1969 Chevy Corvair Coupe

Make: Chevrolet
Model: Corvair Coupe
Year: 1969

Introduced in 1960 as GM's response to the burgeoning compact car market, the Chevrolet Corvair was the beginning of the end for the grand land yachts of the 50s. Gas economy and sporty handling were now in high demand thanks to an influx of European brands whose smaller, more efficient vehicles were quickly finding buyers.



Stylistically, the Corvair has aged very well, the front quad headlights looking like a hybrid of the Impala and Malibu, while the rear rounded tail lights give it a far more european flair. This European influence is also felt under the hood, as the Corvair's air cooled rear-mounted aluminum engine setup owes a debt to the Volkswagen Beetle. Offered in a dizzying number of trim levels and models, the Corvair could be had as a sedan, convertible, coupe, van, and even a wagon.



Despite its handsome style and numerous engineering innovations, the Corvair was not without its hiccups. Numerous problems were found in the engine design, not the least of which was that the air cooled engine would leak its carbon monoxide emissions into the car's interior via the climate control. Its biggest hurdle would come from the car slayer himself, Ralph Nader. Much like ever other car of the era, the Corvair's solid steering column had a tendency to impale the driver in more violent crashes. Nader was more focused on the Corvair's handling problems though, given that the car was very easy to oversteer and spin out as a result of somewhat lazy engineering. Chevy had competently designed the Corvair to handle its rear engine layout and remain stable but their stable design was predicated on the assumption that drivers would keep their tires inflated to very specific levels. Once the tires were out of balance the car became very easy to lose control of, a problem that could easily have been rectified with a front anti-roll bar that GM had repeatedly chosen not to include because of the additional cost it added to the vehicle's production.



Ultimately credit must be given to GM for attempting such a deviation from the standard. While iron blocks and conventional front-engine rear-drive layouts were surely the most economical and proven ways to go, GM invested a large ammount of time and money into the A/Z Body design, resulting in a truly uniqiue, if somewhat under appreciated, American classic.

Spoiler not designed by Pininfarina

1967 Volvo P1800 S Coupe

Make: Volvo
Model: P1800 S Coupe
Year: 1967(?)

Most famous for its appearance as Roger Moore's car in the 60's British spy series "The Saint", the Volvo P1800 is easily one of the company's finest looking vehicles. Volvo manged to buck its notoriously stodgy reputation with this model, managing to find success after the utter failure of their first attempt at a sports car, the P1900. This example has been extensively restored and sports a fantastic set of wheels that really compliment the shape and body of the vehicle. While the front bears a striking resemblance to British convertibles of the era,(most notably Austin Healey)the rear is gorgeous with its integrated mini fins and small tapered tail lamps. Usually parked on my main route to work, it's always a pleasure to see this fine example of one of Volvo's most arresting cars.

April 24th, 2008

Make: Porsche
Model: 912 Hard Window Targa
Year: 1969(?)



Something about 60s and 70s orange Porsches is just irresistible to me. The 912 was the midway car between the 356 and the newly introduced 911 and worked as a hybrid between the 911's style combined with the more economical and proven flat four of the 356. The 912/911 is basically the cornerstone of Porsche's design, as it refined the curvy 356 into a more taut form. It retains the protruding round headlights of the 356 while adding the trademark slope to the rear. Virtually every Porsche model (914 and Cayenne excepted) has been a very logical stylistic progression of this design and has helped to forge Porsche's look as one of the most distinct in the world.

Introduction

Ever since my grandfather bought me a subscription to Automobile magazine at the tender age of five, I've been in love with cars. To me they've always been a beautiful hybrid of form and function, rolling works of art that form the backbone of modern transportation. Few cities that I've seen have such a rich collection of cars as San Francisco. From restored vintage American and European steel to the most modern exotic supercars, San Francisco is home to a diverse pastiche of automotive history. Why this is is a mystery to me, although it seems logical that a city chock full of rich people with a general appreciation for aesthetics and design would have more interest in older vehicles. When you're pulling a few million a year I suppose you can afford things like repairing the hydraulics system on your Citroen DS.

Anyway the purpose of this blog is to document the cars parked on or rolling down the streets of San Francisco, hopefully with daily updates. I walk by so many great looking cars everyday that I figure it's only fair that I share them with anyone else who's interested. Basically there's no criteria for what gets posted here other than that I think it looks interesting or has something notable about it. I'll do my best to give an accurate description of year, make, model etc. but feel free to correct me if i fail to notice the headlight bezel on that Alfa Romeo that's unique only to the 1986 model. Anyway thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!