Unlike Ford and Chrysler, Chevrolet’s entry into the compact market field in 1960 was unconventional. With its new Corvair, the engine was air-cooled rather than water-cooled and was mounted in the back. Imagine being a gas station attendant in those days and asked to check the oil and water to find no motor up front! This collection of 28 Corvair cars and trucks is available here on Mecum via its Kissimmee, Florida auction running between January 6 and 16, 2022. Thanks, Larry D, for bringing this great assortment to our attention!
We don’t know the background of this group of cars, who owns them, or what has brought them all to market at the same time. They look to be in either excellent original condition, beautiful restorations, or even a few customs. All body styles seem to be represented except two and four-door sedans, which were the biggest sellers. 11 of the autos are from the first generation of the Corvair and 17 more from the second. In its 10-years, more than 1.8 million Corvairs were produced, although later sales were impacted by the wrath of Ralph Nader.
Breakdown by model year, here’s what Corvair production looked like:
1960 – 250,007 1961 – 329,632
1962 – 328,500 1963 – 284,680
1964 – 207,114 1965 – 237,056
1966 – 103,743 1967 – 27,253
1968 – 15,399 1969 – 6,000
The rarest in terms of production numbers are the two 1964 Rampside pickups, the 1968 Monza convertible, and all the 1969 Corvairs.
Here’s a rundown of the collection by production generation:
First Generation (1960-64)
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside 95; 110 HP, Automatic (1 of 10,787)
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood Station Wagon; 164/95 HP, 3-Speed (1 of 20,451)
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside 95; 95 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 10,787)
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier; 2375cc, Automatic (1 of 15,806)
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Club Coupe; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 151,738)
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier; 110 HP, Automatic (1 of 13,491)
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside 95; 95 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 4,102)
1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900 Convertible; 80 HP, Automatic (1 of 44,165)
1964 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier; 2.7L, Automatic (1 of 8,147)
1964 Chevrolet Corvair Deluxe Rampside; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 851)
1964 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside; 164/110 HP, Automatic (1 of 851)
And here’s the rest:
Second Generation (1965-69)
1965 Chevrolet Corvair 500 Sedan; 95 HP, Automatic (1 of 17,560)
1965 Chevrolet Corvair 500; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 36,747)
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Sport Coupe; 164/180 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 20,291)
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Convertible; 164/180 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 8,353)
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Convertible; 164/180 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 8,353)
1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza; 164/110 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 37,605)
1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Convertible; 164/140 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 3,142)
1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Convertible; 164/140 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 3,142)
1966 Chevrolet Corvair Convertible; 164/140 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 10,345)
1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa; 164/140 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 7,330)
1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Convertible; 164/140 HP, 4-Speed (1 of 3,142)
1968 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible; 2683cc, Automatic (1 of 1,386)
1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 2,717)
1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Sport Coupe; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 2,717)
1969 Chevrolet Corvair Sport Coupe; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 2.762)
1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Sport Coupe; 164/95 HP, Automatic (1 of 2,717)
1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible; 164/140 HP, Automatic (1 of 521)
Nice breakdown of the sales numbers. Within the Corvair community Corvair’s are also grouped as to where the car was manufactured. There was a plant in LA, and another plant in MI called Willow Run. Corvair’s were also manufactured in Canada in small numbers and carry a significance to collectors as there were slight differences. I have a 65 Corsa 180 which was made in the LA factory which makes it a little more rare and desirable to a Corvair enthusiast.
Ralph Nader get a lot of credit to killing off the Corvair when it was really the competition of new models like the Chevy 2 and Nova, the Falcon and Mustang as these cars were more conventional to the buying public. If anything Ralph Nader could be given credit for it was prolonging the Corvair to the 69 model year. It was often believed that GM didn’t cancel the Corvair after 67 because they did not want the public to believe that Ralph won. The 6000 that were made in 69 were practically hand built in a special room of the Willow run factory called the Corvair room. Another proof that GM was basically giving Ralph the finger.
@alphasud
When you speak of the Corvair assembly plant in LA, is that actually the one in Van Nuys where they also assembled Camaros and Firebirds starting in the 1967 model year?
Yes, when I commented I had a brain malfunction and could not remember Van Nuys. The Fisher body tag uses LOS to denote that factory.
Van Nuys is technically city of Los Angeles because it extends to the entire San Fernando valley. So you are both right.
Great collection of nice looking cars! anybody knows what could be prices the price ranges of Monza convertibles and 1969 models?
Have owned 6 of these over the years. Biggest problem was the owner, over inflated front tires and critical was lack of maintenance. GM sold a car telling the buyers it’s air cooled, no radiator. Well there is an oil cooler that was always neglected. Yeah air cooled but oil also cooled these cars. When it got hot those pushrod o-rings failed and oil ran down on the exhaust manifolds, the car smoking did nothing to enhance the heater which ran off engine cooling. Did my fair amount of junkyard picking for parts and almost all I looked at the oil cooler was fouled with leaves and dirt.
In my many years of looking at cars I have seen my fair share of collections of Corvairs sitting around. Several schools of thought most notably when GM sealed their fate and lost their luster they ended up very very cheap. I remember in shop class a kid bought one that ran for $25. I don’t recall anyone being impressed.
Those that could work on them bought them up hoarding them into collections thinking one day they would be collectors items one day.
This is a very nice collection. I will say that. Not sure how the investment aspect will pan out for the seller. The whole paradigm of a vintage Corvair is that they have been one of the most under valued GM collector cars in the market. To the real Corvair people this must be something.
Good looking cars. Air cooled works better on motorbikes. The air and oil cooled suzuki DR650 enduro is legendary.
I am all about having fun with hobby cars. That blue one with the white top does it for me. Classy looking, put the top down, my kids in the back and go for ice cream.
My parents had one that was a couple of years old when I was a kid. They ran into problems with the fan belt, which led to overheating, from what I remember my dad telling me about it was the salesman fed him a line about zero maintance due to being air cooled and he fell for it. Later we had a number of air cooled bikes and VWs. We both learned that air cooled meant different maintance and he stopped blaming the corvair.
Willow Run used to be the factory where the Kaiser and Fraser were made, after their demise GM bought the buildings. Good to see the turbo Corsairs being represented in this collection too.
Terry,
Much more important were the 8,685 B-24 Liberator bombers that Ford built in the Ford built factory, contributing to the defeat of the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) in World War 2. One rolled off the assembly line every 63 minutes.
https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/expert-sets/101765
they built Fords there before that… or Ford built B-24s anyways.
Nice lot of Corvairs!
greg v.
In the words of Roger Daltry “I want it, I want it, I want it.”
In the words of my wife “You can’t have it!”
Never understood the pants wearing populace tolerating ‘the wife ‘s veto’!
You only live once, do it on your own terms!
Great Corvair collection!
Any Ralph Nader Editions in this collection?
With no grill these second generation Monza’s now resemble Tesla’s. Owned a 64 & 65 Monza coupes and a 64 Corvan 95. The most unique Chevy car and truck ever.
My Mom had 2, a ‘61 and a ‘65. My first car (that I purchased with my own money) was a ‘66 that my Dad trashed when I went off to college. $300 down the drain!!!
My sister and brother-in-law lived in St. Louis, MO in the early 70s. My parents were going there to visit them in 1971 so I went along too, mostly so I could tour the Corvette plant.
While on our visit there, we went out for dinner one night. Afterwards, on our way home, I saw a Chevrolet dealer who had a Corvair in their showroom. I mentioned it to the others and my brother-in-law said that was the last Corvair that dealer got in 1969 so they kept it and planned to hold onto it forever!
I’ve often wondered just how long they did keep that Corvair and what ever became of it.
Second Gen Corvairs were totally safe and without any leaking/heating problems which could not be overcome with aftermarket tech and faithful maintenance. Viton seals, GM Black gasket, Pro-Blend and the book, “95 places the Corvair Can Leak” gave us all peace of mind and a way cool driving experience.