The second generation (C2) 1963 Corvette was a ground-breaking design in many ways. The independent rear suspension, mounted in a rigid chassis, was wrapped in a sleekly sculpted fiberglass body badged as the new Sting Ray. Chevrolet designers created ingenious hide-away headlamps, which continued through the C5 Corvettes. The radical new styling continues to captivate automotive enthusiasts around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever notice that many automotive fanatics don’t know what the C2 Corvette headlights look like when they are ON? In my opinion, it’s because many C2 vette owners avoid showing their pride and joy with the lights rolled around. Not to knock Duntov, Mitchell and Shinoda (GM leaders and designers), but they had a choice to make with the technology available in the early 60’s. Stylish closed and ungainly open, or visa-versa. They did great with what they had. Kudos to them all around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My goal in creating these custom headlights was to achieve today what was out of grasp over 50 years ago. Along with an elegant style when the headlights are hidden, my new headlights perform much better and are aesthetically pleasing while they are open. I designed them to be bolt-in replacements for owners that don’t want to jeopardize the value of a restored classic in a major way. Paying homage to the style and intent of the GM team, I wanted mechanically-hidden headlights. I also wanted to stick to the quad-lamp arrangement while shooting for a real-world operating design- not just something for trailer queens. I believe that those goals were accomplished reasonably well.