1969 Chevrolet Corvair 500 2-Door Hardtop Coupe
2019.0035.0001, Savoy Collection
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 completely redesigned rear suspension package eliminated the oversteering problem. However, with the release of Ford’s Mustang, the Chevrolet 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 subcommittee opened an investigation into Nader’s allegation that GM had lied about the Corvair’s safety and found the company innocent of all charges. Though GM won in court and its staff expressed no fear that the car would “bolt for the ditch,” the Corvair was still discontinued. Its production ended despite these internal assurances of safety.