1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder
Engineering – A pioneering use of turbocharging in a production car; rear engine layout with flat 6-cylinder engine, producing 150hp.
This design influenced many European cars of the early & mid 60s.
Sophistication in engineering comes to an American series production.
Collector Nick Begovich recognized the sophisticated engineering built into this American series production when he bought it new in 1962. The Monza Spyder was introduced in the late spring of 1962 and was a $421.95 option package available on the Monza coupe and convertible. A pioneering use of turbocharging in a production car, with a rear engine flat 6-cylinder engine layout, producing 150hp. It was also the second production automobile with a turbocharger as a factory option, and the only American car of its day powered by a rear engine. A total of 6894 Spyder coupes and 2574 convertibles were sold in 1962, and the Spyder continued up until 1964. Its iconic accent line, which wraps around the car body, came to be known as the Corvair line. This design feature divides the body into upper and lower sections, and it was later adopted by European manufacturers, like BMW.
The sales figures of the Monza Spyder indicated that people were buying a Corvair to get themselves an “American Porsche.” Given this sales pattern, Chevrolet progressively moved to build Corvair models for enthusiast drivers and to market the Corvair to that segment. Corvair sales really didn't take off until it was sold in sporty Monza form for 1961, with the bucket seats and floor shifter. The killer was Ford’s new Mustang, which was introduced the same year. Sales of the Corvair fell precipitately and General Motors scrambled to get their own Mustang, the Camaro, into production.
Air conditioning, the three-speed stick, and the Powerglide automatic were not available, but the four-speed stick was. The turbocharged Spyder equipment group featured a multi-gage instrument cluster which included a tachometer, cylinder head temperature, and intake manifold pressure gauges, in addition to the high-performance engine. It also included spider logos on the front fenders and on the wheel covers, giving the cars’ model name.
The Monza Spyder has earned a bad reputation for having "turbo lag," feeling sluggish at lower RPMs in around-town driving. Corvair also became infamous for having a temperamental driving style. Some people could not cope with that on hard turns. The car's rear would jack up causing the wheel to tuck under, the car to oversteer, and the rear end to swing out. To combat this effect, Chevy specified different pressures for front and back tires.
Corvair Specifications:
Engine: 2.4L Air-Cooled Flat Six
Horsepower: 150 @ 4400 RPM
Transmission: Four-Speed Manual
0 to 60: 10.3 seconds