Chevrolet Corvair

The Corvair was a compact car marketed by Chevrolet in the sixties. A sporty Monza version was also available, named for the host of the Formula One Italian Grand Prix. The Corvair was used in Trans Am alongside the Chevrolet Nova and Chevrolet Camaro, although branded as a Yenko Stinger. The Monza name would be reused in the eighties on a compact car which would become dominant in IMSA GT. The Corvair was noted for its unorthodox suspension and for being a vehicle targeted by Ralph Nader in his book Unsafe at Any Speed. Nader noted that the fuel tank was placed right behind the rear bumper, making rear-end collisions more prone to large explosions. These issues led to the Corvair being discontinued. GM had been planning a Pontiac version known as the Polaris, after the constellation, before the Corvair's discontinuation. The name Corvair had previously been used on a sports coupe dream car based on the Chevrolet Corvette.