1964 Chevy Corvair

by Ali Baucom

Title

1964 Chevy Corvair

Artist

Ali Baucom

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

I enjoyed finding old restored vehicles while visiting the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC.

Here's a snippet about the 1964 Corvair from Wikipedia:

The Chevrolet Corvair is a compact car manufactured by Chevrolet for model years 1960–1969. It was the only American-designed, mass-produced passenger car to use a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine.

Corvair models included a two-door coupe, convertible, four-door sedan, four-door station wagon, passenger van, commercial van, and pickup truck variants.

Contemporary competitors included the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Falcon, Plymouth Valiant, Studebaker Lark, and the Rambler American.

The Corvair's reputation and legacy were impacted by a controversy surrounding its handling: the car was scrutinized in Ralph Nader's 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed, GM's top management resorted to unethical measures in response to its accusor, and a 1972 Texas A&M University safety commission report for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the 1960–1963 Corvair possessed no greater potential for loss of control in extreme situations than its contemporaries.[1]

The name "Corvair" is a portmanteau of Corvette and Bel Air.[2] The name was first applied in 1954 to a Corvette-based concept with a hardtop fastback-styled roof that was part of the Motorama traveling exhibition.[3]

For 1964, significant engineering changes occurred, while the model lineup and styling remained relatively unchanged. The engine displacement was increased from 145 to 164 cu in (2.4 to 2.7 L) by an increase in stroke. The base engine power increased from 80 to 95 hp (60 to 71 kW; 81 to 96 PS), and the high-performance engine increased from 95 to 110 hp (71 to 82 kW; 96 to 112 PS). The Spyder engine rating remained at 150 hp (112 kW; 152 PS) despite the displacement increase of the engine. In 1964, an improvement in the car's swing axle rear suspension occurred with the addition of a transverse leaf spring along with softer rear coil springs designed to diminish rear roll stiffness and foster more neutral handling. Spring rates could now be softer at both ends of the car compared to previous models. The heavy-duty suspension was no longer optional, although all models now had a front antiroll bar as standard. Brakes were improved with finned rear drums. The remaining pickup, the Rampside, was discontinued at the end of the model year.

Despite a vastly improved 1964 model, Corvair sales declined by close to 80,000 units that year. This was attributed to a number of factors, including the basic styling being 5 years old, the lack of a pillarless hardtop (which virtually all competing compact models had), the lack of a V8 engine, and the introduction of the Ford Mustang on April 17, which broke all records for sales of a new model (and ate into Corvair sales).

Featured in the following Fine Art America groups:
1. USA Photography: 03/14/18
2. The Best Photo Album: 03/14/18
3. ABC Group: 10/16/18

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March 13th, 2018

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