1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder Convertible

67BBSD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

interesting car

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

I was 15 in 1964 My Dad took me into the service dept of the GM dealer in Sackville

There was a new White Corvair conv with red interior I was amazed the top was covered in plastic

Car was not turbo but was a sharp car touring around...."she " used to give it a little jab between gears lol

$_20 (1).JPG

$_20 (2).JPG

$_20 (3).JPG

$_20 (4).JPG

$_20 (5).JPG

$_20 (6).JPG

$_20 (7).JPG

$_20.JPG

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I LIKE IT!

67BBSD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I prefer the 65-69 style , but this is quite the package being stick, turbo, yellow etc... and looks very nice

Jimmyvonviggle · Addicted!

I like this car but always felt convertibles ruin the lines of a car, and they are noisy with the top up.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

67BBSD wrote:
I prefer the 65-69 style , but this is quite the package being stick, turbo, yellow etc... and looks very nice

Totally agree that the second generation was a far better looking car (1965-1969) but this car with the turbo and four speed................ well, now your talking. Very nice indeed and it has always amazed me, how under valued Corvair's are in general. They are such wonderful cars, have a very big following, but do not seem to command much money. If i ever owned one, it would be one of the second generation Vair's with 140 h.p.motor and four speed. In a two door hardtop and blue in colour. Cheers. George.

Beaumont67SD · Guru

My brother and I collected Corvair's back in the late 1970's early 80's.
- we both had about 5 each

While my twin needed a motor to start driving his 1968 or '69 Monza coupe.
In 1982 I found a parts car in London, that I bought for the engine transplant.
Turns out old car belonged to Joe Fontana, London alderman at the time, and
he was always at city meetings...when I visited their house, to purchase car.
His wife got him to sign the ownership, I handed her $150 and towed the Monza
out to the family farm in Wingham, ON.

We sold off most of our Corvair stuff off, some years later.
While I tripled my money (back than), these cars usually represented a poor investment for many.

Brother had a yellow conv. like pictured, rust free with no ownership...theft recovery, purchased thru OPP.
Quarter panels were sold to a dentist out of Toronto, while I sold the same guy a 1961 Lakewood wagon
that I pulled out of Lambeth, ON.

*********************************

Ralph Nader killed the Corvair, but by the introduction of 1964 model year, the transverse rear axle/
tire folding under issue...had already been solved by GM.
- I had more of a soft spot for the 1965-69 design...a poor mans corvette
While the pictured car is really nice...I do believe most offers will be closer to half of the $13,500 asking.

Jimmyvonviggle · Addicted!

I think what really killed the corvair is the introduction of the mustang, and the fact that Americans couldn't wrap their heads around a rear air cooled engine. Nader gets too much credit.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Jimmyvonviggle wrote:
I think what really killed the corvair is the introduction of the mustang, and the fact that Americans couldn't wrap their heads around a rear air cooled engine. Nader gets too much credit.

I totally agree with you sir. Ralphy boy gets way too much credit, where it is not deserved. Ralph Nader did not kill the Corvair, the car was doomed from the start. GM wanted a V.W. bug killer and the Vair was never that. The Vair found a bit of a following with the "sports" minded crowd but that was never enough. The car was a good car but it never fit in with the taste of most Americans. I have never owned a Vair but i have always loved them and i hope folks continue to keep them alive. Cheers. George.

Beaumont67SD · Guru

From a former Corvair collector, who got out in the hay-day, while profiting good.
This platform was doomed (few years after launch)...even without the 1964-1/2 Mustang introduction:
(and stealing the show)

BTW - I am more interested in CP members view, will this car sell at $13,500 or close to appraised value.
- my vote...not in a million years...$13.5K is total BS / wishful thinking
- in todays market, and even going back to the high end of the old car sellers market, plus several years ago

***************************************************************************************************

Was the Corvair Really Unsafe at Any Speed? voices.yahoo.com/was-corvair-really-unsafe-any-speed-498093.html

Ralph Nader's groundbreaking 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile" accused U.S. auto makers of knowingly producing cars that endanger public safety, all for the sake of profit. In his, Nader pointed his finger primarily at General Motors and its sporty Chevrolet Corvair model as the epitome of unsafe car design. He claimed that the Corvair's unsafe rear suspension design had caused the car to easily flip over during sharp cornering as well as being prone to fishtailing.
The Corvair

In 1960, General Motors introduced the Corvair to compete with European cars, like the VW, the Fiat, and the Renault, that were entering the American marketplace. The Corvair was offered in a variety of body styles: four-door and two-door sedans, station wagons, convertibles, and even a compact van to compete against the VW bus.

And the Corvair was a success. "Motor Trend" even named it 1960's "Car of the Year."

Ralph Nader

Even though the indictment against the Corvair was only covered in the first chapter of "Unsafe at Any Speed", the negative publicity caused irreparable damage to Corvair sales. This put Ralph Nader high on GM's enemies' list.

In their infinite wisdom, General Motors hired private detectives to follow Nader and snoop into his personal life and finances. They even tried to tempt him with hookers, and they tried to convince the new media that Nader was a homosexual. When the auto giant's dirty tricks were exposed, this only served to propel Ralph Nader and his burgeoning social justice movement to national celebrity and icon stature.

Nader eventually sued GM for invasion of privacy and settled out of court for $425,000.

In 1969, the Corvair model was discontinued.

The NHTSA

As a result of Nader's book and notoriety, Congress established the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1966. The NHTSA immediately set up mandatory safety standards for the American automobile industry including required seatbelts, padded dashboards, safety door locks, and collapsible steering columns.

And now the question: Was the Corvair really unsafe at any speed?

The answer: The 1960-1963 Corvair models targeted by Nader were at least as safe as comparable car models sold in those years. This conclusion, ironically, came from a 1972 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Corvair Today

There are still many fans of the sporty little car, and there's even a Corvair Society of America with 5,200 members.