Chevrolet Corvair, 1965, 2dr. This was an American answer to the small car market that found a home in the US by foreign companies such as VW, Renault and Fiat. For the US, this was a revolutionary design when first introduced in 1960. The engine was mounted in the rear. It was the first unibody built by Fisher Body.
The styling was rather simple. While the Corvair to many was meant to compete against the imports, the real competition was with Ford's Mustang. The 1965 edition of the Corvair has been described by some as "stunning --- one of few that looked good from any angle."
By 1965, handling issues were resolved with a new rear suspension that copied that of the Corvette Sting Ray. You get get 180 horses from the turbocharged engine, 140 from the non-turbo edition.
Trouble struck in 1965 when Ralph Nader highlighted what he found as safety issues with most American cars. In his criticism, only one chapter was devoted to the Corvair, but it was the first chapter and stuck in the minds of many. But sales had already been declining. The last ones were built in 1969.
