A passionate Corvette enthusiast has decided to donate his valuable 1963 Split Window Corvette to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
As explained by Corvette Museum curator Derek E. Moore, the NCM ran an article in the November/December 2021 issue of America’s Sports Car magazine entitled ‘Split Decision’ that described how the facility was creating a new exhibit dedicated to the iconic Split Window Corvette. The only problem with this exhibit was the NCM did not have an actual Split Window Corvette to display, as these cars are rare, highly sought-after and extremely valuable.
A dedicated Corvette fan by the name of Manny Balale saw the ASC article and reached out to the NCM to offer up his stunning 1963 Split Window Corvette as a donation. Balale says he bought this car in 2008 following a years-long search for a ’63 Coupe that was up to his standards, and eventually found this one in a collection in Salt Lake City. He drove the car back to Wichita, Kansas, where he lives, and has spent the past 14 years or so wrenching on it and taking it to car shows. After enjoying the car for years, Balale says he’s now ready to part ways with it and share his passion for the Split Window Corvette with the car community.
“I feel real good about the car coming here,” Balale said after turning over the keys to the NCM. “In many ways, I feel like the car is coming home.”
“I will also smile and think of all the great times I’ve had with the car, and also all the great times that other people had seeing it and enjoying it, and I’ll take a lot of satisfaction in knowing that people will continue to enjoy it by coming here to the museum,” he added. “And it will also be maintained properly, so this is where it belongs.”
Check out the video embedded below to hear what else Balale had to say about his generous 1963 Split Window Corvette donation.
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Comments
… the most beautiful Corvette… saw an also beautiful yellow today, during parking, when my wife was buying a plant at the Garden Shop. But if the Museum did not have it and this is outstanding, the museum should have pay the correct amount for the car. The museum should have insisted when he said about his car
when i had my 18 years old and need to go to University USP for my course of Mechanical Engineering, had many fights at home with my parents to borrow me one of cars of family. it was hard to convince, but had no money to buy a car… so had to go by bus, 5 am, very stress sometimes running 5 blocks to take the bus on time, most was full was hanging at door outside, but mother and father had many objections to allow a car to me. And this man gives a tremendous car for free… well my first 3 years from 1989 to 1991 were hard in this situation having a car just sporadic. Just in 1992 and 1993 when also had to make the obligated trainee at Honeywell, the VWB Gol white was more used by me. I was not Lucky, but this is a Lucky Museum. Until today it is very expensive for us to buy a car, we have one the 2013 Dacia Sandero Essentiel, but even paid € 7700 cash, it was long 5 years without a car doing supermarket and so… Strange the world we live, most unfair
Just read in google The Last 1963 Corvette Split-Window Coupe Produced is Offered on eBay for $499,900 >>> so the museum should have given the man US$ 500 000 , museums most of time are very rich and can afford imo
Kudos and accolades to Manny Balale. Remember, you can’t take tangible goods with you when you check out. Only spiritual good deeds to the Man upstairs, aka the higher power. Thank you Mr. Balale. The angels are at your side.
As I understand it, Bill Mitchell wanted the split window but GM engineers, including Zora, and perhaps the company’s infamous bean counters did not. A battle royale ensued which Mitchell won. Sadly though, although Mitchell won the proverbial battle, the corporation won the war and the split window was dropped after only one year. The irony is that the car one man wanted to build is perhaps the most cherished Corvette of all time. The car the corporation wanted is decidedly less revered. I’ve said before that GM still has great talent at Design Staff today. The evidence of that lies in the stunning beauty of so many of their concepts. Nobody else matches GM on that front even today. The problem is no one is apparently willing to fight the corporation to build the beautiful cars like Bill Mitchell did. I know of not one single stunning or trend-setting production car to come from Mike Simcoe’s tenure. But with Mitchell, they arrived regularly with the ’63 Corvette one of the very best of the bunch.
The issue with the iconic split window was rear window visibility… The designer wanted the split window, and the company did not… They are stunning cars, just not practical for backing up. In a weird way, “Fashion Over Function” is why they are so desirable today…
Have you ever sat in a new Camaro?
Yes, but the Camaro has a passenger side mirror, a back up camera and parking sensors. The Corvette had none of those.
Split windows have always been one of those love ’em or hate ’em things. While I won’t go as far as to say I hate them, I will say they’re one of my least favorite years. That said, the Sebring Silver and red combination on this car is quite striking. I know, I helped a friend restore a similar silver/red split years ago. Sebring Silver was a GM Fire-Frost paint (the for runner of GM’s old Firemist finishes), and was an $81 option, making it the only Corvette color that came with an up charge, till just a few years ago.
Yes I own one, and I can see just fine. As I’ve said before Mr. buzzard, if you don’t
like the low profile of the gen 6 Camaro, then go buy something else.
Those of us who have one, love them.
And who told you that tripe? I had a 63 Split window and there never was a time I had trouble seeing what was behind me. For that matter, most things were.
Amen, Brother.
If we live long enough, we reach a point in our lives and realize we are leaving this world, and we’re not taking any of our stuff with us. I’m a cancer patient, and I recently sold off my collection of classic Triumph motorcycles. Had there been a museum of national status for Triumph motorcycles without that bike in their collection in the United States I would have been happy to donate the most valuable one I own. All I would’ve asked them for would be to come and get it.
Regardless of how much the vehicle would be worth in the open market, this gentleman has decided to share his vehicle with the entire world. Anyone who makes the trek to Bowling Green Kentucky can now see it. Sure, he could’ve gotten a half million for it, so some private collector could lock it up in his personal garage, but this is a far greater thing he does.
To donate is fine but don’t expect any museum to hang on to your vehicle forever. They never do. Most museums turn their inventory regularly, otherwise it gets stale and boring.
I saw a gold 1963 Corvette split window at the annual Corvette Club weekend get together about 5 years ago in Boerne TX. It was in nice shape, bit not perfect. Just seeing one in person was awsome!
Beautiful car.
In 1963 I belonged to a Corvette owners association in Oakdale, Long Island, NY. As I remember all Corvette club members were given a 6 1/2″ X 9″ tray with the outline of the 1963 Corvette and the “Molded Fiber Glass” logo in the lower right corner. I believe they made the Corvette body.
I have not been able to find any information on this tray. Does anyone know anything that can tell me about my tray?
A nearby 63, F.I., dark blue/red coupe is brought to several local car shows regularly. It was restored in 2005, still looks perfect, gets driven to events and has been owned by one person for many, many years….