Chevrolet’s first compact car was the 1960 Corvair. Following the lead of the Volkswagen Beetle, it used a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine (but with six cylinders instead of four). A flood, a competitor would follow, but they all went the conventional water-cooled, front-engine route. The seller has a nice 1963 Monza Sport Coupe with a 4-speed manual transmission, which may only need a coat of wax. Located in Lafayette, Indiana, this little trip down Memory Lane is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $8,000. Bravo for the cool tip, T.J.!
The Corvair was produced across two generations (1960-64, 1965-69) and had internal competition from the conventional Chevy II/Nova beginning in 1962. More than 1.8 Corvairs found homes over their run, with the greater number tied to the first five years. The Corvair caught the attention of safety advocate Ralph Nader, but we’ll leave his displeasure with the layout of the car for another time.
This nice example from the auto’s fourth year looks like an original survivor and may only have 59,000 miles. It’s said to be a good runner and has the desirable 4-speed manual transmission. The body and interior look fine, and the burgundy paint may respond nicely to some rubbing compound and elbow grease.
The Corvair should attract attention at Cars & Coffee, as there’s really nothing else out there that’s similar. We’re told everything works, so this is a driver, not a project. The seller is on the hunt for a Harley Davidson trike and may be willing to talk trade if you have one. For eight grand, this could be a wonderful way to get into vintage car collecting.
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