Vehicle Description
The time between the late 1950s and early 1960s was a brief yet
bright period of unbridled creativity at General Motors. As the
fins and chrome era drew to an end, designers sought new ways to
harness rapidly evolving technology. GM divisions had considerable
autonomy, and internal competition spawned a series of advanced and
inspired designs. This era brought us Buick's lightweight,
all-aluminum V8, Oldsmobile's Jetfire with the world's first
production turbocharged engine, and the Pontiac Tempest with
independent rear suspension and a transaxle gearbox. But none were
as daring as Chevrolet's new clean-sheet, European-inspired small
car, the Corvair. The ingenious Corvair shared virtually nothing
with the rest of the Chevrolet range. Wholly unconventional to most
American buyers, the Corvair drew heavily from Volkswagen's
playbook, featuring a sheet steel chassis and air-cooled flat-six
engine slung out behind the rear axle line. The basic layout of the
chassis and suspension allowed a wide range of body styles,
including a sedan, convertible, coupe, and station wagon. In 1961,
again taking a cue from VW, Chevrolet introduced the "Corvair 95"
line of utility vehicles utilizing the fundamental Corvair
underpinnings with a forward-control layout to maximize cargo
space. Chevy offered a cargo van, the Greenbrier passenger van, or
a pickup truck. Additionally, the pickup had the optional
"Loadside" configuration with conventional tailgate, or the
"Rampside," which added an innovative side-mounted loading ramp to
access the drop-down cargo area. Despite its initial popularity,
interest in the Corvair 95 waned as buyers favored conventional
vehicles, and Chevrolet pulled the truck line in 1965. Presented in
period-correct colors of Tahiti Coral with white accents, this 1961
Corvair 95 is a lovely example of the rarely seen Rampside pickup,
highlighted by a high-quality, ground-up restoration. The
Rampside's relatively low production and high attrition rates make
prime examples like this quite scarce, and few have been restored
to this level. Standout features include excellent paintwork,
excellent chrome bumpers, and restored anodized trim giving it a
distinctly "deluxe" look. Rounding out the crisp presentation are
color-matched steel wheels with proper dog-dish hubcaps and wide
whitewall tires. The interior is decidedly utilitarian, with a
checkerboard-patterned vinyl bench seat, rubber floor liners, and
silver-painted steel door panels. The two-tone black/silver theme
pairs nicely with the exterior color and niceties include a modern
period-style radio and a tinted windscreen. Upholstery materials
and fittings are accurate to factory specifications. Originally,
this truck would have rolled off the assembly line with an
80-horsepower, 145 cubic-inch version of the Chevy flat-six. At
some point, this example was usefully updated with a larger 164
cubic-inch unit, rated for 110 horsepower, and adding a welcome
dose of performance and cargo-carrying ability-the air-cooled
engine pairs to a two-speed, Corvair-specPowerglideautomatic
transmission. Keeping on theme, the engine is well-detailed with
good quality paintwork on the shrouds and air intakes. We envision
this charming and rare Corvair Rampside as the perfect vehicle to
run to your local garden center, to haul a couple of vintage
motorcycles, or to simply cruise around your favorite roads. No
matter how its next caretaker chooses to enjoy it, they can rest
assured that it is one of the best examples on the market today, a
rare and eminently charming variant of the versatile and innovative
Corvair. Offers welcome and trades considered For additional
details please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6915-1961-chevrolet-corvair-rampside-pickup/