HOT WHEELS – 2004 FIRST EDITIONS – 93/100

“TOONED” 1963 CORVETTE

Feature car

“TOONED” 1963 CORVETTE (Short Card)

If your collection of Hot Wheels “TOONED” 2004 First Editions is short this car… it has a hole in it!

This is an imaginative recreation of a well-loved American Muscle Car. A fine example of an American performance car recognised the world over, that will bring the new owner hours of enjoyment.

The 1963 CHEVROLET

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray, the car that changed the course of American muscle history. At last America had a formidable weapon to challenge Europe's fastest cars on their home ground.

The Race preparation of the 327-cubic-inch Corvette engine has been thoroughly treated by Bill Thomas. The key to the personality of the Corvette Sting Ray lies in the chassis. A new all-independent suspension completely transformed the Corvette in terms of traction and cornering power. On a smooth surface it comes incredibly close to perfection. Cornering stability under conditions permitting minimal wheel deflections was a first for an all American “Sports Car”. The car had some understeer, but the surplus power would correct this with consummate ease. When on rough roads the rear end is skittish.

The new Saginaw power steering had only three turns lock to lock making parking and manoeuvrings in tight places easy work. The car’s steering column had a three-inch adjustment for length, power disc brakes with excellent stopping power, a heavy-duty anti-roll bar, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, aluminium wheels with knock-off hubs, a Positraction limited-slip differential and a 36-gallon fuel tank. and

The Race prepared 327-cubic-inch Corvette engine mated to the   Warner T-10 gearbox has been thoroughly treated by Bill Thomas in an article for the Corvette News.

The Fiberglass body of the Corvette was remarkably quiet, due to the steel reinforcements surrounding the entire passenger cell.

As an American car it is unique, and it stands out from its European counterparts, having arrived at a similar goal taking a different route. For the first time a Corvette could be proudly driven in Europe.

The Sting Ray is a fine showpiece for the American auto industry, simultaneously “rocking the boat” as it was produced at a substantially lower price than any of the comparable performance European Sports or GT cars of the time.

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