Confusion over name Stingray? Shark?
06-12-2012, 09:42 AM
#6
Melting Slicks
I'll add some fuel to the fire. Why aren't all C3's called a Stingray even though they don't use the emblem on all years. The design is still based on the same car, and it's not like a Stingray was a special version of the car no?
Even more of question - why are the guys that have a year which uses the Stingray emblem so touchy about the non Stingray emblem years being called a Stingray?
(stepping back now to see what happens).
Adam
Even more of question - why are the guys that have a year which uses the Stingray emblem so touchy about the non Stingray emblem years being called a Stingray?
(stepping back now to see what happens).
Adam
06-12-2012, 10:04 AM
#7
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I'll add some fuel to the fire. Why aren't all C3's called a Stingray even though they don't use the emblem on all years. The design is still based on the same car, and it's not like a Stingray was a special version of the car no?
Even more of question - why are the guys that have a year which uses the Stingray emblem so touchy about the non Stingray emblem years being called a Stingray?
(stepping back now to see what happens).
Adam
Even more of question - why are the guys that have a year which uses the Stingray emblem so touchy about the non Stingray emblem years being called a Stingray?
(stepping back now to see what happens).
Adam
06-12-2012, 10:10 AM
#8
Drifting
double names
The probably origin of the stingray is the rise over each front fender which looks like the wings of a stingray swimming in the water and was true of some c2's and c3's. The C3 was reportedly designe to emulate the design of one of the best sport fish in the ocean aerodynamically, the Mako Shark. Hence, the two names application to the cars. In marketing it got all blurred at various times as GM referred to both at times and went back and forth with labeling. Most C3 owners call them "sharks" more than stingrays because the entire body shape is so sculpted and so different than the c2 designs.
Lance P.
Lance P.
06-12-2012, 10:19 AM
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Purchase any of the coffee table Corvette history books. You'll get great color photographs and find the answer to the Stingray-Shark mystery.
06-12-2012, 01:14 PM
#10
Team Owner
The prototype cars for the C2 series were the Mako Shark I & II. Then, the '67 C2 and '68-69 C3 cars had "gills" on the front fender. The C2's were officially labeled as Sting Rays and, with public and internal pressure on GM, the '69-7? C3's were provided with a "Stingray" logos on the front fenders. The C3 body style gives the visual appearance of a shark's contour, so the name stuck.
Purists will only assign the name "Stingray" to those C3's that had that logo placed on the body. The rest of us refer to the entire C3 line are Stingrays.
Purists will only assign the name "Stingray" to those C3's that had that logo placed on the body. The rest of us refer to the entire C3 line are Stingrays.
06-12-2012, 01:20 PM
#11
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I drive a shark and people outside of the community all refer to it as a Stingray. The idea of there being a difference between the two seems to baffle everyone when explained
06-12-2012, 01:25 PM
#12
Melting Slicks
The bottom line is that some marketing geeks (read idiots) decided to carry the "Stingray" word(s) over to the C3.
For whatever reason, good sense finally won out, and the 1968's were not badged as "Stingrays".
Then came 69-76 when the marketing boys got their way. Finally the name was dropped for 78-82.
Marketing geeks be damed - those of us that know the history, call them "sharks" - for good reason.
-W (glad my '68 says nothing about Rays on it)
PS: The Mako Shark II was the C3 prototype - not C2
Last edited by Clams Canino; 06-12-2012 at 01:28 PM.
06-12-2012, 01:33 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
06-12-2012, 01:38 PM
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Melting Slicks
06-12-2012, 01:51 PM
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If you've read Corvette history, there are indications the Stingray name was considered for the 68 models. Some of the early sales material uses the name. Just the same what GM might have been thinking of doing in March, or April or May, 1967, did not happen by August.
06-12-2012, 02:24 PM
#17
Just FYI, in nature, sting rays and sharks are in the same family. They are elasmobranchs. All elasmobranchs have skeletons made of cartilage and 5-7 gill slits.
Could you say all stingrays are sharks? I guess so. But that's kind of like saying that dolphins are whales because they're both marine mamals who belong to the same family, the cetaceans.
Could you say all stingrays are sharks? I guess so. But that's kind of like saying that dolphins are whales because they're both marine mamals who belong to the same family, the cetaceans.
06-12-2012, 04:10 PM
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Sting Ray or Stingray means nothing. just a styling term put out my GM to sell cars. at the end of the day its just a Corvette
06-12-2012, 04:45 PM
#20
Team Owner
Last edited by PRNDL; 06-12-2012 at 04:47 PM.