1963; Denise McCluggage reports in Competition Press that the new Triumph Spitfire model is coming to the United States. A '62 Maserati Tipo 151 Coupe, identified as a past Briggs Cunningham Le Mans racer, with a 4.0-liter V8 and plenty of spares, is for sale. The price: $7,950.(50th Anniversary countdown)

In what is dubbed the United States Road Race of Champions, sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, Jim Hall wins at Daytona in a borrowed Cooper Monaco. Also in the field is Bob Holbert, who, like Hall, won $1,200 for the effort. The USRRC will later morph into the Can-Am series.

By February 1963, General Motors has announced it is out of the performance race. "The edict affects both Chevrolet and Pontiac, the only GM divisions involved, and will preclude further development or production of the so-called `super-stocks' for either stock car or drag racing.'' Also out is the development of a lightweight Corvette that had been testing as late as mid-December at Sebring.

The 250 GTO Ferrari is deemed legally homologated for racing, even though fewer than the 100 mandated copies are made. Pedro Rodriguez's GTO wins the Daytona three-hour endurance race. Roger Penske finishes second in another GTO.

Saab and Erik Carlsson win the Monte Carlo Rally for the second-straight year.

Mercedes-Benz introduces the all-new 230 SL with a "pagoda-style roof,'' a six-cylinder engine and a swing axle.

Ferrari proves it is serious about endurance racing, taking the first six places at Sebring. Drivers Ludovico Scarfiotti and John Surtees bring a rear-engine V12 prototype home with an average speed of 90.3 mph, despite both of them getting sick from exhaust fumes in the cockpit during the event.

Could this be the forebear of But Wait, There's More? Tucked inside the April 13 issue of Competition Press is a four-page parody of the car and racing scene. It is titled Compost Press. The next issue carries letters from readers who find it either most entertaining (Stirling Moss) or an absurd and childish waste of time. Perfect.