Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT Concept, 1963 Corvair Monza GT Concept | Conceptcarz.com - Pictures, Pricing, Information, Wallpaper, History

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Designer: Larry Shinoda

An important part of GM Design history is represented by the Corvair Monza GT. Developed under the leadership of GM Design chief Bill Mitchell, this stunning concept was the work of Larry Shinoda, who's accomplishment as designer of the Sting Ray Corvette are well documented.

Riding on a wheelbase 16-inches shorter than a standard Corvair, the Monza GT's rear-engine was rotated 180-degrees from its standard position to create a true mid-engine car. With doors that opened forward like a canopy from the base of the windshield to the 'B' pillars, and a rear-opening engine cover, the low 42-inch GT coupe established new benchmarks for contemporary design.

Powered by a turbocharged, 145 cubic-inch, horizontally-opposed, aluminum six-cylinder engine, the GT delivered 'go' that backed up its 'show.'

First presented to the public at the 1963 New York Auto Show, the Monza GT occupies a special place in concept car history.

The Corvair came on the scene in 1959 and featured a flat-six engine mounted in mid-ship. Even with putting the engine in the middle of the vehicle, the weight distribution was not evenly distributed. The engine sat behind the rear axle and this actually caused handling problems. The vehicles main competition was the VW Bug and the Porsche 911. It was originally built to compete with the Bug, but with the flat-six engine, it was more in the Porsche 911 league. But with the poor handling, it was in an undesirable class of its own. The handling issues were addressed in 1965 when new suspensions with upper and lower control arms were added. But when comedian Eddie Kovacs was killed due to over-steer, public confidence and sales plummeted. Chevrolet tried to save the Corvairs by introducing media campaigns that focused on the new suspension. Race drivers were used to demonstrate the cars ability. However, it was not enough and Chevrolet finally ended production of the Corvair in 1969.
The front of the vehicle did not have a grill. This was because the engine was air-cooled, so a grill was not needed.

The car came with fifteen different color options on the outside and eight on the inside. The retractable room was foldable, and an automatic option available for an additional charge. In 1962, a turbocharged version was added to the line-up in attempt to boost sales and improve the image of the vehicle as a sports car. A top speed of 115 mph could be ascertained with the turbocharger with a zero-to-sixty time of about 10.8. In 1966, the vehicle received styling updates and was named the Corvair Corsa. Drum brakes were always used. The vehicle came in a variety of gearboxes such as a three-speed manual, four-speed manual or an optional two-speed automatic. The body was integral chassis with two-door steel body.

The name Corvair came about by breeding the Corvette and Bel Air together, two trademark names of Chevrolet.

The Chevrolet Corvair was introduced in 1959 and remained in production for ten years. It was an economy car that had its engine mounted in the rear which offered superior handling and exceptional performance, especially for the Monza model. An update to the styling in 1965 left the vehicle with a design that was very European. It was slightly wider and sat lower to the ground. Its body was described as a 'Coke bottle'. The Corsa and Spyder were now the top-of-the-line models in respects to performance and style, a title taken away from the Monza.

The Corsa models were equipped with a 140 horsepower four-carbureted six-cylinder engine and fixed to a four-speed manual gearbox. It was offered in two configurations, a two-door coupe and power-top convertible. The interior featured a 140 mph speedometer, re-settable trip odometer, 6000 rpm tachometer, analog clock with second hand, and chromed gearshift boot. The exterior was adorned with badging, dual exhausts, and aluminum-finish taillight cove.

1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT Concept
Year	1963
Make	Chevrolet
Model	Corvair Monza GT Concept
Engine Location	Mid
Drive Type	Rear Wheel
Production Years for Series	1960 - 1969
Body Designer	Larry Shinoda
Combined MPG	0.00
Introduced At	1963 New York Auto Show

Engine
Engine Configuration	O
Cylinders	4
	Hydraulic valve lifters
Aspiration/Induction	Turbocharged
Displacement	145.00 CU IN. \| 2376.6 cc. \| 2.4 L.
Valves	8 valves. 2 valves per cylinder.
Valvetrain	OHV
Fuel Type	Gasoline - Petrol
Fuel Feed	Carburetor
	2 carburetors
Block	Aluminum

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1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT Concept