Chevrolet Corvair
A 2nd generation Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible — this one’s a beauty. 1967? Or 1968?
1965-1969 were the model years for the 2nd gen Corvair. I believe this one is a 1967, or maybe 1968, and she is in great shape. The 1st gen Corvair was produced for the 1960-1964 model years.
The Corvair was Chevrolet’s attempt at building an RR layout car: rear engined, rear wheel drive. It resulted in tricky handling because of its uncommon weight distribution, with about 36% of the car’s weight on the front axle and 64% on the rear axle. The tail-heavy feel of the car challenged the average driver more accustomed to front-engined cars who did not take into account the car’s different handling characteristics. If the driver was not careful during a rapid weight transfer, s/he could suddenly find the heavy tail end of the car whipping around and the car spinning out, a phenomenon known as trailing throttle oversteer or snap oversteer — a problem that can also happen in a front engined car and even in a mid engined car but is more likely to happen in a rear engined car. This 20 second video demonstrates it ➜ https://youtube.com/shorts/q6hqs19FMDU ■ .
Famously, due in large part to this problem, consumer advocate Ralph Nader published his 1965 book titled, “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile”.
Chevrolet had over 100 lawsuits pending in connection with crashes involving the Corvair, which was the initial material for Nader’s investigations.
Nader said during subsequent Congressional hearings that the Corvair is “the leading candidate for the un-safest-car title”.
Nader’s book was a nonfiction bestseller from April through July 1966 and resulted in the creation of the Department of Transportation in 1966 and the predecessor agencies of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1970.
Chevrolet mitigated these handling concerns with modifications to the rear suspension and even to tire pressures, but it was too late, and the Corvair’s lifespan was cut short.
US production plummeted:
1965 = 235,468
1966 = 103,743
1967 = 27,253
1968 = 15,399
1969 = 6,000
(Source ➜ Chevrolet Corvair Production Figures 1960-1969 ■ )
By 1970, the Corvair was done.
