If you’re into the Chevrolet Corvair, then you already know about the Corvair Lady. Eva McGuire from Ypsilanti, Michigan currently owns nine Corvairs and is an honorary United Auto Workers union member, historian and publicist for the national Corvair Preservation Foundation. McGuire also does a lot of work preserving these cars at the Corvair Museum in Decatur, Illinois.
Those readers not familiar with the Chevrolet Corvair should know that it was a rear-engined car manufactured by General Motors that stopped being produced after Ralph Nader’s 1965 book, entitled “Unsafe at Any Speed: the Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile” proclaimed that the Corvair was a dangerous car.
Now, the Corvair lady is putting together a documentary to honor anyone who worked on producing the Corvair at GM’s defunct Willow Run plant in Ypsilanti, where about 1.8 million units of the Corvair were manufactured over a ten-year period.
McGuire has already interviewed some 200 people, but is seeking 50 or 100 more workers for her upcoming documentary called “Meet the Makers of the Chevrolet Corvair,” which aims to share all Corvair-related stories with the world.
The woman, who has once drafted a proclamation that was signed by former Governor Rick Synder in 2015 to make May 14th the official Chevrolet Corvair appreciation day, says that she’ll speak with anyone who has a story to tell about the car, including anyone who may have artifacts they would like to donate to the Corvair Museum.
If you’d like to share your stories with the Eva, she would be delighted to hear them. She can be contacted at [email protected] or by snail mail at P.O. Box 981335, Ypsilanti, MI 48198.
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Source: Mlive.com
Comments
We had 4 in the family Many Years ago. My father loved them.
The 1966 Corvair’s style is just timeless and beautiful. Like fine art.
My mother’s cousin (who was my babysitter in 1956) has a light blue 1964 Corvair and was fun to ride in it.
I owned three of them : Black 1960 coupe, White 1963 convertible, and a Red 1965 Corsa. I loved them all and only wish I had room to bring one back . They were way ahead of anything else on the road from a styling and engineering standpoint.
I have only owned one Corvair but I purchased it 50 years ago and still have it. The car is a 1964 Monza and barely over 50,000 miles. It is a fun car to stove and gets a lot of attention. Ronald Smith [email protected]
My first car was a 65 red hardtop Corvair.
Had more fun with it.
Put 14 inch wheels and tires on it.
Finally blew the transaxle and repaired it in Tech School class.
Then went into service and traded it when I got out for a 69 Road Runner.
’65 – ’69 Vairs came from Chevrolet with 14 inch wheels standard !!!
They came with 13 inch
No they were all 13 inch.
WRONG!!!! ’60-’64 HAD 13 INCH WHEELS; ’65-’69 HAD 14 INCHERS.
I owned many 1965 and later Corvairs back in the day including a 1966 Yenko Stinger so I have had more than a little experience. Here is a link for you and read https://www.wheel-size.com/size/chevrolet/corvair/
I had 4, including a 1967 Corsa convertible. I loved those cars and had a lot of fun driving them in Hawai’i.
Thank you for sharing this article and my story. I am also interested in hearing from any GM designer, engineer, Fisher Body workers, Tonawanda engine plant in New York, or any auto worker from any of the assembly plants who had a hand in producing this one of kind air-cooled wonder. The email address in this article for contacting me is incorrect. It should read: [email protected]. Thank you again.
Corvair Lady Eva
Nader’s book PROLONGED Corvair production by 2 years! GM had decided early in 1964 that ’67 would be the last model year (unless the new for ’65 ‘Vair sold extremely well, which was highly unlikely, since it competed not only against Ford’s (Falcon) Mustang but also with Chevrolet’s own brand new for ’67 Camaro ). But Nader’s diatribe came out and became a best seller in 1965 and GM realized that announcing the imminent demise of the ‘Vair would appear to validate the failed lawyer’s criticisms. Hence, we ended up with a ’68 and ’69 Corvair.
I owned a gorgeous, Roman Red (inside and out) 1962 Monza couple, purchased in 1982 and sold circa 2010. Only because I live in New York City and storing the car became difficult and extravagant. Nary I day goes by that I don’t think about and miss that beauty of a car.