Description
Up until the end of the 1950s, most American car makers offered just one type of vehicle: the BIG ones. Imports from Europe, such as Volkswagen, Renault and Fiat, showed that there was a market in the United States for smaller cars—mainly as a second car or as an alternative for tighter budgets. Under the leadership of CEO Edward N. Cole, Chevrolet developed a new, groundbreaking vehicle. It was fitted with an air-cooled flat-six engine, built almost entirely from aluminium. The engine was mounted at the rear and drove the rear wheels via a compact automatic transaxle. The suspension was independent at all four wheels. There was no conventional chassis: it was the first monocoque built by Fisher. The styling was unconventional for Detroit—subtle and elegant, with no rear fins and no chrome grille. It was a compact car by American standards, but a big one for most of the rest of the world.
The Corvair we’re offering for sale is a Club Coupé in the “Monza Series 900” specification. It was the most luxurious and upmarket model in the Corvair range. Originally, the car was delivered in a striking colour combination: Tuxedo Black (900) with a Medium Red vinyl interior. The interior is still original and looks superb. The car has been resprayed once in the original colour, with paint thickness between 120 and 180 µm—absolutely exceptional. So the paintwork is simply gorgeous. What’s more, this car is fitted with the Powerglide automatic gearbox, developed specifically for the Corvair, which makes it one of the easiest cars to drive in the 1960s. It’s also very quiet, with a beautifully sounding air-cooled flat-six mounted at the rear. The Club Coupé design (1960–1964) is without doubt the best-looking of all Corvairs, and the car always draws positive reactions wherever you go.
As thousands of devoted fans have discovered, Corvairs are nimble, spirited, stylish and enjoyable to drive! Today, despite a somewhat unusual mechanical layout and a mixed reputation, a well-organised network of clubs and parts suppliers means that almost every enthusiast can own these rewarding vehicles practically and economically. The Corvair is an outstanding car, and makes an ideal introduction to the world of classic collecting. It’s a bit eccentric in terms of design, but at the same time it was very far ahead of its era. And besides, it’s still very affordable, and it always gets everyone’s approval at every event.
