Vintage shots from days gone by!

It's from the Library of Congress, here.

 

I wonder if the last one produced is still at the Pate museum? At least it was labeled the last one produced. Other internet sites say it was a Gold coupe. Maybe from different production sites?

The on at Pate was a red convertible with no suspension or drivetrain if I recall.

 

Originally Posted by Brizo
Nearly 2 million Corvairs were made between 1960 and '69. By the mid '60s, you would see Corvairs on the road as often as we see Mustangs today.

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>Originally Posted by Brizo
Nearly 2 million Corvairs were made between 1960 and '69. By the mid '60s, you would see Corvairs on the road as often as we see Mustangs today.
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By 1969 there was only 1 production site for Corvairs. the last one produced was an Olympic Gold coupe with serial number 6000 for the year. GM refused to sell it to the public, and later it was rumored to be destroyed by GM. I would beleive that to be true, because if it still existed, it would be on display in the GM Heritage Museum, along with several other Corvairs of note.
From the 69 Corvair fingertip facts book:
The Associated Press, United Press International, and local TV stations were requesting to photograph the last Corvair as it actually came off the assembly line that Wednesday. No plans had been made to have the press at Willow Run and even the ever-present GM Photographic Department wasn’t going to be there. All GM needed was smug, gleeful reports in the media that the Corvair was finally dead. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
With all the requests to see the last Corvair being built, GM relented. A small ceremony would be allowed, which probably assured better treatment by the press than if they’d been shut out. The Corvair room was a high security area at Willow Run and very few outsiders had ever been in it. So it must have seemed strange when newsmen began arriving after lunch on Wednesday, May 14th. The line had been running all morning so the very last cars could be ready for them. <o></o>
The tone of the day was very informal, with no speeches or statements by anyone from GM. It was a sad day for the assembly workers, foremen and their supervisors who had grown fond of the Corvair and their little team. It surely was no day of celebration for them. Instead, it was a funeral and they were the pallbearers. <o></o>
The last Corvair, an Olympic Gold Monza Coupe (# 6000), was in its overhead carrier and was pushed closer to the waiting newsmen The car in front (# 5999) was lowered to the floor, on its wheels for the first time. After receiving its ration of gasoline, this Lemans Blue Monza coupe quickly became as famous as # 6000 itself. 5999 wouldn’t start. A loud backfire, and then silence. Some sentimental workers and reporters felt the Corvair was stubbornly holding up the line, refusing to die. <o></o>
All the evidence points to a "service" or replacement engine, one that would normally be ordered for customers’ cars. Due to the extreme shortage of parts at Willow Run for the last Corvairs, a service 140 was probably ordered. This was then installed in # 5999 as its original engine. Engines shipped directly to Willow Run from the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace><st1:city>Tonawanda</st1:city>, <st1:state>New York</st1:state></st1lace> engine plant have the distributors installed; service engines are delivered without distributors. Engine line workers, unfamiliar with distributor installation and in a hurry, must have put it in 180 degrees off. BANG ! <o></o>
With # 5999 now pushed out of the way, at <st1:time minute="30" hour="13">1:30 PM</st1:time> #6000 was easily started and driven a few feet ahead where the Olympic Gold Monza coupe stopped for photographs by the press. At <st1:time minute="0" hour="14">2:00 PM</st1:time>, # 6000 was driven out of the building, followed by the newsmen, and down a ramp onto the loading dock area. Nearby was a long string of tri-level railroad cars filled mostly with Novas and a few Corvairs. More photos were taken here by the press and plant personnel. And that was that, the Corvair production decade was over. <o></o>

#5999 still exists, and is owned by the Corvair Preservation foundation.

The red convertible mentioned earlier, may be the last convertible made, but certainly not the last Corvair made. Over the years there have been many versions of the last Corvair made. Including one that sold on e-bay as being the last Corvair sold for that car a true statement because the dealer maintained ownership of a mid year run car and sold it many years later. Not really adding much to its value. But it sold very high in later years.

 

Been suggested, and seconded, many times. Some folks do religiously provide known background, but many just post photos and leave the info behind. That's like "Show&Tell" -- without the tell. As enjoyable and informative as Dog's thread is, it could have also been a wonderful resource wherein someone wanting to reminisce over certain subjects they've seen could just do a search (top of page) and been able to "go back" and quickly turn up pix of that subject. Without at least simple captions or labels, it would take days, at least, to search the entire thread.

One of the regs' tagline used to be a quote from John Greenleaf Whitter:

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'"

 

I had 2 & loved both of them, '61 & '62, w/manual shift.
they were a ball to drive in city traffic.
I hate Ralph Nader.
mlight9

 

I wonder where Bixbe, AZ was on Route 66. I've never heard of it and maybe it's no longer there. A Google search turned up nothing. Anyone know?

 

Mr Pitcarn

 

Speaking of Corvairs, here is my 66. Drag raced it for two years, 44 wins in class an eliminator. Ran it at Old Bridge Speedway, 1/2 mile oval track. We raced on the front straight 1/12 mile strip. Car was capable of beating GTO's if they weren't careful. Outran an A/S 426 Plymouth heads up one night. Little car left HARD for those times.

 

Rooskie SU 2-3-2V locomotive, 1939

 

I'm bad, that's right I'm bad

 

German DFW ( Deutsche Flegzeung Worke Gesellschaft ) Biplane Type C 37 111.
200hp Benz engine. 155kph max speed. Climb: 4 minutes to 1000 metres, 49 mins to 5000 metres.
Capable of carrying 460 kgs load.

 

Hi Jess87,

Well, that's a good guess, but most of it is not true.....

I find these photos on web sites from Europe, most of them do not have quotes and I don't use Tumblr but I have traced a couple back to it.

But if you see a photo I posted that has a quote on Tumblr please add it.

Lastly...........I'm not a SHE.................but I've been called worse....hahahahaha

 

Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte at the March on Washington, 1963.