Ford corvair

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Carmakers have been comparing their products to competing products ever since there have been more than one car to buy. And, of course, no one expects one company to go out of their way to be sure that both cars get an equal and fair shake, because why the hell would they? Because why else would they make it? Parts of it are also enjoyably catty, too. The Falcon was an extremely conventional car design, essentially a scaled-down Ford Galaxie.

Ford corvair

Above all, the Corvair will always be remembered as being different — very different. Instead, the company charted a more radical design course that ultimately proved fatal for this most controversial of all automotive brands. Back in the s, North American cars were mostly road-hog huge, equipped with equally large petroleum-swallowing engines and acres of chrome. Gas was dirt-cheap, and the majority of drivers neither knew nor cared about such a mundane issue as fuel economy. Smog was viewed simply as a necessary, if unfortunate evil, and vehicle emission controls had yet to be invented. But there was concern in Detroit. Those pesky imports — Volkswagen, in particular, lead the charge — were invading North America in ever-increasing numbers. With one eye on a shrinking market share and the other eye firmly fixed on the bottom line, GM, Ford and Chrysler executives set about to develop cars intended to blunt this infestation. By fall , the Big Three rolled out their respective new compact offerings. The Ford Falcon and the Plymouth Valiant were traditional sedans powered by comparably thrifty six-cylinder engines. But the public stared slack-jawed at what GM had wrought. The Corvair featured an horsepower air-cooled horizontally opposed flat six-cylinder aluminum engine positioned where the trunk traditionally would be.

With its newly introduced four-speed floor-mounted transmission, DeLuxe vinyl bucket seats, and upscale trim, the Monza Club Coupe gained in sales, as nearlyford corvair produced along with 33, Monza four-door sedans.

The Ford Falcon and slightly more revolutionary Plymouth Valiant, for example, both tucked the engine up front with a solid rear axle driving the rear wheels—just like their full-size Fairlane and Dodge Dart big brothers yes, the Dart was a full-size car in The Chevrolet Corvair was something else entirely. Hitting the road in as a model, the Corvair represented a sharp departure from domestic-automaker convention: An hp, air-cooled aluminum flat-six engine ran behind a transaxle, way in the back, and the car featured unit-body construction and swing-axle rear suspension. The Corvair was the future, or at least it looked a lot like the future. Sure, cost factors—along with the gnashing of accounting and engineering—resulted in a car that could have been better, but the Corvair drove into the world as it was. Except for one little thing: The Corvair, like any rear-engine car, could, in fact, oversteer enough to get a driver not familiar with rear-engine driving dynamics in some rear-first trouble. Combine unexpected oversteer with a swing-axle independent rear suspension, and things could get … surprising.

In the US, the Corvair was unprecedented for its rear-engine, the first American mass-production car to adopt a configuration common in Europe since the s and even earlier. Its very low height suggested a sporty car, even though the initial sedan had no real sporting aspirations; that would come a bit later, in the Monza coupe. And undoubtedly, its clean lines were attractive to many American import car buyers, which explains why it sold so well to that contingent. The Corvair had no real lasting influence on American car styling. And its influence on the pony cars and sporty coupes was huge.

Ford corvair

Until the s, most American auto manufacturers made one size of car: large. The Revolutionary Corvair. In , all the major makers planned to introduce a "compact" brand.

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At the time, the Corvair seemed like a breath of fresh air through the stale US industry. The Drive. Can we please put a stop to this somehow? Chevrolet was trying to impose too much responsibility on often car-ignorant drivers. The first time Chevrolet manufactured an air-cooled engine was briefly in with the Chevrolet Series M Copper-Cooled , which due to engineering challenges, was deemed a failure. By fall , the Big Three rolled out their respective new compact offerings. It is believed that only fourteen Stingers were built. GM saw the advantages of developing the Camaro , not the Corvair. These were eventually offered as a special performance option, along with the 3. Sales crumbed: under , cars in , barely over 27, in , around 15, in and just 6, in A sports racing car — the Piranha — was developed around the same time, to demonstrate the use of a new plastic for the structural parts of the automobile — Cyclic ABS. The Front Chevy emblem was painted blue remaining this color until the end of production. All advertising was stopped and sales were down to 15, The model year had the optional availability of a long 3.

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Nader said during subsequent Congressional hearings, the Corvair is "the leading candidate for the un-safest-car title". DeLorean had his own axe to grind with the corporation, having departed unhappily in These were eventually offered as a special performance option, along with the 3. My Search. Accept Deny Manage options Save preferences Manage options. Car Guy - RHM. At the rear, new larger taillight lenses were used featuring a thin chrome ring around the center of the light. And, of course, no one expects one company to go out of their way to be sure that both cars get an equal and fair shake, because why the hell would they? As chief engineer, Cole was also heavily involved in the development of the Corvette sports car. Individual components were available to customers and several Chevrolet dealers became authorized to install the "Sprint" conversions.