Corvair | A Bit of History 

IMHO, GM ruled the styling world in the mid-60s. The second gen Corvair is a great example. This is a gorgeous car. What a treasure you've got!

When I was a kid in 1963 my brother-in-law had a black Corvair Monza. It was wonderful to ride in and I loved it.

I was a proud owner of three Corvairs, I bought a new 1962 Monza in '62 (which I raced in autocross races). a used '63 in 1966, and a brand new 1965 Corsa when they were introduced. I loved them all, but the Corsa was my absolute favorite.

Wish I still had the 1960 model I drove in high school. The gas (gasoline) fired heater was a godsend in North Dakota winters, with it's INSTANT heat, unlike conventional autos that relied on engine coolant to warm the interior of the vehicle. And it started in the coldest of temps, unlike a lot of classmate's cars. Gave a lot of rides in those days to stranded classmates.

Such a beautiful car, in amazing condition. The Corvair is a all time favorite for me, thank you for sharing Glenn.

I had a 65 convertible with the 180 hp turbo 4 sped. One of the most fun to drive cars I ever owned. Never had any problems with it and only sold it because I was drafted.

Such a jewel. The design, the flat 6 all make a Perfect package...not to mention the delightful convertible version... Congrats Glenn! 👏👏

Thank you for sharing this. I've owned 16 Corvairs and currently have 5. A 63 Monza was the first car I ever bought in 1974. I kinda like them.

As a Corvair owner. I can tell you, they won’t kill you lol.

Nicely done! Starting with my brother-in-law's 1960 Corvair which became my mother's and my first car to drive as a teenager. I bought my very first car which was a 1965 Corsa 140hp model I had for years. While I was stationed in Michigan with the USAF I bought a Corvair window van that was made into a camper with a pop top. My last Corvair I owned for 22 years, a 1966 Corsa 140hp. Great cars, great styling, great fun and very reliable.

I had a great little ‘64 Corvair from high school until I joined the Navy in ‘69. Great car. My folks had a ‘63.

Early sixties corvairs like the VW beetle and early Porsche needed an “anti sway bar” to suppress the heavy oversteer in rear engine cars. Most people were more comfortable going off a curve front first instead of rear end first. I owned a 64 Corvair and enjoyed driving the car. Good mpg. It did have a tendency to throw off fan belts.

As a 66’ Monza owner, I loved that car and wished I never had sold it. Super fun to drive and very eye catching styling. It wasn’t exactly a rocket ship with its 140 hp, but the manual 4 speed kept the fun factor up there. I wish it had a more appropriate 200+ hp, now that would be the bomb. I once was stopped at a light and flashy red convertible whizzed thru the intersection and at first I thought it was euro import like a Alfa Romeo Spyder till I saw the familiar Corvair taillights. Man that red with a camel tan top and alloy wheels was sexy as can be. I still love the styling of this car all these years later.

I had two of these and loved both very fun to drive and great in snow ..😊

Tornado? Truly a SURVIVOR. Congratulations on owning what must be the finest on the planet.

Actually some Corvairs DID get the spare tire in the trunk, cars with factory air conditioning had the huge Frigidaire compressor mounted where non-A/C cars got the spare. I own a 1966 Monza Sport Sedan with factory air and the spare is located in the trunk 😎

What could have been with GM and the Corvair we will never know . Porsche sure took that engine design to the next level . From its inception I have always been fond of the Corvair . Even today the lines on this car are beautiful.

This is where the got the inspiration for the Camaro from IMO. If you look at both of them you can see it clear as day. We had a 63 Monza coupe gold in color. 140 Man was it fun in the snow and it did very well in the bad conditions.

They were great little cars! Handled just as a rear engined car! Add a sway bar and Goodyear Blue Streaks and they were the equal of any 356 Porsche on Mulholland. My mom and sis each had a Monza. FYI, I had a '54Porsche Speedster.

Very, very nice 66 Monza Corvair & thanks for putting those Porches people in there place! 1 note it was VW that introduced the 4 cylinder air cooled engine that became the Porches engine.If you really think about it Porches have nothing in common with a Corvair other than the 7 letters in there perspective names, Porches where always a sports car when it was air cooled ,& Corvair had a turbo charged engine in 1962! Porches did not offer 1 till 1976 ,& Corvair based on its engine offered several platforms ,never a sports .Chevrolet already had the Corvette , but in 1966 Don Yenko did produce a copo Corvair known as the Stinger it was the only produced Corvair that was a sport car In retrospect depending on what stage the owner ordered.Thanks for the video.

The Tucker Torpedo ("48") was also a flat-6 under the rear hood; a 335-cubic-inch helicopter engine from Air Cooled Motors designed by Ben Parsons. It made upwards toward 170 bhp at 3,200 rpm and 375 lb/ft. of torque.

Greeting Mr. Corvair. My first car was a 1959 Corvair I purchased from a salvage yard for fifty dollars. Four-cylinder automatic transmission with gas heater in the front trunk. I had just turned sixteen. Well after several months I finally got to run right, then it happened, I purchased my second Corvair 1960. It was identical to my first. I did not have a running engine but still cost fifty dollars. Worked out well since the tree in the fence row only dented the front of my first car. A year later I purchased my third Corvair 1965 identical to yours. It had four one-barrel carburetors and a manual transmit ion. Two of the four were for passing. You pushed the pedal to the floor, backed off a little and stomped it. This opened the other two carburetors and hang on. I had never been in a car doing one hundred and fifty miles per hour. Only once, never again because the front tires were floating above the payment. I had my parents sell it when I went into the service, wish I had kept it. Thanks for sharing. Ron Ross Tulsa.

My wife has. ‘62 700 coupe with 17000 mile that I restored for her . She loves it ! Beautiful’66!! 👍🙋‍♂️🖖🏻

That is one beautiful Corvair! The original owner obviously valued this car and took care of it, and the second owner is a worthy successor of the car. I've seen photos of the late 60s Monza convertible and would love to have one, as the design as a convertible was very appealing.

During this time period, the Gen2 Corvair was more advanced than the Porsche. GM should have done their homework and fought back against Ralph Nader. This car was replaced by the Vega.....seriously? I had the 1965 Corvair Corsa 140 hp with 4 carbs. Fantastic car! A flood destroyed it and the car insurance company would not let me buy it back from them. I haven't bought another GM product since then. Wonderful car!

3:11 Ralph Nader did not even have a driver’s license! His attack was unfair and biased.

I had a 61 as an everyday driver for 24 years put 340000 miles on it two engine rebuilds great car

Growing up, our family had a 64 Monza convertible (110), later on I had a 66 Corsa convertible (140). My Mom worked at a tire store and was given a free set of Michelin radials, it was funny seeing mechanics shake their heads when my five foot and a bit mom tried to tell them the tires weren't flat. ;-D

I've had two Corvairs , both were fun to drive .

Loved that little car it was fun to drive, good on gas and safe to ride in with good drivers.

Wow! Thanks for the history lesson. So what I gather from this story is there wouldn’t be a Chevrolet if it wasn’t for Ed Cole. The Corvair is on my list of the most beautifully designed cars from GM along with the 1949 Buick; 1971 Toronado, C2 and C6.

Well done Bruce! I enjoy this video, and thanks for sharing.

My dad brought a brand new 4-door hardtop Corvair in 1965. I was 12 years old and my sister was 10. He had a 1958 BelAir 4-door sedan. He learned to drive in that car and 2 years later, he decided to drive across country from Chicago to Los Angeles where his brother lived. The Corvair was a wonderful car. Being that we kids were small, the back seat had more than enough head-room. Dad wasn't a mechanic. His reason for buyinng the car was because it was a new breed of American car and the idea of an air-cooled rear engine was something of a prize to show his friends. We never had a problem with the car driving cross-country. Dad bought an "air conditioner" that plugged into the cigarette lighter. Basically is was a fan in a box-like contraption that you would put a block of ice into a recepticle. Definitely not an option of the car. But because there was no transmission hump, the floor was flat enough to accomodate this thing. Dad was proud of that. A new car with "optional" A/C. Going through the desert there and back was a cinch. Had good memories of the trip. A lot of firsts for me as a kid. Dad even named the car ... Cora Belly Vair. LOL

After all these years I just realized I have been pronouncing the word GARAGE completely wrong.

As a Corvair owner I’ve never had a car handle as good as my Corvair And I’ve had minis BMW corvette Audi and Lexus

I love your Corvair. I always liked them. I remember seeing them on the road when I was a little kid. Once when I was little, my mom had her girlfriend over and she was telling us that she went out with her girlfriends in a Corvair. She was in the backseat when all of the sudden smoke started coming out from behind the back seat. I still remember that story from when I was little.

Love Corvairs, I own a1962 Corvair Station wagon 4 speed

I had 2 1965 Corvair Monza's both had the 4carb 140hp 4speed standard one a 2 door other 4 door in the early 1970's , I am missing them now !

Corvair, 2nd generation, is a gorgeous car. It's muscular with just a few curves.

I’ve had a 1968 for quite some time now and they are beautiful nice cars

I own a 1967 Corvair Monza,the MOST ENJOYABLE AND FUN CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN!!!!!!!!!!👍👏😁💪💗3speed.

I really like the Corvair, especially the second generation. I had a girlfriend who had one, a birthday present from her father, an engineer who worked for a key GM supplier. It was a Monza, two door, red, with the high horsepower engine. I lost the girl but wish I could have kept the car.😉

It is really a nice car. I remember a couple of them in Burnaby around the hood back in the 80's. It really looks great.

started the bucket seat trend 1960 , 4speed floor shift 1961, turbos 1962, 4 wheel ind suspension 1965 than came the mustang 1965-69 times less design

thanks for the review...i had a 65 monza 2 door in white.....smooth running little car

Amazing time capsule love ❤️ it

Beautiful! Lefty Nader not so much.

I knew guys that raced em back in late 70, and early 80,s after market or modified rear sway bars solved the problem on the rear end, the cylinder heads were a joke ,in terms of flow (NA) but a turbo helps ,because the intake ports are fucked ,they dont have separate intake ports for each six intake valves, , oil coolers are needed ,the bigger the better

Beautiful Corvair love them .❤️❤️

Great review I really enjoyed it very informative

I had a 63 corsair ragtop great vehicle and a 65 both great cars wish I still had them

My 1964 Corvair Monza Spyder 4 speed standard convertible had good start ability in the snow. Due to the drivetrain being over the rear wheels. But it had poor directional stability due to how light the front end was. It had almost instant heat in the Winter due to the entire hot engine air of the engine not using a liquid coolant to heat up. Unlike Volkswagen just using the exhaust manifolds only for heating the cabin.

nicely done thanks

I owned a 65 Monza convertible with auto trans. It did need a little weight in the front, at about 70 MPH the steering wasn't very responsive. I used it on a 50 mile paper route. Biggest problem was the seals. I would go out every morning, put a quart of oil in it and then check the oil. Maybe ahead of its time but a great car.

My '61 4door Corvair would take 90degree turns at 25mph. I dare you to try that with a modern normal car. Loved that old car and so did my children.

We had one way back. it was a great car.

Looks amazing

Too bad it had the power glide transmission.

had a 1963 Corvair Monza---great in snow--deadly on ice

Beautiful car . Great vid thx

Also, Ralph Nader was a “putz “. The only way he was able to give the Corvair any problem was to run the tires off then make a 180 and roll it when the rims dug into the dirt !!

My parents and I have owned 13 Corvairs from 1960 - 1967 model years. The only one to have a dual master cylinder like yours was the 1967. The 65 -66 both had single cylinder. Your car is beautiful, what are the knobs under the light and wiper switches?

Probably the most famous person to die in a Corvair was comedian/actor Ernie Kovacs

Never listen to a single politician who thinks they know car engineering or car safety.

Very nice

Thank you for this video keep the corvair alive, I was able to get a blue 4 door 65 covair is Saskatchewan

Thank you for properly calling it a trunk and not the ridiculous "frunk"

It's my only love. We owned one flying over railroad tracks, dipping the front into lakes, and just enjoying sitting in it in the early 60s. Nader was an a-hole for sure BUT I am a retired aerospace engineer. Structurally, 60s cars were made like tanks without seat belts. Bump someone, ya went through the windshield which was not safety glass. The VW bug was built as a Nazi helmet. The wonderful Corvair had dozens of ways for you to die. In a rollover you were dead, no two ways about it. In a head-on everything else on the road was heavier by tons and harder. The Corvair had a real 6 cylinder engine and could go fast. The VW bug had a hard time getting up to 50 mph especially in a head wind. I love the Spider Monza Corvair, but they had to go. Ford Mustang got rid of any thoughts of buying a Chevy Corvair.

What was done to the dash? Extra switches added under light and wiper. That is not factory and I have never seen it it in 40+ years of Corvairs. Was rhere an option I’m missing?

My friend had a Corvair Spider kinda bad ass.

I always wondered why Nader didn’t also go after the rear-engined VW’s and Porsche’s.

New info. That’s high class, having A/C in a Corvair. Thanks for sharing.

Lindo carro, como eu queria um desses

Beautiful car! 😍

Our family had a 63 Spyder convertible in 1964. White black gut. Thing was a screamer. Kept till 1983 sold for 10k..garages all the time tooo

I have a 1965 500 cp with15,000 original miles. A true little old ladies car and a clone to my first car that I purchased new July 1965. Original except paint that was applied back prior to 1986. I have owned the car since 1986 and I am the third owner.

The C8 Corvette should have been named the Corvair and the Corvette should have continued as a front engine.

Glenn your CORVAIR is beautiful. I would love one but ther are not any available in Scotland

No, that report showed that the Corvair was the ONLY car that would track so well, that it would even correct itself out of a skid; of all the cars tested, not even the Volkswagen could do that. It was also learned that Nader conspired with Ford to ruin the sales and reputation of the Corvair, and Chevrolet; the video footage showed that it was Ford drivers and engineers had purposefully re-engineered the Corvairs to fail.

Gorgeous car!

Most fun and best handling car I ever owned, Ralph Nader And Joe Biden have a lot in common Nether no what there talking about and bought are spoilers! I'd by another if available!

Nice.

My Aunt bought the Monza Spyder with dual carbs. My mom owned the 66 Corvair Monza. Mine was the original model from 1962?

Meanwhile in the thumbnail the dad is screaming at the kid for not having his seat belt on

Sir, you implied that the Falcon sold in the US was being built in Australia. Every Falcon sold in the US was built in the US. Australia Ford cars were often designs and names used in the US .but we're built there. Thankyou

WOW. !!

Awesome car

What a cool car!

Would love to see a test drive :)

Hmm I actually have a Corvair with a small black V8. It's very powerful.

Porsche came out with the flat-six air-cooled in 1963 for the 911.

Car payments were like $50 a month for three years. Insurance was affordable. Gas mileage was great!

I read somewhere that someone did wind tunnel tests on the two generations of Corvairs and found that the first style was "slightly" more aerodynamic (how much?). ;-)

My father had one. It was all he could afford at the time back in 1964. (After the divorce...hehe) I was 9 years old then and my father would show me how well his Corvair could go through the ice & snow. These little cars were far superior to regular rear wheel drive vehicles back then when it came to getting traction. I truly miss riding around in one. They are very fun to drive.

I believe it waz all the tiers of the time. Hard compound.

I owned a 64 and have driven several other years. The pre-64 suspension was an absolute engineering and handling disaster, and was rightfully considered unsafe. The 64 put a big enough bandaid on it to be OK, but just barely. I'll agree that the 65 and later had fine suspension (though still not well balanced, though if you move the spare and battery from the engine compartment to the trunk it was a pretty good). For those who maintain the 63 and earlier were safe/good, why is it that no one uses this design anymore? You'll still find plenty of beam/rigid axles (a much older technology which is still used... because it's safe). No one makes suspension like this anymore... because it SUCKS! GM's engineers knew it sucked and didn't want to use it, but the finance dept over-ruled them to get the cost down. Had GM come out with the 65 suspension from the get-go, Nader would never have written his book.

My mom had a Monza. Her dad modified the suspension.

I know what a 'gar-AJ' is but what's a 'deckle' ?

Love the Corvair

Center of drag ahead of center of mass ... and you say there is no problem? Swing axles produce camber changes ... fact of life, no 'controversy'.