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A breath of fresh air from Detroit - Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupé in the (historic) test

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Created on August 20, 1961

Text:

Olaf von Fersen

Photos:

General Motors

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Archiv

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General Motors

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Archiv

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Chevrolet Corvair Coupé - Some visual changes were made for the 1961 model year, for example the headlight surrounds were each given an "angular" finish towards the center.

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Chevrolet Corvair 500 (1960) - four-door version

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Ready for take-off - the Corvair, here a 60s sedan with two bench seats, was virtually revolutionary by American standards at the time.

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During the 1962 endurance test with drivers such as Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney and Al Unser, the modified Monza Coupé suffered engine damage, but the production Corvair proved its qualities and held out.

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza (1962) at the Geneva Motor Show - a sporty touch, on the increase

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Attractive coupé - the 62 model year again came with a modified front trim.

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Unconventional, but quite successful - unfortunately the Corvair was unable to realize its full potential...

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

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On very sunny days, it can get quite hot in the Corvair, a small disadvantage of the generous glazing. Otherwise, the comfort was impressive.

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The American rear-engine pioneer on the city limits of the Californian entertainment metropolis.

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - the design also stands out in the USA

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Chevrolet Corvair (1961) - everything open with this test car

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Chevrolet Corvair (1961) - Getting started

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The interior also underwent cosmetic changes. This is what the interior looked like in 1960.

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - Trunk

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Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - large trunk in the front

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From 1961, the spare wheel was stowed above the low-mounted engine. This increased the luggage capacity and reduced the service life of the spare wheel.

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The body of the Corvair - the rear sloping wings are clearly visible.

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Club Coupé (1963) - Year of manufacture 1964

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spider (1963) - also for the businessman

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Chevrolet Corvair XP 737 (1961) - Prototype with turbo, developed by Bill Mitchell, Head of GM Design

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

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

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Chevrolet Corvair Rampside (1961) - as a commercial vehicle

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Assembly of the Chevrolet Corvair (and the Opel Rekord) at GM Suisse in Biel in 1960

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Chevrolet Corvair 500 (1960) - viertürige Variante

Chevrolet Corvair Deluxe 700 (1960) - vor kräftiger Kulisse

Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupé (1962) - als Rekordfahrzeug

Chevrolet Corvair Monza (1962) am Genfer Automobilsalon - sportlicher Einschlag, im Zunehmen begriffen

Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900 Club Coupé (1962) - Seitenansicht, links

Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - Posieren vor dem Polizisten

Summary

When the need for more compact vehicles grew in the USA a good 60 years ago, the big three set about developing more "European" vehicles. General Motors was more innovative than Ford and Chrysler and launched the Corvair, a mid-size car which, with its air-cooled rear engine and generous amount of space, would also sell in the old world. This article reproduces an original test report from August 1961 and shows the Chevrolet Corvair in extensive historical images and sales material.

This article contains the following chapters

Why we are testing the Monza Coupé
The European sports car was the inspiration
But not a sports car...
Six-cylinder engine in the rear
Main load at the rear
How it drives

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

For years, American car manufacturers have been accused of lacking technical originality. While the European industry produces a multitude of totally different cars, American designers have stuck to the same cliché. It would be presumptuous to believe that these minor jibes would have prompted the world's largest automobile company to build a car unlike any other in the USA - but Chevrolet certainly wanted to create a vehicle with the Corvair which, apart from its dimensions, also created a clear distance from the models previously regarded as typically American through its technical design. The Chevrolet Corvair belongs to the first wave of American compact cars. With its displacement of 2.3 liters, its engine output of around 80 hp and its "realistic" size for non-American traffic conditions, it is without doubt a car that was also intended for export.

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Images of this article

Chevrolet Corvair 500 (1960) - viertürige Variante

Chevrolet Corvair Deluxe 700 (1960) - vor kräftiger Kulisse

Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupé (1962) - als Rekordfahrzeug

Chevrolet Corvair Monza (1962) am Genfer Automobilsalon - sportlicher Einschlag, im Zunehmen begriffen

Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900 Club Coupé (1962) - Seitenansicht, links

Chevrolet Corvair (1960) - Posieren vor dem Polizisten

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