Cars, the Old Stuff

These pictures show a Covair Monza. It's about a 1963 model, I would guess.

Back in the late 1950, General Motors and other American auto manufacturers noticed a trend to small cars. The tiny beetlesque Volkswagen was very popular. It was fun to drive, had a look all its own, got good fuel economy, and just about anybody could afford to buy one. So GM decided to make their own version.

The Covair had an air-cooled, horizonally opposed engine in the back driving the rear tires, but it had six cylinders and although it was somewhat larger than a Volkswagen, it was smaller that American cars. Like the Volkswagen, the air-cooled engine was noisy, but it's position over the rear wheels gave it excellent traction in mud and snow. They enjoyed a period of popularity.

Corvairs were dealt a heavy blow when Ralph Nader wrote a book proclaiming them to be "Unsafe at Any Speed." Many people thought it was a bum rap. Rear-engine cars handle somewhat differently compared to front-engine cars, but most drivers adapted quickly. The few who didn't probably inspired Nadar's book.

This nicely restored Covair is a Monza, the sporty version. It appears to be a daily driver that is carefully maintained. To me, it's a sharp looking car.