Tag: corvair

The idiosyncratic Chevrolet Corvair hit the market for 1960, marking a major departure from common automobile production practices in the United States. The air-cooled rear-engined compact more closely resembled a Volkswagen than the land yachts rolling off most US assembly lines at the times. While its unique design attracted curious consumers, the car also attracted unwanted attention. Ralph Nader famously targeted the Corvair in his book Unsafe at Any Speed, which called out automakers for failing to implement known safety equipment. Eventually lawsuits rose surrounding the Corvair's alleged flaws. While General Motors intended to scrap the Corvair in 1967 before the book ever went to press, the little car's life earned an extension to make it appear that Nader didn't bully GM into...

Chevrolet introduced the only mass produced, air cooled, rear engined American car to the public on this day in 1959. Targeted at buyers of small imports such as the VW Beetle, the Chevrolet Corvair aimed to be an affordable commuter. It hit the market along side other small American cars for 1960, such as the Falcon and Valiant. It no doubt stood out from the crowd. Aside from its unusual running gear, the Corvair lacked tail fins and had a front end with no grille. These design elements, or lack thereof, dissuaded many buyers. The Corvair received a faux grille in later model years to appease the market. Ed Cole led efforts to bring the Corvair to market. He even made the cover of Time Magazine, along with the car, just days after it debuted. Though it won Car of the Year for 196...