The huge parking lots at Pheasant Run in St. Charles provided more than ample space for both the Concours d'Elegance and the People's Choice Car Display. The panoramic view below captures the sprawl of the early model, forward control truck, and late model display areas.

Have a look below at the 1963 Monza convertible in Saddle Tan with matching antique saddle interior. While examining its luxuriously appointed interior with its button-tufted upholstery I realized that Chevrolet had, from the Corvairs introduction, steadily upgraded the interior materials. Rubber flooring gave way to carpeting, cloth to leather-grained vinyl, etc. The same was true of exterior trim, which became more and more refined as annual trim changes were made.

The front end treatment of the '63 is my favorite of the early models. Amber replaced clear on the turn signal lenses, and black accents were added to the ribs of the headlight bezels and tied together with a new, black accented grill bar and offset Corvair insignia.

Mechanically, the 1963 model was unique in that it was the only Corvair available with a 3.08:1 final drive ratio. It yielded close to 23 MPH per thousand RPM, which was 3 MPH per thousand RPM greater than a car equipped with the standard 3.55:1 ratio final drive. The 3.08 gears contributed to Corvair's achievement of 27.9 miles per gallon in that year's Mobil Economy Run. In spite of this miserly performance, 3.08 gears were not that popular because they compromised acceleration.

For the benefit of those site visitors who are keeping track of "what is stock," you should note that three items on this car are not original 1963 equipment. The wire wheel covers are not correct for the year, the fresh air grill under the bumper is the 1964 variety which was supplied by Chevy parts counters as a replacement for the differently designed correct '63 grill, and the small diameter, aftermarket dual exhaust system. Everything else you see is correct for the year. The crossed flag insignia on the deck lid denotes the optional 102 horsepower engine.

This page is dedicated to Carole Panella of Yonkers, NY. Carole proofreads this site, is a huge fan of Corvairs and the former owner of a 1963 Monza.