem. Seems some place far more importance on emblems than the factory ever did. The factory wanted to change the new car so that it could be identified as new at the time.
Stingray has a meaning & is not an option or emblem, some are unmarked. Remember an unmarked police car is still a police car.
Stingray- BB hood on 65-66, tail on 63-67 coupes, wings extended from roof 68-77 Stingrays.
Chassis essentially same from 63-77, body essentially same 68-77 & interior essentially same from 68-77.
There can be no question that 68-77 are Stingrays.
During the 68-77 Stingray years the C2 came to be known as mid years to differentiate from C3 Stingrays 68-77.
Since 63, for 15 years Corvette & Stingray were synonymous.
78- 25th anniversary of the Corvette - not Stingray. Many changes including bubble glass rear & new interior. They were already working on the C4 & McLellan had said the styling would be reeled in. 84 induction & 700R4 were in production in 81.
So the focus was on the C4.
CORVETTE says it all anyway.
Mako Shark II C3
STINGRAY 63-67 68-77
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c3/gan...Y/stingray.htm
Some Corvette history & knowledge is helpful to ID a Stingray.
63-67 In 63, the new smaller body & chassis w/ I.R.S. was called a Sting Ray.
68-77 When the body was redone in 68 at first called Sting Ray & then used Stingray emblems in 69. Emblems are for identification & some can not identify w/o the emblem. Seems some place far more importance on emblems than the factory ever did. The factory wanted to change the new car so that it could be identified as new at the time.
Stingray has a meaning & is not an option or emblem, some are unmarked. Remember an unmarked police car is still a police car.
Stingray- BB hood on 65-66, tail on 63-67 coupes, wings extended from roof 68-77 Stingrays.
Chassis essentially same from 63-77, body essentially same 68-77 & interior essentially same from 68-77.
There can be no question that 68-77 are Stingrays.
During the 68-77 Stingray years the C2 came to be known as mid years to differentiate from C3 Stingrays 68-77.
Since 63, for 15 years Corvette & Stingray were synonymous.
78- 25th anniversary of the Corvette - not Stingray. Many changes including bubble glass rear & new interior. They were already working on the C4 & McLellan had said the styling would be reeled in. 84 induction & 700R4 were in production in 81.
So the focus was on the C4.
CORVETTE says it all anyway.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
The Beach Boys' "Shut Down" released in 63.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Deuce_Coupe
"Two cool shorts standin' side by side"
http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Bea...rics/56291.htm
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/be...shut_down.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Deuce_Coupe
"Two cool shorts standin' side by side"
http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Bea...rics/56291.htm
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/be...shut_down.html
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
My apologies on the lyrics...You would figure that a song about a race would say "two cool sharks" not "two cool shorts"...
...BUT what do I know....Thanks for the additional info BUT 76 WAS the last year for the "badged Stingray"...(the C3 years ran from 68 to 82)..I would not have purchased mine if that was not the case...and there ARE differences between the 76 and 77....sport bullet mirrors;cruise control;...When I purchased my car in Fairmont Indiana it was verified again by the Corvette dealer (who has been selling them for 40 years) that 76 WAS the last year of the Stingray..I am still fuzzy on when the last year the "Shark" name was used....Thanks again for any info,Pete
...BUT what do I know....Thanks for the additional info BUT 76 WAS the last year for the "badged Stingray"...(the C3 years ran from 68 to 82)..I would not have purchased mine if that was not the case...and there ARE differences between the 76 and 77....sport bullet mirrors;cruise control;...When I purchased my car in Fairmont Indiana it was verified again by the Corvette dealer (who has been selling them for 40 years) that 76 WAS the last year of the Stingray..I am still fuzzy on when the last year the "Shark" name was used....Thanks again for any info,Pete
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
GM honcho Billy Mitchell came up with the Mako Shark and the Sting Ray names used for the prototype C3 cars and for the C2 series. He was a "trophy" fisherman and liked the lines and coloration on those two sea creatures. The "Sting Ray" moniker died with the '67 Corvette....but in '69, the name was remolded into "Stingray" which stayed thru '72 or '73.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Actually, the '68 Corvette DID NOT have the "Stingray" script on the car. Some folks argue about whether it really was a Stingray or not. [Oh, well....they have to argue about something!] My belief is that GM and the Corvette team always considered the C2 and C3 cars to be Sting Rays/Stingrays...but that's just my opinion.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Actually, the '68 Corvette DID NOT have the "Stingray" script on the car. Some folks argue about whether it really was a Stingray or not. [Oh, well....they have to argue about something!] My belief is that GM and the Corvette team always considered the C2 and C3 cars to be Sting Rays/Stingrays...but that's just my opinion.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Actually, the '68 Corvette DID NOT have the "Stingray" script on the car. Some folks argue about whether it really was a Stingray or not. [Oh, well....they have to argue about something!] My belief is that GM and the Corvette team always considered the C2 and C3 cars to be Sting Rays/Stingrays...but that's just my opinion.
