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The Chevrolet Corvair is a compact automobile manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet for model years 1960–1969 over two generations. As the only American-designed, mass-produced passenger car to feature a rear-mounted air-cooled engine, the Corvair range included a two-door coupe, convertible, four-door sedan, and four-door station wagon body styles, as well as passenger van, commercial van, and pickup truck variants. The Corvair competed with imported cars such as the original Volkswagen Beetle, as well as the Ford Falcon, Plymouth Valiant, Studebaker Lark and the Rambler American. The Corvair's legacy was affected by controversy surrounding its handling, scrutinized in Ralph Nader's ''Unsafe at Any Speed'', as well as a 1972 Texas A&M University safety commission report for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which found that the 1960–1963 Corvair possessed no greater potential for loss of control in extreme situations than its contemporaries.〔 The name "Corvair" is a portmanteau of ''Corvette'' and ''Bel Air''. The name was first applied in 1954 to a Corvette-based concept with a hardtop fastback-styled roof. ==History== In 1952, Edward N. Cole, known as Ed Cole, was promoted to chief engineer of the Chevrolet Motor Division. Four years later, in July 1956, he was named general manager of Chevrolet — GM's largest automotive division — and a vice president of General Motors. At Chevrolet, Cole pushed for many of the major engineering and design advancements introduced in the Chevrolet car and truck lines between 1955 and 1962. He was the moving force behind the development and production of the rear-engined, air-cooled Corvair. Despite its infamous history, the Corvair was a ground-breaking small car in its day. As chief engineer, he was heavily involved in the development of the Corvette sports car. He is also known as the "father" of the small block Chevy V8, one of the most celebrated engines in automotive history.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Edward N. Cole )〕 Until 1960, the "Big Three" domestic auto manufacturers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) produced only one basic size of passenger cars: large. However, a successful modern "compact car" market segment was established in the U.S. by the 1950 Nash Rambler. Moreover, imports from Europe, such as Volkswagen, Renault, and Fiat, showed that there was demand in the U.S. for small cars, often as a second car or an alternative for budget-minded consumers. While the "Big Three" continued to introduce ever-larger cars during the 1950s, the newly formed American Motors Corporation (AMC) focused its business strategy on smaller-sized and fuel-efficient automobiles, years before there was a real need for them. Because it was a small company compared to the Big Three U.S. automakers, AMC positioned itself as a "dinosaur-fighter" and its compact-sized Rambler models rose to third place among domestic automobile sales.〔Flory, p. 133.〕 American Motors also reincarnated its predecessor company's smallest Nash model as the "new" 1958 Rambler American for a second model run, an almost unheard of phenomenon in automobile history. During 1959 and 1960, the Big Three automakers planned to introduce their own "compact" cars. Most of these designs were scaled-down versions of the conventional American car, using four- or six-cylinder engines instead of V8s, and with bodies about 20% smaller than their standard cars. An exception to this strategy was the Chevrolet Corvair. Led by General Manager Cole, Chevrolet designed a revolutionary new car. It was powered by an air-cooled horizontal six-cylinder engine made almost entirely out of aluminum. The engine was mounted in the rear of the car, driving the rear wheels through a compact transaxle. Suspension was independent at all four wheels. There was no conventional frame, it was the first Unibody built by Fisher Body. The tires were an entirely new wide low-profile design. The styling was unconventional for Detroit: subtle and elegant, with no tailfins or chrome grille. Its engineering earned numerous patents, while ''Time'' magazine put Ed Cole and the Corvair on the cover, and ''Motor Trend'' named the Corvair as the 1960 "Car of the Year". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chevrolet Corvair」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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