Word: corvairs
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...seemed convinced that it did not pay for them to pay more attention to safety, because the public did not want to bear the cost. Increasingly, however, the automakers are finding that soft-pedaling safety can cost them quite a bit too. General Motors learned that lesson with its Corvair line, which it dropped last week (see BUSINESS). Recent court decisions in four states against all four major automakers suggest that any car that fails to measure up to reasonable safety standards may prove highly expensive in terms of damages. Each of the cases involved a decision extending the liability...
When the Chevrolet Corvair was introduced in 1959, its fresh engineering was hailed as the forerunner of a new age of innovation in Detroit. The compact auto, designed to stop the imported car invasion, featured an air-cooled rear engine made largely of aluminum. It was the creation of Chevy General Manager Edward N. Cole, now president of General Motors. But the Corvair's plain Jane appearance did not seduce as many buyers as G.M. had expected. Restyled with bucket seats and a four-on-the-floor shift, the car gained popularity as something of an American sports...
...object of their affection turned out to be fatally fickle. Because of Corvair's heavy tail and its unique rear suspension system, critics charged that its rear wheels sometimes "tucked under" on corners, causing an alarming tendency for the car to roll over. The car was also vulnerable to side winds that caused unexpected sashays on the road. A redesign of the rear axle and other modifications fixed those failings in 1964. More than 150 lawsuits were filed for more than $25 million in damages...
...gentlemen," said the starter. In Pasadena, Calif., the three-man team starting from California Institute of Technology climbed into their red-and-white Volkswagen bus, which sported a sign reading "Socket-to-me." Across the continent, in Cambridge, Mass., a two-man competing team slipped into their modified white Corvair. Said the starter: "Get ready to throw your switches." Then, with a hum rather than the usual roar, the Great Electric-Car Race...
...Mustang. Detroit's new cars, by contrast, will be manufactured entirely in the U.S. and Canada. Ford plans to have its minimodel on the market next April, and General Motors expects to introduce its version in the fall of 1969, at the same time dropping its slow-moving Corvair. American Motors also hopes to produce a small car next year, provided that it can hold down the tooling-up costs. The only automaker without a domestic minimodel in the works is Chrysler, which instead has decided to consider development of what it calls a "world car," a low-cost...