GM Files To Trademark National Corvair Museum
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GM has filed to trademark “National Corvair Museum,” GM Authority has learned. The trademark will likely be used to rename the Corvair Preservation Foundation Museum in Illinois following the museum’s official recognition by GM.
The new trademark was filed on January 19th, 2023 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The application was assigned serial number 97760955, and carries a Goods and Services description of “Museum services.”
The new trademarked name will most likely be used in conjunction with a rebranding effort at the Corvair Preservation Foundation Museum. According to the Corvair Society of America, GM officially recognized the Corvair Preservation Foundation Museum in Illinois as the official Corvair museum in North America late last year, which would make this new trademarked name a perfect fit.
“It is with great joy and genuine excitement that we announce the official new name of our ‘National Corvair Museum’, which has just been approved by General Motors,” said Corvair Preservation Foundation President and Museum Curator, Mike Hall “We look forward to a long and productive partnership with General Motors as Corvair will now have a national home for its display of historical vehicles, engines, artifacts as well as containing an archive for the history of this air-cooled wonder.”
The Corvair Preservation Foundation Museum is located at 10041 Palm Road in Glenarm, Illinois. First opening in 2016, the museum contains a multitude of Corvair cars, trucks, and powertrain displays, as well as related memorabilia. The museum was also recently added to the Route 66 Historic Traveler’s Tour Guide, making it a great destination for both Corvair fans and car lovers in general.
The Chevy Corvair nameplate was produced over the course of two generations between the 1960 and 1969 model years. The Corvair stands out as the only American-designed, mass-produced passenger car powered by an air-cooled, rear-mounted engine, and was offered in a variety of different body styles, including a four-door sedan, two-door coupe, convertible, pickup truck, and even a van.
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As the current proud owner of a ’61 Corvair Monza Coupe, its great to see GM continue to recognize the Corvair as the true Engineering achievement it was, not apologize for its falsely accused shortcomings. Contemporarily speaking, the Corvair was the most unique prodution platform GM engineered durring the 20th century.
Tell the truth I didn’t know they even had a Corvair Museum. Even being just down the road to southern Il.
It was the Ford Mustang which doomed the Corvair. The Corvair originally was GM’s answer to the small, economical imports from Europe, as was Ford’s Falcon and the Plymouth Valiant. Out of the three it was the Falcon which took charge, substantially outselling the Corvair.
GM was quick to realize the Corvair’s true value was as a sportier compact car, and in mid ’60 brought out the Monza coupe with its bucket seats and floor stick shift. Then for the 1962 model year Chevrolet brought out the conventionally designed Chevy II which upped the ante in the compact car segment by offering a 2 door hardtop and a convertible.
Meanwhile, the Corvair soldiered on, the Monza having created a nice niche for itself as an inexpensive, sporty car. At the top was the the turbocharged Monza Spyder.
By 1964, the Corvair Monza had basically forged its own market segment off to the side of the compact car segment. Chevrolet had plans to up the ante with the beautiful, curvaceous second generation Corvair for the 1965 model year. The Monza was to continue on, but as the second banana to the new headliner, the Corvair Corsa. The 1965’s were truly superior to the early years. Excellent road cars, its rear suspension was similar to that on the Corvette.
Unfortunately, months before the 1965 Corvair was to be introduced and arrive in dealer showrooms, the Ford Mustang hit the market and shocked the auto world, becoming an overnight success and having a big effect on the direction that automakers would be following.
Alas, as good as the 1965 Corvair was, its chance for success was totally diminished by the Mustang. Chevrolet, its efforts with the Corvair ambushed once again by the competition, realized what they had to do – and so they left the Corvair aside on its own to eventually die off while they scrambled to come up with the Camaro for the 1967 model year.
True dat……The unfortunate part is that had they kept pumping money into it, they probably would have had a nice, third generation model instead of the Vega to compete with the subcompacts that came out of Japan in the late ’60’s……by ’67 or ’68 it was probably too late, especially with “Unsafe” on the shelves
The 60’s was a crazy time for Detroit. Imports were attacking our shores from both sides with decent products that were cheap to buy at the low end and solid and efficient in design at the high end. Government had begun to impose regulations that caught Detroit with their pants down. GM just could not have the focus that would justify further development with the Corvair.
Had they buckled up and kept things rolling, Corvair could have become a Porsche-like sister to the Corvette.
What really doomed the Corvair was the engine.
Like Stewart pointed out the Mustang came but the problem was the flat 6 cost more to build than the 327 small block.
Add to that the emissions rules in 1970 were not easily met with an air cooled engine. It would have run the cost up more.
Ed Cole also has GM working on a Wankle rotory. But they stopped on it after Cole died and the emissions were poor. It was slated for the Monza and other similar cars. GM even made a deal with AMC for the Pacer. That is why the inline six fit so poorly.
Ralph just got too much credit.
Growing up my father had 4 different years of Corvairs and he loved them. I was lucky to put a low mile 65 convertible back on the road after being parked with 7,000 miles for near 30 years.
Ed had a lot of ideas and some worked some did not. Like the Vega. But at least he was trying.
Not quite correct. The Wankle was slated for the Vega and Monza. The Corvair was slated to have a water cooled flat 6. Too bad.
Cost prevented the Vega from getting the Wankle and the issues they were having.
The water cooled Corvair never got off the ground and the later years were only built to show up Nadar.
Sales were not good at the end. Many did not know it lasted till 69.
In fact 69 models are rare as so few were made and they killed the rust proofing measures.
When Cole left Chevy Delorean killed much of Coles plans. There was little love between them.
Plus the water cooled Corvair engine would negate the advantages and add even more cost.
Cost of the Wankle was not the issue. It was emissions and poor fuel economy. 6000 1969 models were made. I have three of them. As far as the water cooled that didn’t happen, cost was not an issue. It was about even with the air cooled engine. Maybe a slight bit more. The major reason to go to water cooling was NoX emissions. NoX is created at high combustion chamber temperatures. You can’t get the temp down enough with air cooling. Cole and DeLorean don’t enter the picture.
A LOT of good and almost correct comments here! It is most certainly true that emissions were going to be an issue for an air-cooled engine. If it were me, I would have gone with liquid cooled heads (ala Porsche, which came out MUCH later), which would have provided opportunities for more power, as well as better emission controls (not to mention better valve seat retention).
Wankel? ACZ is absolutely on the money with his statement.
I currently have four ‘Vairs, a ’64 Monza Convert, a ’66 Corsa convert, a ’68 Monza Coupe, and a ’69 Monza convert (full disclosure, the ’69 belongs to the wife, and is the nicest of all!)
I know a bit about the subject. I was, for decades, the single most spoiled Corvair owner in America- I lived 20 minutes from Larry Claypool’s “Vair Shop. When I met Larry, I pretty much knew a spark plug from a spare tire, but not a lot more than that. Since then, I have learned more about cars OF ALL TYPES from my association with him, and Corvair history in particular.
My first car, 1962 Corvair, it was 1975 or so. Came with a spare engine, which I rebuilt and installed.
I learned a lot working on that car. Met other Corvair owners along the way.
As a newly-married couple, our first new car was a black 1961 Lakewood wagon for $2,539.35! Great handler, economical, but the “fresh air” heater was not very fresh after seals and gaskets dried out! Had trouble keeping fan belts on it until a bracket was developed and installed to prevent the belt from coming off the idler pulley. Miss the car once in a while. Glad to see a museum honoring the marque.
It was a cool car, there was all the Nader ‘hype’ (and that baloney still surfaces from folks is at car shows etc.) but as others have mentioned it was the Mustang…but even more so, GM’s decision to focus on their new model, the Camaro that finally did in the Corvair in ’69.
Did you notice that the ’67 Camaro “borrowed” the styling of the Late Model ‘Vair? I once was working in a location that I noticed a car sticking out behind a garage that LOOKED like a ‘Vair quarter panel, and I had to go look- sure ’nuff, it was a ’67 Camaro convert! Chevy shortened the rear of a Corvair, and lengthened the hood (OK, putting in a 327 WASN’T a bad idea!) and that is how the Camaro (on a Nova chassis) was born.
Thanks to Larry Shinoda for a WONDERFULLY beautiful design!
Interesting aside: I was in a chassis design class when the Chevy II was introduced. I remember the prof saying that Chevy had copied the Falcon, including the mistakes. He didn’t elaborate on his comment.
Curious.
That sounds like one person’s opinion.
I just found it interesting. I do not dispute anything you said.
That was not a reflection on your comment. I meant the opinion of the GM copying the Falcon was the opinion of one person.
The 60 monza Coupe started the bucket seat trend ,
1961-63 monza model out sold all the copies 1961 mid year models Falcon futura ,la mans , cutlass .skylark , comet s/22 , 1962 lancer GT, Valent signet ,1963 nova SS. Dart GT, American 440H than came the mustang who stole the sales . So was the monza model started the bucket seat, sports compact craze opt 4speed 1960.5 , 4wheel independent suspension, turbochargers (1962 olds jetfire was out before the turbo spyder 1962-64 corsa 1965-66 opt turbo the lil monza coupe started a craze which we still see today : bucket seats, turbochargers. 4 wheel independent suspension, I like the timeless design of 1965-69 monza , corsa
Interesting that cars with “bucket seats” were treated (by the insurance companies) as some sort of “risk factor”!
GM wants to be friends with Corvair Museum and Corvair owners.
Great, but I would appreciate a little more assistance, such as, GM would produce the molds for the Corvair SOHC motor and cylinder heads (though they probably long ago disappeared) so maybe GM would like to produce a replacement and updated performance cylinder head for Corvairs.
There is sufficient interest for this request as our cylinder heads sources are mostly used with few NOS units available.
What you say GM brass?
Good try, Jimc, but I don’t think that’s in the works.
But we can dream, can’t we?