1969 Corvair 500
Engine: 164 cu. in. (2.7L) Aluminum, OHV, Horizontally opposed 6
Output: 95 HP @ 3,600 RPM
Transmission: Powerglide Automatic
Wheelbase: 108 in.
Overall Length: 183 in.
Weight: 2,515 lbs.
Top Speed: Unknown
No. Produced: 2,762
Original Price: $2,258
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
The difference between the 1968 and 1969 Corvair was negligible. The decision to stop production had already been made. In his 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed, Ralph Nader called the 1960 Corvair “the one-car accident.” By the time Nader’s book came out, a second-generation model’s completely redesigned rear suspension package eliminated the problem of over-steering. However, with the release of Ford’s Mustang, the Corvair’s fate was sealed.
In 1970 the U.S. Department of Transportation tested the Corvair and determined it was not especially dangerous. Also, in 1970 Sen. Abraham Ribicoff’s sub-committee opened an investigation into Nader’s allegation that GM had lied about the Corvair’s safety, and found the company innocent of all charges. Despite their success in the courts, and a record number of engineers and decision makers at GM who weren’t expert drivers but had no fear that car would “bolt for the ditch”, the Corvair was discontinued.