Chevrolet Corvair

The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 (base model) selling for under $2,000. Powered by an 80 hp (60 kW; 81 PS) engine and three-speed manual or optional extra cost two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, the Corvair was designed to have comparable acceleration to the six-cylinder full-size Chevrolet Biscayne. The Corvair's unique design included the "Quadri-Flex" independent suspension. Similar to designs of European cars such as Porsche, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and others it used coil springs at all four wheels with independent rear suspension arms incorporated at the rear. Specially designed tires mounted on 13 inch wheels with 5.5 in. width were standard equipment. Available options included the Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission ($146) Gasoline Heater ($74) AM tube radio ($54) and a rear folding seat ($32) In January 1960, two-door coupe models of the 500 and 700 series were introduced.


Engine
2,296 cc (2.3 L) Flat-6
2,375 cc (2.4 L) Flat-6 (1961–63)
2,683 cc (2.7 L) (1964)




Sales figures for the quarter revealed to Chevrolet management that the Corvair was much more of a specialty car than a competitor to the conventionally designed Ford Falcon or Chrysler's Valiant. They quickly began the design program that resulted in the new conventional economy car, the Chevy II, for the 1962 model year. The line quickly grew from utilitarian bench seat sedans and coupes to the more plushly appointed bucket seat interiors of the new 900 series Monza. It hit showroom floors in the Spring 1960. Two available options on the Monza were a more powerful engine, rated at 95 hp (71 kW; 96 PS) thanks to a more radical camshaft paired with low-restriction exhaust, and the introduction of a fully synchronized, four-speed transmission. Despite its late introduction, the Monza sold 12,000 units, making it one of the most popular Corvairs.
The Corvair was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1960.
The 1961 Monza was heavily promoted and referred to as "the poor man's Porsche" in various car magazines. The Monza series expanded with a four-door sedan body style in addition to the two-door coupe, and garnered about 144,000 sales

A station wagon body-style, marketed as the Lakewood joined the lineup in 1961 with its engine located under the cargo floor and offering 68 ft³ (1.9 m³) of cargo room; 58 ft³ in the main passenger compartment, and another 10 ft³ in the front trunk. The Corvair engine received its first size increase to 145 cu in (2.4 L) via a slight increase in bore size. The base engine was still rated at 80 hp (60 kW; 81 PS) when paired with the manual transmissions and 84 hp (63 kW; 85 PS) when mated to the optional automatic transmission in Monza models. The engine was rated at 98 hp (73 kW; 99 PS). To increase luggage capacity in the front trunk, the spare tire was relocated to the engine compartment (in cars not ordered with air-conditioning) and new "direct air" heater directed warmed air from the cylinders and heads to the passenger compartment. The gasoline heater remained available as an option through 1963. Factory air conditioning was offered as a mid-1961 option introduction. The condenser lay flat atop the horizontal engine fan. A large, green-painted reverse rotation version of the standard GM Frigidaire air conditioning compressor was used, and an evaporator housing was added under the dash with integrated outlets surrounding the radio housing. Air conditioning was not available on wagons, Greenbrier/Corvair 95, or the turbocharged models introduced later due to space conflicts in those models. Chevrolet also introduced the Corvair 95 line of light-duty trucks, which used the Corvair Powerpack and are forward-control, or "cab over", with the driver sitting over the front wheels, as in the Volkswagen Type 2.
The Greenbrier Sportswagon used the same body as the "Corvan 95" panel van with the side windows option, but was marketed as a station wagon and was available with trim and paint options similar to the passenger cars. The "Corvan 95" model was also built in pickup versions; the Loadside was a fairly typical pickup of the era, except for the rear engine, forward controls, and a pit in the middle of the bed. The more popular Rampside, which had a unique large fold-down ramp on the side of the pickup bed making it easy to load wheeled items.

In 1962 Chevrolet introduced the Corvairs with few changes at the beginning of the year. The bottom line 500 series station wagon was dropped and the 700 became the base station wagon. The "Lakewood" name was dropped. The ever popular Monza line then took on a wagon model to round out the top of the line. In Spring of 1962 Chevrolet really committed itself to the sporty image they had created for the Corvair by finally introducing a Convertible version and then offering a high performance 150 hp (112 kW; 152 PS) turbocharged "Spyder" option for Monza coupes and convertibles, making the Corvair the first production automobile to come with a turbocharger as a factory option, with the Oldsmobile F-85 Turbo Jetfire a few weeks later in 1962. Corvair station wagons were discontinued at that point in favor the new Corvair Convertible and Chevy II (built at the same assembly plant). The slow selling Loadside pickup was discontinued at the end of the model year. The rest of the Corvair 95 line of Forward Control vehicles continued on. Optional equipment included Metallic brake linings and a heavy duty suspension consisting of a front anti-roll bar, rear axle limit straps, revised spring rates and recalibrated shock absorbers. The Turbocharged Spyder equipment group featured a multi-gauge instrument cluster which included a tachometer, cylinder head temperature and intake manifold pressure gauges, Spyder fender script and Turbo logo deck emblems in addition to the high performance engine.
The Monza Coupe was the most popular model with 151,738 produced out of 292,531 total Corvair passenger car production for 1962. The Corvair was fast becoming the darling of the sporty car crowd. Many aftermarket companies offered a vast array of accessories for the Corvair, everything from imitation front grilles to serious performance upgrades such as additional carburetors, superchargers and performance exhaust and suspension upgrades. One of America's most successful race drivers, John Fitch chose the Corvair as the basis for his "Sprint" models. They were created at his shop in Connecticut by adding various performance improvements along with unique styling touches. Individual components were also available through his mail-order business. Several Chevrolet dealers became authorized Sprint dealers able to install his conversions as well.
The 1963 model year saw the optional availability of a long 3.08 gear for improved fuel economy, but the Corvair otherwise remained largely carryover with minor trim and engineering changes. Self adjusting brakes were new for 1963. The Monza line was really proving its worth. Of all the Corvairs sold in 1963 fully 80% were Monzas. The Convertible model counted for over 20% of all the Monzas sold. Sporty image means big profits.
For 1964 significant engineering changes occurred, while the model lineup and styling remained relatively unchanged. The engine displacement was increased from 145 to 164 cu in (2.3 to 2.7 L) due to an increase in stroke; the base engine power increased from 80 to 95 hp (60 to 70 kW), and the high performance engine increased from 95 to 110 hp (70 to 80 kW). The Spyder engine rating remained at 150 hp (112 kW) despite the displacement increase of the engine. 1964 saw an improvement in the car's swing axle rear suspension with the addition of a transverse leaf spring along with softer rear coil springs designed to diminish rear roll stiffness and foster more neutral handling attributes. Spring rates could now be softer at both ends of the car compared to previous models. The heavy duty suspension was no longer optional, although all models now had a front anti-roll bar as standard. Brakes were improved with finned rear drums. The remaining pickup, the Rampside, was discontinued at the end of the model year.