My favorite Vette is a 69 with the 63 split a close second. But after the ‘Stingray’ style body was replaced with the mid 80s ones, I just didn’t ‘see it’ as a Vette. To me they look like a variant on the Firebird of the era. The later ones are ‘OK’ to me but still not the same. But then I’m a Ford guy so my opinion on the matter is about irrelevant ;)
I new a guy with one of the first Crossfire cars. After the first 12 trips to the dealer he left it in his garage hoping someday it would be worth something as the dealer would not take it back and he didn’t want to screw anyone selling it to them...or himself for the financial loss he’d have to take to sell it honestly.
But then all Chevy lovers are unAmerican communists anyway... ;)
...after the ‘Stingray’ style body was replaced with the mid 80s ones, I just didn’t ‘see it’ as a Vette. I know what you mean, but I guess I'm just not a purist about such things. Despite the flattened, sleeker shape of the '84 Vette, I fell in love with the thing anyway. When the styling later began to hearken back to its roots, I loved that too.
About the only Vettes I didn't much care for, were the late 70s, early 80s Vettes without the tail fin. I didn't exactly hate 'em, but they looked disfigured to me.
One sports car that I always thought GM should have built for mass consumption, was the Cadillac Cien:
Unfortunately, it was just a concept car that they used to draw design elements from for other (more watered down) models. GM could have stuck a Corvette badge on that thing, and the public would have gone gaga for it.