When Chevrolet rolled out the Corvair compact in the early 1960s, they went one step further. That step was the Corvair 95, a series of interesting COE pickups and vans. The seller has a 1962 Rampside, a truck with a fold-down side ramp for loading and unloading awkward cargo. It was a rare vehicle that found declining sales between 1961 and 1964, which proved to be the end of the line. Located on a farm in Southington, Ohio, this vehicle has lots of newer parts but has been off the road for a number of years. It’s available here on Facebook for $8,500 OBO. Thanks for the nifty tip, Pnuts!
The series was named after the wheelbase of the vehicles (95 inches), and the trio consisted of the Loadside pickup, Greenbrier van, and the Rampside. Under the skin, these had Corvair gear, including the rear-mounted air-cooled six-cylinder engine (145 cubic inches in 1962 when the seller’s truck was produced). The payload capacity was about 1,900 pounds. It utilized a distinctive fold-down ramp that was hinged on the passenger side of the truck, something that was great for loading refrigerators and other oddball-sized stuff.
Rampsides proved not to be popular, peaking at 10,800 units in its first year (1961). That dropped to 4,100 copies in 1962 and just 850 in 1964. When the Corvair was redesigned in 1965, the Rampside wasn’t in the mix. The seller’s vehicle runs and drives around the farm where it has resided for many years. The truck belonged to the father-in-law who passed away in 2009, and the seller inherited it. Extensive restoration work was done in 2014 before it was mothballed for more than a decade.
The seller provides an extensive list of the replaced parts, yet no photos of that hardware or the cool ramp that the truck is named for. Though it sat for many years, it was on a battery tender and started right up after the old fuel was removed and replaced. Since it hasn’t been on the road for ages, the seller suggests you bring a trailer, though it runs fine for local use. The seller needs a more conventional truck for the farm, so a trade may be considered. “Ramp” up your collection with this interesting Corvair!
From a safety standpoint, this rig is probably worse than a Corvair sedan, considering the flat nose on the thing. But, when the thing is this cool, well, safety be damned. I love it.
From a safety standpoint, the Corvair sedan had a huge safety feature, the crumple zone in the front. Of course most highway fatalities are front end collisions. I had a huge wrecking yard with many Corvairs, and some of them are wrecked, totaled. Of the front end demolished ones, the passenger compartment remains unscathed, doors open and close perfectly. No gas tanks ruptured, it’s behind the front axle. I talked with survivors, no one injured in a front end collision. Also, the famous Corvair roll overs, I’ve never seen a Corvair that rolled.
Duaney, I used to live 1/2 block from the dealership where I worked. I got off early and was sitting on the front porch with my dog and saw one of my coworkers leaving work in his Corvair. Traveling in the opposite direction was a ’67 Catalina with several high-schoolers with the windows down and music cranked to ear bleeding volume. Something happened in the Pontiac as it swerved head on into the Corvair. With both vehicles traveling at approximately 30 mph. The occupants of the Corvair (my coworker and his son) had their belts on where none of the kids did. The kids were all beat up, but none terrible. The Catalina was an instant total. The Corvair drove home and showed up on Monday with replaced hood and other parts. Other than needed paint the Corvair soldered on for years with no other issues. I agree with your above statements.
Think for a sec Russ. If this little jewel was actually a COE, as you describe, the cab would be hanging over the rear end of the truck. 🤔🫣🤯. Have a great day y’all. 🙏🏻🫶🏼
We had one of these when I was a boy, it was turquoise and it was like no other pickup. First thing I noticed in the write up was the COE mention and thought, no way! I remember my dad working on that rear engine in the back of the pickup bed!
No matter tho. The truck has sold.
Forward Control (to borrow the Jeep/Land Rover nomenclature) might be a more accurate description than COE in this case. 😉
I think the correct “class” would be “cab forward” similar to what ISUZU calls their medium duty local delivery chassis. They use the term “low cab forward”
Chevrolet calls if Forward Control, the models are all named FC
Put more than 200,000 miles on 3 VW vans and managed to survive the “you and the headlights go first” comments. Nice piece here.
Not a rampside, it’s a loadside. Has higher G.V.W. rating.
I know it’s hard to discern, but it is a Rampside, you can see the edges of the ramp door.
Nice find, and write up. I always thought this body design was cool.
Loadsides are rarer than hen’s teeth. Actually, the monicker of “LCF” would be appropriate. Low cab forward. Isusu medium duty likes that description.
Loadsides are hen’s teeth. It seems that the correct definition for this would LCF. Low cab forward.
The Rampside was a great idea. It would probably add $10K to the already inflated price of trucks today.
These are cool Corvairs!!
Evidently so did someone else!!
100% in love with this truck. I like the old models, and honestly some of my faves are the flatbed trucks. But this truck just screams cool.