Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside - the clever alternative to the VW flatbed

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside - the clever alternative to the VW flatbed

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Created on February 6, 2021

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Simon Laufer - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - unusual design for a pickup truck

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - pickup truck with an unusual design

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - with pretty two-tone paintwork

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - Rear tailgate, side access ramp

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - no radiator grille necessary, after all the engine is air-cooled

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - wide rear lights as a design feature

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - only 4.56 meters long

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - 2.41 meter wheelbase, less than the sedan

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - functional cockpit

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - Front bench seat for three people

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - Speedometer up to 160 km/h, somewhat optimistic

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - Fuel gauge always in view

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - straight steering column

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - Front-wheel drive design

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - View of the air-cooled six-cylinder boxer in the rear

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - flat boxer engine

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - Twin headlights as on the sedan

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - the six-cylinder engine left many a passenger car in its wake

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - the number "95" refers to the wheelbase of 95 inches or 2.41 meters

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - the wheel covers are from a later model year

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - with side loading ramp

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - almost too good to load

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - thanks to the relatively low angle of the ramp, the load can be driven in easily

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - the loading floor is stepped because of the rear engine

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - the six-cylinder boxer engine can be found under the cover

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - the rear flap can also be used as a shelf when loading

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - in contrast to the sedan with round rear lights, the pickup has elongated lights at the rear

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - ready for the load

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GMC L'Universelle (1955) - with folding side doors ("Cargo Doors")

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GMC L'Universelle (1955) - low loading floor and folding tailgate

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - Length comparison between Corvair and Impala Sport Sedan

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Chevrolet Corvair (1959) - Features - Amenities - Space for six people

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Chevrolet Corvair (1961) - slightly modified, the car went into 1961

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Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood Station Wagon (1961) - station wagon version

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - Rear-engined vehicle from General Motors - Geneva Motor Show 1960

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Chevrolet Corvair (1959) - Fan-cooled rear engine with six cylinders

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - view from diagonally above

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Chevrolet Corvair (1959) - Transparency drawing - Silhouette

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Chevrolet Corvair (1959) - the six-cylinder engine with boxer layout

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900 Club Coupé (1962) - side view, left

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Chevrolet Corvair Coupé 700 (1961) - with rear-wheel drive and rear engine, traction was ensured even in the snow

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Chervolet Corvair Monza (1962) - the turbo engine with 150 SAE horsepower

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Chevrolet Corvair (1961) - contemporary brochure illustration from 1961

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - Posing in front of the policeman

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Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier (1961) - Front-wheel drive bus with plenty of space

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Chervolet Covair 95 Rampside (1961) - View of the chassis platform

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Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sports Wagon (1961) - front view of the minibus

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Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sports Wagon (1961) - the bus in the style of the VW Bus

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Chevrolet Corvair Rampside (1961) - as a commercial vehicle

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1962) - for work and leisure

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 (1962) - advertising photos show the versatile application possibilities

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Chevrolet Corvan (1961) - test to demonstrate robustness - the car is lifted and then dropped using a magnet

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1961) - strong enough for an elephant

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Chervolet Covair 95 Rampside (1961) - easy loading

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Chervolet Covair 95 Rampside (1961) - it has never been so easy to pack up the lawnmower

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Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside (1961) - easy loading as a selling point

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Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon (1963) - Lot 122 - the sporty alternative to the VW bus - Auction of the classic car gallery in Gstaad on December 29, 2019

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Summary

With the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside pickup, General Motors introduced an extremely innovative load carrier at the beginning of the 1960s, which allowed the load to be driven directly onto the loading floor via a side ramp. With a payload of over 860 kg and innovative design features, including an air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine, the Rampside clearly set itself apart from the competition. This vehicle report tells the story of this unusual commercial vehicle, shows it in many pictures and tries to explain why it was not successful.

This article contains the following chapters

The surprising Corvair
L'Universelle
From sedan to van
The special pickup
The never-built Rampside Van
Not successful enough
Rarely in Europe

Estimated reading time: 4min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Haven't you ever dreamed of being able to drive your lawnmower or heavy e-bike straight into the back of your car? Chevrolet listened to such wishes and launched the Corvair 95 Rampside on the market in 1961. Despite interesting approaches, the pickup did not succeed as expected. When General Motors presented the Chevrolet Corvair as a sedan on October 2, 1959, the design turned out to be very un-American. The engine was located in the rear and the wheels were individually suspended all round. The power unit was not one of the tried-and-tested in-line six-cylinder or V8 engines, but a completely newly developed air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine. The technology was packaged in an elegant, self-supporting body without fins and the usual chrome frippery.

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