1961 Chevrolet Corvair Series

The Corvair was the lowest-priced Chevrolet for 1961. The base trim level was the Corvair 500 and was available as a 2-door club coupe, sedan, and station wagon. Pricing began at just under $2,000. They came equipped with dual electric windshield wipers, a driver's side sun visor, a folding rear seat, and directional signals. The Lakewood station wagon was available for only a single year and offered 58 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Corvair was powered by a 145 cubic-inch horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine offering 80 horsepower. A three-speed manual transmission was standard with a four-speed manual unit offered as optional equipment. A Powerglide automatic transmission was also available. For buyers seeking additional horsepower, a 145 CID dual one-barrel engine was available which brought horsepower up to nearly 100 bhp.

The mid-priced Corvair was the Series 700, which was distinguished by the '700' nameplates located on the cowl sides of the fenders. Additional amenities included more chrome exterior moldings, dual horns, coat hooks, automatic light switches that operated when the front door opened, and upgraded interior trims.

The top-of-the-line Corvair was Monza 900 Series, which could be purchased as either a club coupe or sedan. Pricing began at around $2,200. They came with 900 series designation, front bucket seats, carpeting, and front armrests. The two-door Monzas had an all-vinyl interior while the four-door was given a cloth/vinyl combination. Other amenities included a glovebox light, rear armrests for the sedans, folding rear seat, back-up lights, deluxe steering wheel, cigarette lighter, and sun visors on both the driver's and passenger's side.

The Monza series was the most popular Corvair, accounting for nearly 144,000 examples sold. Around 97,000 examples of the Series 700 were sold and 43,200 examples of the base-level Series 500 Corvair found ownership.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2018