The irony here is that even though it is 'crash-proof' due to its rigidity, the fact it is so rigid means the crash forces are transferred to the occupants inside, meaning (coupled with the lack of safety features such as seatbelts) even low speed crashes could be fatal. Being in that roll-over would have been like being inside a giant blender.
Yeah love these old cars but they killed the driver and saved the car lol. A bit later cars had a nice sweet spot between crumpling and rigidity. Anymore they just crumple
I am not sure how an automaker can call attention to the strength of a car in the name of safety while ignoring the fate of the passengers getting thrown around violently inside of the car.
Even though Ralph Nader was a nut case ( no concrete proof that caused the demise of the Corvair, long story) he was instrumental in the introduction of safety measures one now sees in today's cars.
@@stevenschiffel4294Interesting. Agree with the second part of your comment, but don’t think he is the villain Corvair enthusiasts make him out to be. The Corvair’s demise was due to the successes of Falcon, Chevy II , Mustang and Camaro. They simply squeezed it out of its two market niches, family car and sporty car.
There have been Coulds since the beginning of time. If Coulds would have stopped man we would still be living in darkness wearing loin cloths like some cultures still do today.
In my hometown 2 girls were severely injured in a 1960 Corvair that went out of control. The wreckage was towed to the local Ford dealership where most wrecks were towed until insurance could settle. My friends and I rode our bicycles to look at the damaged car (in those days there was no fence). While we there many of the towns people showed up too. It seems the news got out quickly and the two teen girls involved were popular in high school. I remember hearing talk about the safety of the Corvairs handling. So even then, before Nader, it was a known issue in early models. Chevrolet corrected the problem in the '63 models. But the reputation was already there.
Note the use of the passive voice:"that went out of control." Was the driver at fault by any chance? Regardless, I hope the two women fully recuperated..
The sad part is many other cars were just as bad in handling back then. Nader singled out the corvair because it didn't have stabilizer bars as standard, but tests showed it handled as well as some competitors. All that means is that multiple brands were poor handlers. But GM response which was to hire a prostitute to blackmail Nader really didn't help their reputation very much.
Wow. I saw a corvair driving down the road. I couldn't get a good look but it was pretty "interesting" looking. All the body panels were different colors and faded pastel colors. I wouldn't be surprised if it was missing the glass for the windows, like they picked it up sitting in a ravine for 30 years, though I couldn't get a good look at its "poor" condition. 😆 But they were driving it in 2023 so it must've been something special.
Wow, that crash test at 10 miles an hour was oh so convincing. Meanwhile, at the rollover, everybody’s being ejected because the car took the punishment, but the occupants did not.
I owned several in the 1960's. As I remember there was a straight steel steering shaft that ran from the steering wheel all the way to the steering gear box mounted just behind the front bumper! Not exactly the setup you'd want for a front end collision. I also rolled one from about 60 mph without seat belts and walked away with just a sore left arm from hitting the inside of the driver's door. I wouldn't recommend that maneuver though and I chose never to repeat it.
What they actually made me think is that I should buy a Bel Air/Impala/Biscayne instead of a Corvair, because it is sturdier. Given that more expensive cars usually give larger profits, this might not be so accidental...
The bigger car always wins in these things. But the Corvair comes out looking OK for its size. I doubt either would hold up very well, or protect passengers, in a modern, higher-speed crash test.
@@pcno2832 Agreed. You may recall the Insurance Institute pitting a 2009 model year (I believe) Chevy Malibu and a 1959 Bel Air in an offside head on crash. The Malibu performed like one would expect a modern car would in a crash, and well, the '59 also performed as expected....there was significant intrusion into the passenger compartment that would have seriously injured or killed the driver. The performance and safety features of new models result in many modern drivers being significantly less careful. I suspect many new drivers assume all cars have automatic braking, lane departure warning, etc.,....driving a classic today requires great patience and utilizing one's own superpowers of automatic braking (having one's foot at the ready at all times!) and lane departure warning (using a turn signal). And EVs are even more mass as the battery packs are so heavy. I believe that a Chevy Bolt weighs about 4,000 pounds. And I believe the Hummer weighs something like 9,000 pounds. Try and point the Hummer EV or similar truck at the '59 Bel Air.
Agreed! I always liked them, and the favor that Ralph Nader did in targeting the Corvair as his sacrificial lamb is 1) GM kept the model in production longer than expected so as not to give Nader the satisfaction or belief that he "killed the Corvair". Mediocre sales always reflected the unorthodox design for an American passenger car. 2). His smear campaign destroyed Corvair values, so it keeps them inexpensive for those of us who like them! Ralph is intelligent and has good intentions especially safety concerns, but he doesn't always have the most pragmatic worldview.
They're decent cars but compared to other larger cars are definitely more dangerous especially in a frontal collision just because they're small and also don't have an engine in between you and what you run in to. All compact cars are less collision safe though.
Yes sir thats one tuff car , so tuff in fact the next owner can die in it too , just look at how the roof pillars absorbed Mr Smiths head , and the lead based paint washes off real easy ,,,no more blood splatters anywhere,,, good as new........
Watch how slow they move. Both are (in crash safety terms, not classic car terms) delicate shitboxes which don't protect the driver. Nice commercial but that's all.
Yeah. This is like Hollywood stunt drivers (even though there are none in the cars being crashed.) They drive slow, but if an old time camera ran slow, it actually made the action speed up.
Hi , We'd like to have you roll over this Corvair No seat belts , No airbags , No roll bar . It pays $50 , which will cover your life insurance policy 😳
A compact car introduced in the 60s by Chevrolet. It was targeted as one of the cars most likely to be destroyed in a rear impact (similar to Pinto) and for its awkward handling. If not for this a Pontiac version called the Polaris was planned.
![Crash Chronicles (Wrecks of the 1940s -1950s) [Colorized]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Puzwb-qFHWg/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a 62 Corvair. Loved that car
They are loveable.
I had one too. I think I was maybe 14 at the time. Nice car.
The irony here is that even though it is 'crash-proof' due to its rigidity, the fact it is so rigid means the crash forces are transferred to the occupants inside, meaning (coupled with the lack of safety features such as seatbelts) even low speed crashes could be fatal. Being in that roll-over would have been like being inside a giant blender.
None of the GM engineers were taking a ride in a crash car. They knew.
All cars were like that then though, some of them did have lap belts but those didn't help much(maybe in rollovers they did but no one used them)
I think though the rigidity is a good thing in a roll over because you wouldn't want your head to be part of a crumple zone!
Yeah love these old cars but they killed the driver and saved the car lol.
A bit later cars had a nice sweet spot between crumpling and rigidity. Anymore they just crumple
"took the punishment and asked for more"!! Well, that's the truth.
I am not sure how an automaker can call attention to the strength of a car in the name of safety while ignoring the fate of the passengers getting thrown around violently inside of the car.
I don’t think anybody who made this ad thought about that... they just wanted to show that the car more or less maintained its shape in a crash.
Even though Ralph Nader was a nut case ( no concrete proof that caused the demise of the Corvair, long story) he was instrumental in the introduction of safety measures one now sees in today's cars.
1950’s salesman in auctioneer voice: “who cares?? We don’t! Now come on down and test drive yours today!” (Jazz music playing in the background)😂
We weren't self absorbed nihilistic sissies.
@@stevenschiffel4294Interesting. Agree with the second part of your comment, but don’t think he is the villain Corvair enthusiasts make him out to be. The Corvair’s demise was due to the successes of Falcon, Chevy II , Mustang and Camaro. They simply squeezed it out of its two market niches, family car and sporty car.
Those seats on the 59 Impala... It's terrifying
The Impala didn't suffer too much damage, it stood up.
Well let’s say there was someone driving the impala…
Didn’t mention that in a front end collision the steering wheel would crush the driver’s chest.
I got to looking at that when I upgraded the front subframe on my 65 Nova. Solid steel rod from frame tip to chin.
Ya, nearly all cars did that, so what’s your point?
@@wallacegrommet3479 My point is that it was one reason why the government condemned the Corvair.
@@wallacegrommet3479the point is they don’t anymore
Those cars were so rigid that it could internally decapitate you!
There have been Coulds since the beginning of time. If Coulds would have stopped man we would still be living in darkness wearing loin cloths like some cultures still do today.
In my hometown 2 girls were severely injured in a 1960 Corvair that went out of control. The wreckage was towed to the local Ford dealership where most wrecks were towed until insurance could settle.
My friends and I rode our bicycles to look at the damaged car (in those days there was no fence). While we there many of the towns people showed up too. It seems the news got out quickly and the two teen girls involved were popular in high school.
I remember hearing talk about the safety of the Corvairs handling. So even then, before Nader, it was a known issue in early models.
Chevrolet corrected the problem in the '63 models. But the reputation was already there.
Note the use of the passive voice:"that went out of control." Was the driver at fault by any chance? Regardless, I hope the two women fully recuperated..
The sad part is many other cars were just as bad in handling back then. Nader singled out the corvair because it didn't have stabilizer bars as standard, but tests showed it handled as well as some competitors. All that means is that multiple brands were poor handlers.
But GM response which was to hire a prostitute to blackmail Nader really didn't help their reputation very much.
I still drive that Corvair.
Don’t crash it!
I had a bunch of corvairs and I drove a 1960 corvair for over 500,000 MI
Wow. I saw a corvair driving down the road. I couldn't get a good look but it was pretty "interesting" looking. All the body panels were different colors and faded pastel colors. I wouldn't be surprised if it was missing the glass for the windows, like they picked it up sitting in a ravine for 30 years, though I couldn't get a good look at its "poor" condition. 😆 But they were driving it in 2023 so it must've been something special.
Ralph Nadar was happy to see the rollover
Wow, that crash test at 10 miles an hour was oh so convincing. Meanwhile, at the rollover, everybody’s being ejected because the car took the punishment, but the occupants did not.
I love the Vairs and had one at one time...but let them run one into a concrete wall at 50mph like they do today's cars and see what up.
It is still way safer then a new car
And the new old car crash vids the car is dipped in acid
@@isaacdanielson7103dude, you are actually crazy if you think these 1960s cars are safer than cars now 😂
He's a Troll or an idiot
@isaacdanielson7103 my sonic would probably win
"It takes the punishment and asks for more"? I highly doubt we could say the same about the occupants
I know makes me want to cry, damn
same
but the drivers would be calling it quits
I owned several in the 1960's. As I remember there was a straight steel steering shaft that ran from the steering wheel all the way to the steering gear box mounted just behind the front bumper! Not exactly the setup you'd want for a front end collision.
I also rolled one from about 60 mph without seat belts and walked away with just a sore left arm from hitting the inside of the driver's door. I wouldn't recommend that maneuver though and I chose never to repeat it.
Yeah, I’m not so sure my ‘66 Monza convertible would fair so well upside down.
this was 50 years ago when I was 10, now its 64 years ago
Ralph Nader wasn't the brightest bulb.
"Take that Ralphy (Nader)" said Mr. CTD .
My Friend was rather famous at one time in the seventies for converting covairs into V-8 front engine circle(dirt) track racers.
What they actually made me think is that I should buy a Bel Air/Impala/Biscayne instead of a Corvair, because it is sturdier. Given that more expensive cars usually give larger profits, this might not be so accidental...
The bigger car always wins in these things. But the Corvair comes out looking OK for its size. I doubt either would hold up very well, or protect passengers, in a modern, higher-speed crash test.
@@pcno2832 Agreed. You may recall the Insurance Institute pitting a 2009 model year (I believe) Chevy Malibu and a 1959 Bel Air in an offside head on crash. The Malibu performed like one would expect a modern car would in a crash, and well, the '59 also performed as expected....there was significant intrusion into the passenger compartment that would have seriously injured or killed the driver. The performance and safety features of new models result in many modern drivers being significantly less careful. I suspect many new drivers assume all cars have automatic braking, lane departure warning, etc.,....driving a classic today requires great patience and utilizing one's own superpowers of automatic braking (having one's foot at the ready at all times!) and lane departure warning (using a turn signal). And EVs are even more mass as the battery packs are so heavy. I believe that a Chevy Bolt weighs about 4,000 pounds. And I believe the Hummer weighs something like 9,000 pounds. Try and point the Hummer EV or similar truck at the '59 Bel Air.
Ralph Nader has entered the chat....
'Vairs are great cars!
Agreed! I always liked them, and the favor that Ralph Nader did in targeting the Corvair as his sacrificial lamb is 1) GM kept the model in production longer than expected so as not to give Nader the satisfaction or belief that he "killed the Corvair". Mediocre sales always reflected the unorthodox design for an American passenger car. 2). His smear campaign destroyed Corvair values, so it keeps them inexpensive for those of us who like them! Ralph is intelligent and has good intentions especially safety concerns, but he doesn't always have the most pragmatic worldview.
They're decent cars but compared to other larger cars are definitely more dangerous especially in a frontal collision just because they're small and also don't have an engine in between you and what you run in to. All compact cars are less collision safe though.
They were great in the snow.
Safe at any speed
Yes sir thats one tuff car , so tuff in fact the next owner can die in it too , just look at how the roof pillars absorbed Mr Smiths head , and the lead based paint washes off real easy ,,,no more blood splatters anywhere,,, good as new........
Young peeps today could not have survived 50 years ago. Thank god they were not around during WW2 or we would be speaking German and Japanese.
Watch how slow they move. Both are (in crash safety terms, not classic car terms) delicate shitboxes which don't protect the driver. Nice commercial but that's all.
The first few were at parking lot speeds.
Yeah. This is like Hollywood stunt drivers (even though there are none in the cars being crashed.) They drive slow, but if an old time camera ran slow, it actually made the action speed up.
ever heard of slow motion??!!?
Hi , We'd like to have you roll over this Corvair No seat belts , No airbags , No roll bar . It pays $50 , which will cover your life insurance policy 😳
They used to sell life insurance at airports too. Until somebody tried to crash a plane to give their relatives an insurance payout!
Ralph Nader "Blackballed" the Corvair because it was competion for the VW Bug,the germans needed to sell VW's to make them rich.
Now on Craigs List for as is where is.
Take that Ralph freakin Nader!
that's big damage for the car being tested at 20 or 25MPH🤣🤣
Belair
What the heck was this?
58 Buick.
Now try that with the same year VW Bug or VW Bus.we had a 1960 VW Bus absolutely No protection in a head on collision FLIMSY
No seatbelt
Seatbelts were a new thing back then
It didn't survive Ralph Nadar.
Most of the crashes were staged,intentionally done,to make the Corvair dangerous looking.
POS. Ugly, unsafe and underpowered. Hope GM was ashamed.
That murder machine is unsafe at any speed!!
What is this abomination?
A compact car introduced in the 60s by Chevrolet. It was targeted as one of the cars most likely to be destroyed in a rear impact (similar to Pinto) and for its awkward handling. If not for this a Pontiac version called the Polaris was planned.
@@TheInkPitOx Well yeah the engine is in the back so it's more likely to suffer disabling damage from being rear ended I would say
In what way was it '...one of the cars most likely to be destroyed in a rear impact'? What kind of impact? @@TheInkPitOx