History
The Corvair was built by Chevrolet and sold from 1960 to 1969. This unique, for USA, air cooled six cylinder rear engine, independent suspension, monocoque body car took many years to develop with the first prototype carrying Holden badging to conceal GM's intentions. When the car was first launched in 1959 it received numerous awards and the concept and styling were copied by European car makers. The sedans appeared in two body styles, series 1 from 1960 to 1964 and series 2 from 1965 to 1969. The car came to notoriety when Ralph Nader singled it out in his book "Unsafe at Any Speed". Later investigations found that it was no less safe than any other car of that period, however the damage had been done and the Corvair's fate was sealed. The uniqueness of the car made it an easy target for a lawyer wanting to make a name for himself. Owners of Corvairs in the sixties included Carl Sagan and John Glenn to name a few. The first car Don Yenko modified for racing was a Corvair and the Yenko Stingers are still raced regularly, and successfully, in classic events in USA. There remain many Corvair enthusiasts in the USA including Jay Leno and Tim Allen.
My car was purchased from a classic car auto dealer in Denver, Colorado and came out of a collection. The model is a 1965 Corsa Coupe. Corsas were only made in 1965 and 1966 and came with either a four carby 140 HP engine or a turbo charged 180 HP engine, which mine is. The car has four on the floor and a limited slip diff so it is a great car to drive on twisty rural roads.
Why did I buy a Corvair? In 1965 I saw a writeup in a sports car magazine and thought the car was beautifully designed and innovative matching the best at that time. It was only recently that I discovered that Corvairs still existed and now had the means to purchase one. Importing was an education in its own right.
Modifications
The car is completely standard with no modifications other than radial ply tires instead of cross ply.
