It was during the 1950s and 1960s when many American families started to become two-vehicle households. Automakers saw an opportunity in engineering, design, and marketing to build cars that would appeal to both male and female drivers. The Chevrolet Corvair was one vehicle that was targeted toward the latter.
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible. The car is being offered by a dealer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the auction will end Friday.
The car comes from the final year of the compact Corvair’s first generation. Riding on the General Motors unibody Z-platform, it took a unique approach to design by offering a rear-engined, air-cooled layout. Buyers bought it up – literally – to the tune of over 200,000 units sold each year in the early 1960s.
This fine example has gone through both exterior and interior refurbishment, boasting a newer metallic light blue paint job, a white retractable top, and blue vinyl upholstery. Power – at the rear, of course – comes from a 164ci flat-six that was rated at 95 horsepower and 154 lb-ft of torque when new. A four-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels, and grip comes from a set of whitewall tires wrapped around steel wheels with wire covers.
The 1960s were an interesting time for Chevrolet: on one hand, that decade brought out some of the company’s most potent muscle cars like the big-block Camaro. But on the other hand, Chevrolet also promoted a “softer” side to some of its cars. One magazine advertisement said, “About the only thing that can come between a Corvair owner and his Corvair is his wife.” The copy went on to discuss some of the attributes that designers perceived would interest women: A chic interior, its spirit, its turning ease, its grip, and its comfort.
Indeed, the Corvair was far from speedy – period road tests logged zero-to-60 times of around 15 to 17 seconds for the non-turbocharged variant – but the driving experience received accolades due to the car’s handling. A four-wheel independent suspension made for a comfortable ride on surface streets and interstate freeways.
Perhaps one of the most compelling things about owning a Corvair is its enthusiast community: You might have heard of CORSA (the Corvair Society of America). The society’s oldest chapter, based in Phoenix, has been around since 1963 and will host a club event on January 18.
If you move swiftly, you can show up in a shiny blue drop-top. Get your bid ready and join in on the fun.
The auction for this 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible will end Friday, January 17, 2025 at 11:45 a.m. (MST)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
