Is the Chevrolet Corvair actually unsafe?
Quick Answer
Not really. Ralph Nader's 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed attacked the early swing-axle Corvair's handling, but a 1972 NHTSA study concluded the 1960-1963 Corvair's handling was at least as good as comparable cars of the period. The 1965 redesign added a proper independent rear suspension that resolved the criticism.
The Corvair's reputation is worse than the engineering.
The story
The first-generation swing-axle setup could be twitchy if tire pressures were wrong, which Nader publicized. A later federal study cleared the early cars, and the 1965-1969 second generation got a fully independent rear that handled well.
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Dealer
United States
1963 Chevrolet Corvair
$16,495
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1967 Chevrolet Corvair
$20,495
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1965 Chevrolet Corvair
$10,495
Dealer
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1965 Chevrolet Corvair
$17,495
Dealer
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1966 Chevrolet Corvair
$10,495
Dealer
United States
1966 Chevrolet Corvair
$17,495