Chevrolet Corvair Monza - innovative technology with a twist

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza - innovative technology with a twist

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Created on September 18, 2015

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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General Motors

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Archiv Reinhard / Max Pichler

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the roof can be lowered almost completely

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - up to six people could ride in the limousine

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - simple, elegant design

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the shape gives no indication of the drive concept

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - little chrome, a crease around the whole car

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - also two double lights at the rear

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - a four- to five-seater convertible

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - weighing only around 1.1 tons

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - very innovative design for Chevrolet

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the little man's Porsche?

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - from the front, the open-top version hardly differs from the coupé and saloon

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - thin window mullions, maximum all-round visibility

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - easy-care artificial leather

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - with four-speed gearbox

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - simple cockpit

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - however, the Spyder was not 160 km/h fast without a turbo

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - steering wheel with thin rim, power steering was not necessary

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - with horn ring

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - a band speedometer in the early Corvair

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Medium wave radio

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Glove compartment lid in metal

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - clock built into the glove compartment lid

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the six-cylinder boxer engine is hidden under here

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the spare wheel fits easily into the engine compartment

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the cooling fan is driven by a belt

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the six-cylinder boxer engine is air-cooled

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Carburetor on each side

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the nameplate

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the engine compartment, not the trunk, opens at the rear

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - of course a radiator grille is missing at the front

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Twin headlights

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - lettering on the flank

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Chrome rear-view mirror

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Door handle

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Gas cap

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the engine is ventilated by the overhead cooling fins

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Cooling fins for the rear engine

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - curves and edges

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Engine cover with cooling fins

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - clearly labeled

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - beautifully drawn rear lights

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - the round corners

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - double rear lights were also "in" for other brands at the time

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - Rear lights

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - delicate wheel covers

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Chevrolet Corvair 500 (1960) - four-door version

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Chevrolet Corvair Deluxe 700 (1960) - in front of a powerful backdrop

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Club (1962) - Coupé

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Chevrolet Corvair (1961) - contemporary brochure illustration from 1961

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

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupé (1962) - as a record vehicle

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

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible (1962) - for sun worshippers

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

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder Convertible (1964) - with minor modifications

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spider (1963) - Year of manufacture 1964

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder Convertible (1964) - side view

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder Convertible (1962) - at the motor show

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Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder (1962) - View into the engine compartment of the turbo version

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Chevrolet Corvair (1965) - air-cooled rear engine in the rear of the American car as the only representative of this design from the USA - Geneva Motor Show 1965

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Chevrolet Corvair (1961) - See-through drawing shows the space available in the 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 Rampside (1961) - as a commercial vehicle

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Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Sport Coupe (1965) - new look for the rear-engined car with six-cylinder boxer engine - Geneva Motor Show 1965

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Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Sport Coupe (1965) - with completely revised styling

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Chevrolet Corvair Corsa (1965) - even then with turbocharger and six-cylinder boxer engine

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Summary

From 1959 to 1969, General Motors produced around 1.7 million Chevrolet Corvairs, a compact car that was supposed to give the European competition a run for its money. Despite modern technology and pioneering design approaches, however, the rear-engined car failed due to bad publicity caused by consumer advocate Ralph Nader. With its air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine in the rear, the Corvair looks a little like a Porsche Panamera predecessor, but has its own special charms, especially as a convertible, which this driving report aims to convey in text and pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

Counterattack
Rich in innovation
Design sample
Many variants
Positive reception
Über-Corvair
Character assassination
Improvements
Porsche in limousine guise?
Or the luxury Beetle that never was?
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It has an air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine in the rear, four independent wheel suspensions and was built to be particularly light, but it is not a Porsche, it is a Chevrolet. Around 1960, the Corvair embodied the concentrated innovative power of the Americans, but was not to become a success story. As American car buyers became increasingly interested in more compact (and European) cars, the big three vehicle manufacturers in the USA - Ford, Chrysler and General Motors - could no longer stand on the sidelines. In quick succession, Chrysler presented the Valiant, Ford the Falcon and General Motors the Chevrolet Corvair. None of them were really compact, their dimensions were on a luxury class level in Europe. While Ford and Chrysler simply built smaller models, General Motors developed a completely new car concept.

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