1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza

The Chevy Corvair first appeared on the market in 1960 and its unconventional rear-mounted, air-cooled setup made waves in the automotive community. It was an advanced vehicle that was powered by mostly aluminum engines and featured unibody construction - the first unibody built by Fisher. Its compact automatic transaxle coupled with wide, low-profile tires earned it numerous patents and was ultimately seen as revolutionary. The styling of the first generation, however, was not as well-received as the second generation.

A major redesign occurred for the 1965 model year making it appear distinctly European. In the front was a smooth, prow-like design with a subtle, graceful beltline and arched fenders. Convertible models had thicker C-pillars. The swing-axle suspension of the first-generation Corvairs was also changed to a four-wheel fully independent suspension and coil springs. The pre-1965 models had a rigid rear axle configuration which could make the cars unstable while in certain cornering conditions. Ralph Nader mounted a crusade against these cars stating they were dangerous. GM responded and with the switch to the independent rear axle setup in 1965 which greatly improved handling.

The 1965 Chevy Corvair Series included the Corvair 500, Corvair Monza, and the Corvair Corsa. The base series was the Corvair 500 Series. The Corvair Monza was the mid-price model while the Corvair Corsa was the top-of-the-line model.

The Corvair Monza replaced the Corvair 700 line and came equipped with rocker sill moldings, full wheel covers, front bucket seats, courtesy and glove box lights, and rear armrests, and carpeting. Body styles included a 2-door sport coupe, a 4 door hardtop sport sedan, and a convertible. Pricing began at $2,300 for the Sport Coupe and rose to $2,440 for the convertible.

Interior color options on the Corviar Monza included blue, saddle, slate, while and tuxedo black with black or aqua accents.

A new feature found on all Corvairs was a slanted-back instrument panel with tunnels that housed the gauges. The Series 500 and Monza models had a gas gauge, warning lights, and a speedometer. An optional electric clock could also be installed.

The Corvair 500 and Monza both shared a horizontally opposed six-cylinder, overhead valve engine that had a 164 CID displacement and offered 95 horsepower.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2018