My sister drove a second generation '63 Plymouth Valiant and liked it so much she and her husband bought a '66 as their second car. Back when MoPar engineering was solid.
I have to believe that quite a few female Corvair passengers were not wearing slacks in the back seat. There are probably dozens of Baby Boomers who came to be from this subset of 1960s women. 11:52
1960 corvair weighed 2300 pounds vs falcons grotesque 3250 pounds. I guess that big bumper, trim, huge bumper jack, was worth all the gas spent on the extra 950 pounds to haul around? ! Corvair's power to weight ratio (1 hp per 24 pounds) vs the falcon's (1 hp per 36 pounds) was NO CONTEST !
You gotta love these ads, and how they're skewed in favor of the maker. The Corvair has no legroom in the back with the front seat all the way to the rear and no legroom in the front with the seat all the way forward. Imagine that!
Haha! I loved when we got to watch a film strip! But it seemed like the teacher always let the dorkiest, most distracted kid turn the film and they always got behind!
In 1972, the NHTSA found that Corvair was as safe or safer in its handling as its contemporaries. It was really a case of the cover up being worse than the crime.
My cousin had a falcon just like this one. She was sitting at a red light waiting to turn left when a hook and ladder fire engine turned in front of her hitting the front with the trailer wheels on the fire truck dragging her backwards up the street hitting parked cars on the side of the street as they went. 1 city block later she was fine, not a scratch. The falcon was a mess!. She ran out and bought another falcon!
Ha ha ha. In Russia, such stories are called "tales from the smoking room."IN fact, there are much more chances to survive an accident in Corvaire. I WILL JUSTIFY MY WORDS at the Corvaire disc brakes + 3-point seat belts + protective frame of the car interior + motor at the back that will not fly into the cabin in an accident give a much better chance of surviving in the Corvaire than in Ford
Actually, the Corvair has 4-wheel drum brakes, not discs. Still, it stops much shorter than any other car in its class. In fact, in a chart of various performance statistics published by Road & Track magazine in 1965, the only cars available in America to stop shorter than the Corvair from 60 mph were the Jaguar E-Type and the Corvette, both sports cars with 4-wheel disc brakes. Good company to be in!
The Falcon won in Argentina where they never need to alter the original design, it was only improved it during the 30 years it was manufactured. The Australian version is only nominally a Falcon since they constantly changed the design. But the Argentine version is still a very popular car even today where it is constantly celebrated.
@@corvairjim1 Ha! I owned a '63 Monza 990 convertible in 1967 and had to rebuild the entire engine, rings and valves along with pushrod tube seals of course. It had the two two barrel carbs that were difficult at best to sync. Spark plugs were a real chore to get to and you had to be extremely careful to not crossthread the holes as you installed them in those comparably soft aluminum heads. The Falcon had a cast iron block and cylinder head. And the Falcon's spark plugs were very easy to access. I don't know what experience you have with Whorevairs, but mine sucked. I had to pull the engine-transmission assembly three times over a year to replace the three piece aluminum riveted (!) flywheel. They had a bad habit of coming apart and rattling then the engine really vibrated. I've learned since then aftermarket manufacturers have developed once piece flywheels. Why oh why couldn't G.M. have done that in the first place?
funny how they saw " if your air cooled engine overheats you have to wait until it cools down " but that is much better than losing your coolant if a water cooled engine overheats if you are out in the middle of nowhere and don't have any water or having your head gasket blow out or your head or block crack . with an air cooled engine it does'nt really hurt anything when it gets hot you just lose a bit of power . i like the simplicity of an air cooled engine and the traction advantage of having the engines weight over the drive wheels
We never got the Corvair in Australia but we did get the Falcon from day 1. It looked really good but after a few months Ford was on the back foot. Our tougher roads destroyed the ball joints and suspension towers on the Falcon which was designed for American freeways. The next Australian Falcon had ball joints and towers which were twice as strong as their American counterparts. GM's Aussie car (the Holden) had been designed in Australia at the outset and was as strong as grandpa's axe!
I bought a 1965 Corvair 500 in 1972 with 20,000 miles on it. Loved it. Was very stylish and had ice cold factory air. This car was much better looking than the 1965 Falcon and had a European look to it. Only paid $330.00 for it from an old lady and sold it 7 years later for $1,200.00 with 69,000 miles on it. Wish I still had it!
@@chuckster3629 They don't "shake themselves apart" . Flat-6 engines have excellent primary balance, just like straight 6's. A Corvair engine should be quite smooth unless something is wrong with it or the mounts
@@kw9849 I owned a used '63 Corvair Monza 990 convertible that was less than 5 years old. It had factory dual carbs, one on each side of the engine. Trying to keep those carbs balanced and in synch was a chore. I had to replace the clutch and two flywheels on that car. The main problem with the Corvair was Porsche designed the engine, but G.M. built it.
I had a 64 Spyder that was a fun car to drive, bu a bit cramped as noted in the video. The pedals were a bit too close together, also. I had to be careful not to hit the brake when using the clutch. I have a 2007 Jeep now with 6-speed. The pedal arrangement is s bad as the Corvair.
I had a 65 Corsa turbo in '71 and it was a sports car. I would never have had a Falcon then. I moved to Argentina in 82 as a missionary and the Falcon was the most popular car in the country and they made them until '91. All were 4 door 6 cylinders, and it wasn't long until I wanted one too!! I ended up years later with a V8 Fairlane which they made til '81
I remember a school teacher owning one like your 63. It was a two door and pretty white. I was a kid and watch him drive by the house and he had both his hands tightly on the steering wheel. It's weird how I can remember that. I've always loved cars and that's probably why I remember him and his Falcon.
I love the Corvair, but a lot of their small points are fairly valid when it comes to the 1960 models. It's important to realize just how much they ended up adding and changing for the 1961 models!
Floor shifters low seats 5 passengers door locks on the handle small steering wheel sound familiar yep that's standard equipment today on all makes not just models. lol
@@MichaeljRichter Maybe so but I would much rather have the light smooth handling Corsair sports car than the slow and cumbersome mustang which is less practical than the corvair
Living in foothills outside of Denver when it snowed the Corvair really shined ! People with Mustangs and Falcons learned not to drive in snowy weather but sometimes caught rides with Corvair owners ! Also below 0 degrees weather wasn’t a problem
Thanks for uploading this. Wonderful bit of automobile history. Truth is both these cars were cheaply built, were deadly in a crash, were prone to rusting, and like every thing of that era, pollution bombs. 1959 was an interesting time in American auto manufacturing with the decision to offer smaller cars. The full size cars had grown to enormous proportions so any of the compacts offered an option for folks that did not need or want a large car. The Falcon and Corvair station wagons were popular for years. The GM decision to go with a rear drive air cooled engine was to be in direct competition with VW, whereas Ford and Chrysler were just trying to offer a miniature version of what Americans were used to: front engine, water cooled and choice of two or four doors. Much different from a VW.
The 1960-1963 Falcons were not prone to rusting at all. The Falcon also a lot safer in a crash than most of the imports of the time, Mercedes and Volvo being the two main exceptions. You wrote "The Falcon and Corvair station wagons were popular for years". Well, they only made Corvair wagon for 2 years, only 32,120 were built, and was cancelled in favor of the more conventional Chevy II wagon.
... And I've made my share of basic repairs on Corvairs with basic hand tools as well in nearly 40 years of Corvair ownership. The Corvair has always been a fun little car to drive, but the Falcon is little more than a downsized, 3/4 scale full-size Ford. Notice they didn't get into how the Falcon's interior is smaller by a bunch?
This is 2015 and I see a LOT of Corvairs on the road and at car shows but very seldom a Falcon, In the summer, I drive my Crovair every day the sun shines (it's a convertible) and it handles great. I drive it and park my Montana van and people are always talking to me about it and I'm not the only one in this town of 5,000 that has one, there are at least two more in town. Mine is the '63 Monza 900 and looks great ! The nicest thing about this car is my current wife says she will never ride in it (it blows her hair) however she will drive her '75 GT VEGA hatch back but not take me with her.
I agree with you. I have one and it runs and drives like a Caddy, I'm serious, Never have I ever had an issue with the belt falling off. And I would never put a Christmas tree in or on any of my cars. This advertising film is Ford biased. The all new Ford Falcon, a car styled for the nerds with pocket protectors. Just my opinion. lol.
@@thomasfitzgerald1027 Ha ha ha. This book was written by a lawyer who has never been driving himself because he has never had a driver 's license .YES, the "expert" is 100%.In Russia, such "experts" are called "professors of sour cabbage soup or doctors of toilet sciences"
Saw a guy stop at a stop light in a Corvair the motor fail onto the street this was in 1967 the car was just a few years old.At different times I have owned a 1960 Falcon, a 1963 Corvair, and a 1960 Valiant. I beleive that of the three the Valiant was the better car.
We had a Valiant, also, and it was better. Not that anything was any good back then. Imagine taking a cheap car today back to 1960. They'd think it was a Rolls Royce.
My Dad brought a VW bug new in 1966 for $1700 dollars And I brought it from about 6 years later. It was a very good car very reliable. Man ran a stop sign in a T-Bird and totaled my little bug.
My sister had the Corvair Monza. It was fun to drive and handled great. I never had a problem with the location of the clutch pedal, and found the four on the floor preferential to the three on the tree. In the service, I had a friend who drove a Corvair in road races. He was running radial tires up front and wider bias ply on the rear. Never had a handling issue.
I actually owned a covair and had never had the problems this video portrais and I even had races with the 64.5 ford mustang and could beet them from stop light to stop light as the ford 265 v 8 just didn't have the power to out race me . If I had the chance to buy another covair I would do so but I would rather have the covair spider as it had the four barrel carb or a turbo charger to boost the horse power .
Funny stuff for sure.I'm old as dust and was a kid when they came out.The corvair was kinda cool but the falcon got the job done for a lot of people.I remember seeing a many a corvair broken down on the side of the road,along with those old renaults.
When i was 6 there was one in the family. I remember it well. I did not like it. I do remember it was getting fixed a lot. The ford wagon was my favorite, heat that worked and a better radio. Torque that would push you back in the seat.
The Ford guy was right...the Falcon was a much better car. The Corvair is now just s curiosity with nutty fans...the Falcon platform would live on for 17 years and was a sales hit and a reliable car.
I love the Corvair I was alive when it came out brand new and loved it then still love it to this day. Ralph Nader didn't do Chevrolet Corvair any favors.
The GM brass and beancounters were responsible for a lot of the 1960 Corvair's missing standard features, like coathooks, door lock buttons, painted interior trim, etc. They had a target price in mind and moved many amenities to the options list to reach it. They realized their mistake and corrected a lot of it for '61.
I love both Corvairs and Falcons. Very unique cars. The 'advance the slide' beep reminds me of seeing slide presentations in grade school back in the early 70's...
In 1964 I had a choice between a Ford falcon or a corvair turbo spyter. I went with the Chevy and never looked back. Note I also have a trophy sitting on my desk. 89 in the 1/4 mile.
HAHAHA... its the gas fumes that are obnoxious and hazardous.... lol YA... wouldnt want to confuse that with the healthy cigarette smoke now, would we....
My late half-brother's uncle worked for GM from the '50s to the '70s and was, of course, a big fan of the Corvair. After the 1960 model was introduced late in the model year, there were a lot of complaints about things mentioned in this production and that Ford dealerships had to show customers across the nation. Over the next three years, the vehicle was lengthened to reduce the wheel well intrusion into the cab, the brake and clutch pedals were spread apart further and the shifter was moved forward with an optional console. This reduced seating to five but... Corvair wasn't a family car. It was a fun car. The Ford Falcon was never about fun, lol. The Ralph Nader book, 'Unsafe at Any Speed' (1965) was the next step from this video, to eliminate America's ONLY automobile with a rear engine that enhanced performance and mileage. Had Chevrolet not surrendered, chances are there might well still be Corvairs in production today. Thanks for sharing this video. I haven't seen it in decades.
I drove a 1962 Corvair for over five years and it was a dandy little car. It would do things I would never consider trying with another small car. It was a four door and 105 hp, four speed and it did get 25 MPG, would corner like a sports car and reliable as can be. The rear seat folded down too.
I restored a 1963 Sypder convertible. Seriously, antiques are antiques. I don't expect such cars to fit modern requirements ... and they do NOT! All the "Corvair issues" are real, but that only adds to the charm of the little car.
Having owned 6 Pintos they were as safe as the comparable two door cars from Japan. They all had the gas tank behind the axle so in a crash the diff would tear a hole in them. The real problem with the Pinto that was fixed after the 3rd year of production was the doors would jam shut in a rear end collision locking the the passengers inside. After those problems were fixed the car went on to become a very fine little car. What garnered the noteriety was the memo from Ford to pay out the lawsuits rather than fix all the cars. If you will notice it lasted longer in production than the Gremlin or the Vega. It also spun off into the Mustang II. The Station wagons were the best as they had a somewhat better suspension and much better weight balance. The wagons were great in the snow. My son has a Pinto he restored and he loves it.
Not true. The Pinto's gas tank location was pretty much where everyone else put them. Further, the Pinto's statistical performance show it was no better or *no worse* than other cars of it's size and weight with regard to fuel tank failures during rear end crashes. Those are the facts.
Pinto did not replace Falcon, the Maverick did, and the Pinto replaced the English Cortina in North America and was Ford USA first true small car ever.
+inurtrash Shut up trashboy! The Pinto is shit with the Fiesta, Escort and Probe and it won't survive in a demolition derby, it''l get crushed like an egg and i'll be laughing, hahaha!!!
The Corvair, with it's engine mounted directly over the drive wheels, was great in the snow. Even with snow tires, my 1963 Falcon fishtailed. Other than that, I much-preferred my Falcon over a similar-vintage Corvair.
Wow, I agree the cars are comparable. If it's 1960 and you're looking for a smaller car, but want to stay American your choices. Ford offered the Falcon and the Comet, a unitized body with a 6 cylinder front mounted cast iron OHV water cooled engine, you could have two doors, four doors or wagons, and after a few years add a convertible to the mix, Ford even came out with a van using the Falcon moniker, some of the early Econolines also had Falcon name plates on them.So I guess Corvair had more models as you could get a 1960 Corvair convertible If what Ford offered wasn't you cup of tea the folks over at Chrysler Corporation had the Lancer and Valiant, put they didn't hit their stride and have a totally competitive design until their 2nd generation cars arrived and again two doors, four doors and wagons, convertibles to come with the 2nd generation cars. Let's not forget the independents American Motors had already been producing Rambler Americans for two years (two door sedans and wagons, four doors starting in 1960), Studebaker had the Lark out for a year before the Corvair (and Falcon) in two door, four door wagon and convertible models BUT with the Studebaker you could choose between six cylinders and eight. Granted the AMC & Studebaker 6 cylinders were flat heads. In the GM camp of course their was the Corvair in 1960, but in 1961 Pontiac came out with the Tempest (rear transmission, rope drive shaft, problems on the hoof) with a four cylinder engine and a rarely found optional aluminium V-8, of course Buick and Oldsmobile got into the market with their F-85 and Specials/Skylarks with V-6s or the previously mentioned aluminium V-8. 1962 rolls around and Chevy comes out with the Chevy II, full body styles (2 door,4 Door, convertible and wagon) about that time the Corvair wagons and vans disappear. The Corvair was a car designed to capture the blossoming small car market back form the Europeans who had been making inroads into the US market like never before. Of course the major player in the compact market had become Volkswagen, but Renault and Morris Minors and a smattering of Hillmans, Simcas and Fiats made it interesting. Note the Corvair's design mimicked that of the VW's in that they both used aluminium alloy air-cooled horizontally opposed engines. I suppose you could even make a case that the VW type III's moved VW design closer to the Corvair. Bottom line was the Corvair was innovative, unfortunately GM wasn't a corporation with a history of successful innovation. The second generation Corvair was a much better car put was stilled plagued with an engine that tended to leak oil, and it was still a rear engined car, a layout that was already on the way out before GM made the Corvair. With GM bringing out the Chevy II it was almost admitting that the Falcons, Darts, Valiants, Larks and Americans was what America wanted.
S Baker Ironically enough the Comet was supposed to for Edsel and when it was discontinued that they sold it at Mercury dealers and it finally got that division's name plate in 1962.
I had one of each and liked them both. My Corvair Monza with turbo was fast, but prone to vapor lock. Not too good in Okla and Texas summers. Falcon was better made and was not prone to aqua planing, as was the Corvair on rainy streets. On balance, I prefer the Falcon.
We Australians are probably lucky the Corvair was never available in Australia. My dad had a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura four door, it had a gorgeous red and chrome interior, separate front seats with a chrome lidded console in between, full carpeting, padded dashboard, tinted band laminated windscreen, reversing lights, 170 cubic inch six, not the asthmatic two speed automatic but a three speed column shift manual.
I hate Corvairs for a good reason. My friend had one that was nothing but trouble, I had to go rescue him when his Corvair quit running or had other bad trouble, several times !
That's not a good reason to hate a Corvair. Any car is going to need proper care. And old cars are especially going to be cantankerous and/or faulty if their scheduled maintenance isn't done right. And while the Corvair was an odd little car, certainly not known for its reliability per se, it wasn't an awful car when PROPERLY taken care of. So your friend either wasn't working the maintenance schedule, or he didn't go through the car when he first got it, to correct the damage that the previous owners' neglect may have caused.
3:46 - The Falcon's sharply-curved filler neck was not without its problems. I remember in the 70s going to the ONE pump at the ONE local BP because its pump nozzle was slightly more curved than the others. This reduced the risk of the attendant spilling a gallon of gas down the back of the car, lol.
The Falcon won in so many categories, however, I purchased a 1964 Corvair. Reason? Adventure! Imagine flying through the air after leaving the road at 70 mph and free-falling down a steep embankment with a double-roll to finish! I wasn't hurt. I drove the Corvair for another 18 months and bought a 1966 Corvair. Adventure never ends! Oh, and I became a Corvair collector, having about 6 at any one time for a while. Great car!!!! My gem was a 1967 Corsa convertible, still running today.
It was "No Contest" Both of these cars were junk The falcon was a slow POS, the Corvair would toss off it's fan belt & over heating and even a fire could occur. Actually the Valiant of the same era although ugly, was a far better car with a 3 speed Torqueflight transmission, bulletproof "Slant Six" engine.
This is 2021, and I tell everyone how happy I'd be if I drove a 62 Plymouth Valiant or Dodge Lancer. No computer chips to worry about and the durable slant 6 engine. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower owned a 62 Plymouth Valiant and if a Valiant was good enough for her, then I'm really prepared to step up to the 1962 Plymouth Valiant.
Having owned a '67 Mustang Convertible, and a '65 Mustang Notchback, I am definitely biased against Chevy. I'll give them credit for taking a stab at rear engine drive, but the Corvair died a quiet death in '68, after Ralph Nader's "Unsafe at any speed" came out in the nid 1960's . The only thing that hurt Falcon sales was Mustang sales, and the Falcon (successfully) morphed into the Torino in 1970. My restored 1/63 Falcon Tudor Sedan is a study in simplicity-even backup lights were optional! Although underpowered, the 144 ci six was the progenitor of a long line of small block six's that are VERY durable:)-Gearhead222
Last Corvair was the ‘69, not ’68. The Torino joined, and then replaced the Fairlane line. The Falcon begat the dreadful Maverick, which begat the even worse Granada, which begat the horrid Lincoln Versailles, the latter deriving its nameplate from the 17th-century French royal palace. Coincidentally, the oxcart rear suspension in the Falcon and its progeny mimicked those favored by French peasants of the 17th century, when building farm wagons.
I spent years as a teenager restoring a '65 Mustang with a straight 6. When the riveted on Mustang emblem came out from the chrome horn piece, under it it said, "Falcon Sprint". A car in those days needed a complete rebuild every 100,000 miles, not to mention rusted through floorboards, exhaust pipes, (remember all the Midas shops). I will say the Mustang was far more reliable than my first car, a 1973 Capri, which also rusted terribly.
My aunt and uncle bought a brand new VW Squareback in about 1966. It was leaps and bounds better than the Corvair or Falcon. It has always struck me odd that in the USA so many Beetles were sold and so few Squarebacks were sold. A lot of people my age never even remember seeing a Squareback in the 1960's. Also, we had a 1963 Falcon and it was nothing to brag about but was still a lot better than the Corvair. A Corvair was almost a novelty to own because it was SO different.
My family had multiple squarebacks when I was growing up. Even my Grandpa had one. They were basically bettles with more practical and useful features. They should have sold better.
These US spec Falcons were released in Australia, with disastrous results regarding front ball joint failure. Couldn't handle our shit roads. It took Falcon till the mid sixties to get over that stuff up in the buying public's eyes. After that they became an Aussie icon till 2017, when production finally ended.
How can one argue with this simple, unbiased fact filled film. Thank you Ford for this much needed public service educational format! i can't see how those scoundrels slinking around through those dark, dank, poorly lit hallways over at General Motors can show their faces in public after the sneaky underhanded way they tried to pull one over on the unsuspecting American public with the shoddy, poorly designed, cheaply made junk witnessed here! If only someone besides Ford cared...dared..to take on General Motors and the "Corvair" My owning a 1963 Ford Falcon, personally has absolutely no bearing on my views in This matter! God bless you Ford for all your good works!
I’m with you, that woman. Imagine if she wasn’t wearing slacks, and loosing 7 inches in the rear seat, while sitting between two big American women. Don’t get me started on no ashtrays in the backseat either. They could not even put one. What am I supposed to do after a ride between those two big American women. If I am driving, and have six big American friends with me. My big American woman is not going to be too happy to be sitting next to me, with that outdated shifter on the floor. I would end up having to rest my big American arm on her leg. Now, she would not enjoy that. Shame on you Corvair. You don’t quite measure up. Just take your rear mounted engine, tucked between your rear wheels, and check your tire pressures before you go home. I am going to Dodge. It is not going to last, but until then, it will be fun. Thank you, Dodge brothers for all that you have created so far, and I have a feeling. I feel really weird saying this, but one day if I live long enough. I really believe that I could walk into any Dodge dealership an buy an over 700 horse powered vehicle, and that’s in different body designs. Imagine two door, four doors, station wagon, and trucks, all with over 700 horsepower, and a warranty to boot. But until then. I will stick with what Dodge pumps out, and when that one falls apart, onto the next I go. But for everyone else, you all need to Go buy a Chevy.
But the Studebaker Lark had the optional V8, up to 195 horsepower, and the Rambler Classic offered OHV sixes and the Rebel offered a V8 as well, and the Ambassador had a 327 rated 250 horses.
We never had a Corvair, nor did anyone in our family and we never bought one as a used car. We did have neighbors who had a Corvair and I remember it. The End.
Same here. I always found the design novel, maybe for that reason. Even though we had a Falcon, two Mustangs (aka Falcon with a nicer body) and a Galaxie, I still find the Corvair look intriguing...both generations.
Yes, it was a training film for Ford Dealership Sales Staff produced for Ford Motor Company. The company that produced this training film did so for the Big Three Auto Makers of Ford, GM and Chrysler.
I mean yeah but you have to bear in mind that this was the 60s: Smaller steering wheel is a liability without power steering (the bigger wheel gives more leverage) And shifter on the floor is not something you want in a 6 passenger car: (unless you really like the middle passenger). However the Corvair does have some some genuine advantages like a much better engine.
These comparisons range from petty to significant, but overall, for a Ford salesman, many of them would be very helpful for pure practicality. If a buyer in 1960 was deciding between the Falcon and the Corvair, luggage space and the cramped position of the driver's left foot were important considerations for the usefulness of either car. The type of insulation on the ceiling and the composition of the decorative interior door panels, not so much. But if it could sway someone to buy a Ford, then by all means toss it out there. The weirdness of the respective tire pressures for the front and rear Corvair wheels could have made an important difference in handling. I suspect, but don't remember for sure, that this could've been one of Ralph Nader's complaints against the car.
Cramped foot position and awkward clutch operation? When I shopped for a new pick-up a couple of years ago, the Tacoma looked better than the Frontier on paper, but there was no way for me to get a comfortable driving position in the Taco due to a poorly placed rearview mirror. I realized that having to slouch to see around the mirror was a far more intolerable situation than a couple of miles per gallon.
This brought back so many memories because I drove both of those back in the day. My dad was a car salesman and I would go to work with him on Saturdays to clean cars and make extra money. Dad never let me take the Corvair out into the streets. Lot only. That car should never been made. Many people died.
Boy oh boy you can see how they move the front seat all the way forward on the corvair.... and all the way back on the falcon until they look in the back seat then they move both the other way around. and they remove the shift boot on the corvair. Just to say unfinished look (after they take parts off the corvair they claim it unfinished. ....... I say they should take it out on the road and the corvair would put the falcon back in it's place! ( I have never had an overheat with a corvair ...... but have on the weak engine on the falcon. And the corvair like the VW bug is extreamly good off road!
When I bought my first 88 Festiva in 1997 the salesman at Sunset Ford called it a commuter car. It had 175,0000 on it bit rust free and so for $900 tax and license I took a chance. I drove it another 100,000 the next ten years- the largest repair was a new alternader and I had to sell it after my house was in eight feet of flood. Great car though. Japan Mazda conceived, Kia built in Korea. It all changed with the transverse transaxle and front wheel drive Volkswagen Rabbit 1975.
GM had to cut back on the furnishings, upholstery, carpeting, etc. on the Corvair because it was costing too much to build and the price per unit was going up. BTW, you see alot more Corvairs on the road compared to Falcons, I would say.
Not around here. I can't remember the last one I saw. I've seen a Borgward Isabella, a Crosley HotShot, and even a Tucker, all being driven in traffic since the last time I saw a Corvair. Even a DKW!
