Corvair was the most - controversial Chevrolet since the abortive " Cu - Cooled " theoretical account of 1923 . Of naturally , neither was hypothecate to stir up trouble . Each was merely a reception to a finicky grocery store position in its twenty-four hour period .
The problem with Corvair was a extremist design that made it too costly for its original thriftiness - motorcar mission and too " foreign " for its fair game consultation . Had it not spread out up an entirely new market – and almost by chance event at that – Corvair would n’t have lasted even one-half of the 10 year it did hang on .
And there ’s the satire , for it was Corvair ’s achiever as a sporty compact that spawn the car that ultimately helped do it in : the Ford Mustang . A young attorney - on - the - make name Ralph Nader did the rest .
Chevrolet ’s sake in a smaller fellow traveller car was apparent as betimes as the previous ' 40s , when it contemplated the Cadet , a prototype 2200 - pound four - threshold sedan of conventional design begun powerful after World War II .
power by a short - apoplexy 133 - cid version of the division ’s noted " Stovebolt Six , " this 108 - inch - wheelbase compact was intended to sell at rock - bottom price in anticipation of a postwar niche . Instead , the grocery boomed , rendering the Cadet unneeded . What ’s more , it would have be as much to build as a regular Chevy , and so was hold unprofitable at the targeted $ 1000 retail price . The project was thus canceled in mid-1947 .
Things were far different by the late ' L . lead by Volkswagen and Renault , sales of economy imports were becoming too expectant to discount , peculiarly once a national receding hit in mid-1957 . American Motors answer with its compendious 1958 American , a warm up - over ' 55 Nash Rambler . Studebaker chimed in with the ' 59 Lark , a full - size elevator car trend down to compact sizing . So successful was the Lark that it temporarily halted Studebaker ’s ultimate slide to oblivion .
Both these independent efforts would before long have Big Three rivals . Ford was fix its Falcon and Chrysler its Valiant for theoretical account - year 1960 . General Motors had vend its so - called " captive imports , " British Vauxhalls and German Opels , in 1958 - 59 . For 1960 , GM would bank on Corvair .
start in 1956 , the Corvair was mostly the brainchild of Chevy master engineer ( and succeeding GM president ) Edward N. Cole , who became segmentation cosmopolitan director in July of that year . It was predictably a technician ’s car , by far the most - revolutionary of the new Big Three compact .
Perhaps inspired by Cole ’s sake in airplanes – but more likely by the popular VW Beetle – it was planned around a 140 - cid air - cooled flat six developing 80 or 95 horsepower in initial form and – just as uncommon – mounted at the rear ( " where an engine belong , " as Corvair ads would arrogate ) . It was a relatively complicated engine , with six separate piston chamber barrels and a divided up crankcase .
Yet despite a lightweight aluminum engine block , it ended up at 366 pounds , some 78 pounds above the target weight , a miscalculation that would have minus consequence for handling .
All - independent suspension and unit of measurement construction were equally unusual for a U.S. car . Corvair ’s cut down 108 - in - wheelbase Y - organic structure platform was all new , but its all - coil suspension was perhaps too basic : conventional wishing bone in front , VW Beetle - style semitrailing swing axles in back . Antiroll bars were omitted to keep retail price as low as potential , but this saved only $ 4 a car , and GM was well cognizant they were needed to reach acceptable treatment with rear swing axles and the keister - enceinte exercising weight statistical distribution .
This conclusion , as well as direction ’s desire to standardize assembly , precluded more - sophisticated hiatus geometry until 1962 , when a Regular Production Option include stiffer saltation , shorter butt - axle limit shoulder strap , and a front sway bar became available . A major suspension improvement occurred for 1964 : a cross rearward camber - compensating spring .
Nevertheless , the initial Corvair hiatus of 1960 - 63 did not create a " dangerous , ominous - treatment railcar " as later lawsuits claimed . It did oversteer to be certain , but the tail - wag tendency was n’t grievous – provided that recommended tire pressures were observed ( 15 psi front , 26 rear ) . The problem was that most owners did n’t pay attention to that , and some got into fuss .
When Ralph Nader find out and write Unsafe at Any Speed , Corvair handling became a cause celebre that was n’t put to respite until a 1972 congressional investigation reset the 1960 - 63 exemplar . Of course , this came far too late . Corvair was already three years gone .
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 Chevrolet Corvair
Corvair ’s decade - long model discharge water parting into two design generations : 1960 - 64 and 1965 - 69 . Initial offerings make up quite spartan four - door sedan in " 500 " and more - deluxe " 700 " trim selling at $ 2000-$2100 . Three - focal ratio floorshift manual transaxle was standard ; Chevy ’s two - speed Powerglide was optional .
Two - room access 500 and 700 coupe arrived at midseason , but the tangible attention - getter was the raw " 900 " Monza coupe , which boasted an even spiffy interior with bucket seats .
Bolstered by a freshly optional four - speed gearbox for 1961 , the Monza caught fervidness , uncover a vast latent requirement for sporty , fun - to - force compact . This was fortunate , because Ford ’s much simpler and trashy Falcon was hands down outsell other Corvairs in the saving market place . From here on , the rearward - engine Chevy would direct increasingly at enthusiast drivers .
But it was too tardy to change some plans , so a twain of Corvair Lakewood station wagons get for ' 61 as scheduled , as did a Monza sedan . The Lakewood extend a surprising amount of cargo place – 58 three-dimensional feet behind the front buttocks , 10 more under the front " punk " – more than other compact black Maria and even some larger models . It did n’t betray well , though , with first - yr output just top 25,000 .
Chevy also issued the interesting Corvair - base Greenbrier windowpane van , Corvan panel , and Rampside pickup truck , all " forward-moving control " models inspired by VW ’s Type 2 Microbus and forerunner of today ’s popular minivans . ultimately , the flat six was bored out to 145 cid . Standard power stay on at 80 , but a $ 27 " Turbo Air " pick lifted that to 98 .
For 1962 , the 500 series was trim to a lone coupe , and the Monza line expanded to include a Wain ( no longer called Lakewood ) and a raw convertible . The Monza waggon was plush , but only about 6000 were build before the body style was dropped entirely to make fabrication - line room for the Chevy II , the resolutely Greek Orthodox Falcon - style powder compact rushed out to do what Corvair had give way to in the thriftiness marketplace .
Mid-1962 brought what has become the most highly prise first - genesis Corvair : the turbocharged Monza Spyder . ab initio , this was a $ 317 option software system for Monza two - doors comprising a 150 - bhp locomotive engine with plenty of chrome dressup , a shorter final drive for sprightlier quickening , heavy - responsibility suspension , and a multigauge official document panel with tachometer and brushed - metal trimming . The four - speed and sinter - metallic brake linings were " required " options .
The Spyder was n’t cheap – a minimal cost of $ 2600 – but it was the next ripe thing to a Porsche . entire production ran about 40,000 units through 1964 .
First - contemporaries Corvair styling saw only pocket-sized year - to - year change , mostly at the front . The original winged Chevy bowtie give way to a smaller emblem on a slim full - width chrome bar for ' 61 . The ' 62s fill in dummy tune slots . A across-the-board single stripes replaced those for ' 63 . Then come up a threefold - bar version of the ' 61 discussion .
Aside from the said rearward cant compensator , the big intelligence for ' 64 was a stroked 164 - Criminal Investigation Command locomotive with 95 or 110 bhp in normally aspirated form . Spyder power was unchanged .
1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Chevrolet Corvair
With 1965 come a design revolution . The sleek , second - contemporaries Corvair look adept even from usually uncomplimentary angles , a tribute to the work of GM Design under tribal chief William L. Mitchell .
It was something an Italian coachbuilder might do – as Pininfarina did with a specially body ' 64 Corvair of generally similar lines . Not only was the 1965 Corvair nicely shaped , it had just the right amount of chrome trim . unsympathetic models were now pillarless hardtop , and a four - door returned to the 500 serial .
The ' 65s were evenly new under their handsome bodies . The turbo six was up to 180 bhp , but the best all - around engine was the young 140 - bhp nonturbo adaptation that was standard for the top - ancestry Corsa coupe and transformable , replacing Monza Spyder . Its extra power came from new cylinder heading , redesign manifolds , and four progressively linked carburetors . The " 140 " was an option for less Corvairs , which continued with 95 banner and 110 optional bhp .
The 1960 Corvair had been the first mass - produced American railroad car with swing music - axle rearward suspension . The ' 65 was the first with to the full main suspension , not counting the ' 63 Corvette . The exclusive remainder was that where Corvette linked rearward wheels with a single transverse foliage give , Corvair used private coils .
Both organization employ upper and lower control arms at each rear cycle . The speed were in reality the axle halfshafts ; the lowers were inadequate - length nonparallel trail weapons system ( two per side ) . Together , these controlled all steering wheel movement . Small India rubber - mounted rods stretch from each down arm to the main rear crossmember to take in longitudinal effort at the pin points .
No doubtfulness now about catchy behavior " at the point of accumulation " : Corvair handling was near - neutral with soft initial understeer . With rear roulette wheel well-nigh vertical at all times , the car could be pushed around recess with o.k. stability . tending was also ante up to the front suspension , which was tuned to complement the novel rearward conclusion and provide additional axial rotation stiffness .
Like the Monza Spyder before it , the 1965 - 66 Corsa was the most - desirable 2nd - genesis Corvair – as it still is among collector . Base - price at $ 2519 for the coupe and $ 2665 as a convertible , it came with full orchestration , exceptional exterior accents ( including a bright rearward - panel appliqué for instant recognition ) , deluxe all - vinyl pail - hind end interior , and the 140 - bhp engine .
With the $ 158 turbo - six choice , Corsa was squarely in the functioning conference : less than 11 bit 0 - 60 miles per hour , 18 second gear at 80 mph for the standing after part - Roman mile . ease up enough room , a blown Corsa could hit 115 mph .
Unfortunately , Corsa did n’t sell well against Ford ’s instant smash - hit Mustang , which had accede about six months before and could also better the Chevy ’s on - road performance . More vital was the decline in Monza sale then setting in .
Though the most - popular Corvair rally slightly for ' 65 , production plunge by some two - third the undermentioned twelvemonth . Sales were definitely being touch on by Nader ’s book – and GM ’s embarrassing access that it had put Nader under surveillance . But anathemise charges and damaging promotion were beside the distributor point . GM had already sealed Corvair ’s fate in April 1965 with an internal memorandum that said , in effect , " No more evolution work . Do only enough to meet federal requirements . "
When Chevy ’s true Mustang - hero , the Camaro , arrive for 1967 , Corvair was trimmed to just 500 sedan and coupe and Monza sedan , coupe , and convertible . The turbo engine was also neglect , and hardtop sedans were in their last year .
The 1968 - 69 model were the rarest Corvairs . Comprising just 500 and Monza hardtops and Monza convertibles , they ’re pronto spotted by federally mandated front side - mark twinkle – clear on the ' 68s , amber for ' 69 . Monza convertibles were scarce of all : severally , just 1386 and 521 built .
With so little change in light of tight - falling sales , Corvair was looking terminal by 1968 , so many were surprised that Chevy even bothered with the ' 69 exemplar . Some trader would n’t sell them and others refused to service them , so the segmentation offered what few buyers remained a $ 150 credit on the leverage of another Chevy through 1974 . With that , the Corvair was beat .
In retrospect , Corvair was a victim of its own success . Had it not been for the Monza , we might not have had the Mustang – and in the end , the Camaro .
leave stillborn by the no - more - ontogenesis edict was a labor dubbed XP-849 , which work at least as far as a couple of clay mockups : one apparently a rear - locomotive design , the other with front - cycle drive . Intriguingly , both were badged " Corvair 2 . " A potential preliminary to Chevy ’s inauspicious 1971 Vega , though probable for overseas consumption , XP-849 would never materialize . But it showed that at least some GMers still commemorate the adventuresome spirit of the original Corvair despite year of corporate parapraxis and public tilt .
