<VV> Corvair evolution sparks the new "sporty car" industry

[Charles Lee]

As I remember it, until the Corvair, the "Big 3" figured that if you wanted 
a "nice" car, you had to buy a "big car," and if you wanted to save money 
with a small car, well, you didn't want a nice car anyway.

Hence, the first round small, "economy cars" in 1960 had simple trim, 
linoleum floor covering, plain bench seats, etc.

(I bought my first Corvair model, an AMT promo-like '60 700 sedan, from a 
cereal box offer for $1.)

I think it was the customers, and not GM, who discovered the spottiness of 
the Corvair, and Chevy made the Monza in response to those discerning 
customers.

All of the new line of small cars were much more nimble than their 2-ton 
counterparts, but none really had what the Corvair had - a very low center 
of gravity.

Then, later in 1960 with the 1960 Monza coupe, you got bucket seats, 
carpets, optional 4-speed, and nice trim that was previously only available 
on big cars.  You could even get this sporty trim on the sedan !

Men (and maybe not "P C" but especially women) loved it for the handling, 
and with a sedan available with a 4-speed and bucket seats, they had their 
"excuse" to buy it "for the family."

Chevy was still designing the car as an economical "utility vehicle" when 
they made the "Lakewood" in 1961, and surprisingly, carried the Monza trim 
over to the wagon in 1962 before dropping the wagon for the convertible. 
(Apparently GM thought that a car line should not have both ?  Maybe they 
used the wagon facilities to make the convertible ?)

Corvair's success as a "sporty car"  opened the floodgates and the other car 
makers followed with "fancy" small cars of their own.

The "Big 3" became convinced that they could sell options on small cars, 
too, and not just on big cars.

When, in 1962, with the introduction of the convertible and the 
Turbo-Charged "Spyder," the wagon was dropped as the Corvair's image changed 
to a "sporty car,"  Chevy committed to the "Sporty Car" image of the 
Corvair.

Unfortunately, this reputation would be the basis for the lawsuits that were 
to come later.  Ironically, after the Corvair fully evolved into the late 
model version, in 1967, it was again marketed as "America's Cheapest 
Hardtop," in an attempt to eliminate the Corvair's reputation from being the 
basis of further lawsuits against GM for claiming it was a sports car !

The real reason for Corvair's demise ?  Lots of speculation, but I think it 
was the fact that it cost over 90 cents per dollar earned to build a 
Corvair, while other "normal" cars, cost 70 or 80 cents (or less ?) to build 
per dollar earned.

Bottom line, pun intended, was that the Corvair was just too expensive to be 
profitable, especially after insipid "America's Cheapest Hardtop" campaign !

Even if GM had improved the image of the Corvair, would it have been cost 
effective to market it, when by 1967 (the year of the "America's Cheapest 
Hardtop" campaign) Chevy had a successful Camaro that was much cheaper to 
build, and the Corvette.

The Corvair, had GM continued it, would only erode another successful 
market, and there was no need to do that, so they didn't.

I've heard that the "Unsafe at Any Speed" controversy actually caused the 
Corvair to live another few years, simply to dispel the idea that they were 
"caving in" to Nader, but I like to think it was because they knew they had 
a great car and wanted to serve the true Corvair afficianado.

Anyway, that is how I remember it,

Chaz

PS:

In 1968, I had a new $5000 Mustang "fastback" on special order, with a 345 
HP, 302 Cu In V8, but it was a "limited edition" and only 500 were produced.

While my Mustang was on order, I drove my buddy's 1965 Corsa coupe, and 
absolutely fell in love with it.

I was not "fortunate" enough to get my Mustang (Ford offered to give me a 
427 or a 428) and I cancelled my order (the salesman was VERY upset as you 
can imagine).  I bought and paid for my first 1965 Corsa convert with the 
deposit from the Mustang (and no payments !)

I have owned  over a hundred Corvairs of all years, shapes and sizes.  (In 
the '70s, people GAVE them to me for FREE because they thought the were too 
unsafe to keep, or even sell "in good conscience" !)

I helped Tony Fiore, the world's greatest Corvair fan, to mail out his 
beloved "Corsa Communiqui" in 1969.  Those were great times.
I also helped to build the "Long Island Corvair Association" in 1971, when I 
lived in New York.

I only drive non-Corvairs under protest, and to keep the miles of my 
Corvair.

Chaz


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <AeroNed@aol.com>
To: <virtualvairs@corvair.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 8:42 AM
Subject: <VV> Corvair evolution


> This is my view of the Corvair evolution.
>
> The Corvair began it's life as a GM experiment to do something different.
> Perhaps to compete with small, inexpensive, foreign cars. The Corvair was 
> a
> rather large departure from the typical car being built at the time, 
> independent
> suspension, rear air cooled, aluminum engine, made it very unique. This
> uniqueness made it expensive to produce because of the low number of 
> common  parts
> with the rest of the production lines. At first the Corvair was a utility
> vehicle. The drivetrain was used for many different types of vehicles. 
> This was
> done to increase the number of vehicles that used the parts thus lowering
> production costs. The sportiness of the design was also "discovered." 
> Whether
> this discovery was made by GM or the customers, it was "exploited" by  GM 
> in
> the form of the introduction of the turbocharged Spyder. So the Corvair
> development split, practical transportation and sportscar.
>
> GM decided that the Corvair was not going to work economically in the mid
> sixties. This was obvious by the introduction of GM cars that competed 
> directly
> with the Corvair, (Chevy II, Camaro). There are many stories about GM
> continuing  Corvair production into the late 60s to save face after 
> Nader's charges.
> It took  GM to produce at least 2 vehicles to replace what the Corvair had
> evolved into  by the time it was replaced.
>
> All of the car produced by GM since the birth of the Corvair have been 
> very
> conventional with the possible exception of the Corvette. The only "big"
> change  has been the adoption of FWD in just about everything they build. 
> The
> Corvair  was such a big change in the "way things were done."  This 
> uniqueness is a
> large part of the Corvair's popularity some 45 years since it's
> introduction.
>
> Ned
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