Chevrolet completely redesigned the Corvette for 1963 with the spectacular Stingray, and its sales jumped 33 percent. The other three Chevy lines were merely updated, but sales increased to 1,571,530 full-sized cars, of which 1,117,789 were fitted with V-8 engines. The 1963 Chevy Impala constituted more than 50 percent of the company’s total output and of 832,600 cars sold, 735,900 had V-8 engines.

Chevrolet’s full-size styling changed grilles, bumpers, hoods, side panels and rear deck to make the cars look more luxurious. Impalas had front fender accent bars and a trim strip ran down the side with a colored insert and Impala name on the rear quarter.

The Super Sport package was expanded this year, as RPO ZO3. It included swirl side moldings, red “SS” emblems beside the Impala name on the rear fender, vinyl front bucket seats, bright dash inserts and a center console when the floor-shift Powerglide or four-speed manual gearbox was ordered. A total of 153,271 Impalas were fitted with the SS package.

The base engine was now an over-square 140 bhp, 230 cid six with a slight power increase due to a 9.25:1 compression ratio. The base V-8 was the 195 bhp, 283 cid engine, also with the 9.25:1 compression ratio. Optional Turbo-Fire engines included the 250 bhp 327 V-8 with four-barrel and dual exhaust ($191), 300 bhp 327 V-8 with four-barrel and dual exhaust ($245), and 340 bhp 327 V-8 with four-barrel, dual exhaust and solid lifters ($349).

Big-block options started at the 400 bhp, 409 cid V-8 with four-barrel, dual exhaust, high-lift cam, and solid lifters and 11:1 compression for $428. There was also the 425 bhp 409 with dual four-barrels, dual exhaust, high lift cam, solid lifters and 11:1 compression ($484). The 500-plus bhp 427 V-8 (Z11 drag pack package) had dual four-barrels, dual exhaust, high-lift cams, solid lifters and 13.5:1 compression. It cost $1,245 and included aluminum bumper, inner and outer fenders and hood, as well as cowl induction, four-speed and Positraction axle. The interior was de-trimmed and weight dropped to 3,340 pounds.

While the $161 Super Sport package was available with any engine – even a 6-cylinder – the hot shot Z11 package was now fitted to the Impala Sport Coupe, as the lighter Bel Air “bubble top” hardtop body had been dropped. Chevrolet built 25 Z11s on December 1, 1962, 25 on January 1, 1963 and seven more later.