Chevrolet Corvair, 1960
Chevrolet Corvair, 1960 - 1969
Chevrolet Corvair, 1960
The Volkswagen Beetle had become popular with economy-minded drivers.
This caused GM to create an economy car to compete with it. This new car
was powered by an air-cooled six-cylinder engine, first for Chevrolet,
it was referred to as a "flat six," since the cylinders were
horizontally opposed. It was also mounted in the rear like the VW.
Chevrolet Corvair, 1960
The 1960 model was offered in two body styles, a 2-door coupe and a 4-door sedan available in two trim models.
Chevrolet Corvair, 1960
Later that model year the "Monza" was added as the line continued to
expand. In 1961 Chevy added a pair of vans, a pickup truck and a station
wagon, all with the engine mounted in the rear. In 1962 came the first
Corvair convertible, along with the first mass-produced American
turbo-charged car, the "Spyder."
Chevrolet Corvair 700 Sedan, 1960
While early sales were promising for a while, the other large American
manufacturers quickly challenged the Corvair with compacts of their own.
Chrysler introduced the Dodge Lancer and Plymouth Valiant, while Ford
countered with the Falcon and Mercury Comet. Even Chevy itself
introduced a car to compete in the same market, the Chevy II.
Chevrolet Corvair 700 Sedan, 1960
Chevrolet introduced another sporty car in 1964, the Chevelle, and Ford
unveiled the legendary Mustang. The end was near for the Corvair.
Chevrolet Corvair Club Coupe, 1960
Then to make matters worse Ralph Nader's book "Unsafe At Any Speed"
portrayed the Corvair as unstable and prone to rollover accidents. While
many would attribute the failure of the Corvair to the book, the
handwriting was already on the wall in the form of declining sales.
Chevrolet Corvair Club Coupe, 1960
Interestingly, 1966 would have been the last model year, had the Nader
book not drawn so much negative publicity. Even the National Highway and
Traffic Safety Administration had opened an investigation into its
handling. There was simply no way GM could halt the line without
appearing to "cave in" to the charges, so production continued, albeit
in limited numbers, through the '67, '68 and '69 model years.
Ironically, the NHTSA report, released three years after Corvair's
demise, would exonerate Chevrolet of all charges, concluding that the
Corvair was no more prone to accidents and rollovers than any other
comparable car of the period.
Chevrolet Corvair Monza Club Coupe Ad, 1960
After ten years of production throughout the decade of the 1960's, the last Corvair was built on May 14, 1969.
Chevrolet Corvair, 1961
Was the Corvair a failure? It's a matter of opinion. General Motors
produced nearly 1.8 million Corvairs over 10 model years. The Corvair
pioneered such technological advances as turbo-charging, true four-wheel
independent suspension and unit-body (or unibody) construction, and its
independent suspension was adapted for later model Corvettes.
Chevrolet Corvair 700 Sedan, 1961
Perhaps the Corvair was a car that just couldn't find it right place in the automotive world.
Source; www.shorey.net