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.
