Tuxedo carpet use in '63 Corvettes

[G A Bramlett (135)]

I'm still trying to learn about the different running changes that were made during the 1963 model year.

Evidently some of the very early cars had tuxedo style carpet. This has a black thread running through it, and is the type of carpet weave that was used in the 1959 through 1962 model Corvettes. I've seen one obviously original '63 tuxedo carpet set. That was in '63 #18, a red/red convertible that has remained in its junkyard condition since the seventies.

Can anyone shed any more light on the use of tuxedo carpet during the 1963 model year?

[Loren Lundberg (912)]

My speculation would be that this is

limited to the 25 pilot line cars - and perhaps not all of them.

[G A Bramlett (135)]

Pilot line build

Loren -

I've heard for years that GM built about 25 pilot line '63 Corvettes, but I've never known where that figure originated. Do you know? I'm also curious about the quantity of prototype models built (whole '63 Corvettes without VIN's).

I've seen the film GM made about assembling the maroon/tan '63 coupe from scratch. I've also seen the magazine track test photos of the coupe and convertible with two-bar KO wheels. I've assumed that these three were all prototypes, but there were probably others. Adams' book has shots of a red(?) convertible with integrated cowl vents that may be a prototype. There are also some photos showing a '63 interior with '64 type seat backs.

[Loren Lundberg (912)]

Re: Pilot line build

Slide photos of the pilot line seem to always show a trim and VIN tag when that area of the car shows up.

[G A Bramlett (135)]

'63 prototypes vs. pilot line cars

I believe that is correct. All of the '63 Corvette pilot line cars probably had VIN and trim tags. The distinction to me is the presence of a VIN tag. If a Corvette has a VIN tag, then it isn't a prototype; it's a real production car.

I assume that the '63 prototypes did not have traditional VIN and trim tags. The GM film about assembling the maroon/tan coupe shows the glove box area clearly. There aren't any tags on the crossbar. That's why I called that coupe a prototype. Oddly, the film doesn't show an engine being installed, and you see some guys pushing the car around after it is "finished".

Adams' book says there were 25 pilot line cars and 15 engineless coupes assembled in the summer of 1962. According to the book, the engineless coupe bodies were sent to different training facilities. I believe at least eight of the pilot line cars were later sold to the public and have now been "found". All of these pilot line cars had VIN and trim tags, although the paint and trim numbers were kind of funky. I don't have a clue how the 15 coupe training bodies were identified or what became of them. Adams' book makes those 15 training bodies sound like they should be counted as separate vehicles from the 25 pilot line cars.

I was hoping somebody had seen a GM document stating exactly how many '63 Corvettes were assembled during '62 model production as prototypes (without VIN tags) or as pilot line cars (with VIN tags).

[Jack Humphrey (17100)]

If memory serves....

our brothers at the UK Chapter had one of these 'mule' cars in 'captivity' just recently and the current owner was nice enough to put it on display at the Goodwood Festival of Light a few weeks ago.