Humble Corvair a Driving Passion for Enthusiasts

Once derided as the poor-man’s Porsche and long considered a clunker in the classic car world, at 40 the humble Chevrolet Corvair has developed a certain cachet.

Its which-way-is-front styling and low-slung interior still may not have the panache of the 1957 Thunderbird, but it has become collectible enough that car clubs have formed, even an international society. Today in Fillmore, Corvair owners from around the state are gathering for a car show devoted solely to celebrating one of Detroit’s more adventurous experiments.

“It’s cool to have a car that makes everybody’s head turn,” said Kirk Schiewe of Camarillo, who belongs to the Ventura County Corvairs club.

As many as 100 classic cars are expected for the Fillmore gathering. The local Corvair club’s first show is designed to promote Corvairs as “affordable classics,” said Jack Pinard, editor of the club’s newsletter.

“Quite a few members drive their Corvairs every day,” said Pinard of Port Hueneme. “These are not antiques. They are every bit as modern as most cars.”

An air-cooled rear engine, independent suspension and a light frame made the Chevrolet remarkable--and much lampooned--in its day. The Corvair was an early Detroit effort to build an affordable, small car. But it ran heavily against the grain at a time when the American road was ruled by the muscle car. It also was among the first cars to be condemned by Ralph Nader, who said faulty engineering caused it to roll over at relatively low speeds.

“Public interest didn’t just taper off,” said Leslie Mark Kendall, curatorial manager at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. “The realities of the engineering were made so public that people stayed away in droves.”

The car was discontinued just a decade after its launch in 1959.

Corvair enthusiasts say the blocky little car got a bad rap. They say the criticisms were unjustified. And despite the quirky engineering, Corvair lovers say the cars are relatively easy to restore and maintain. Several American companies even specialize in parts.

At their monthly meetings, the 35 local members swap tips and techniques for finding and restoring Corvairs. They are among thousands of Corvair lovers who gather annually for a national convention.

Despite the car’s blue-collar image, club members today are a diverse group.

“We have members that are executives of corporations and mechanics at gas stations,” said David Palmer of Fillmore. “When we get together, we are just Corvair people.”

Despite the checkered history of the Corvair, all Bob Mastrangelo cares about today is the reaction his 1965 yellow Corvair gets on the road.

“Every time I stop for gas, someone comes over,” said Mastrangelo, president of Ventura County Corvairs. “Everybody likes Corvairs. They are a part of automotive history.”

For Mastrangelo, 52, the Corvair has been nothing but good luck. In 1965, a woman in his Brooklyn neighborhood cruised through the streets in a new Corvair.

Although Mastrangelo favored muscle cars, he took a liking to the Chevrolet and then to its owner. She eventually became his wife and the couple have been married 30 years.

“We fell in love with the car,” he said, “and we fell in love with each other.”