1962 Corvair Monza 900 Spyder Turbo Convertible on 2040-cars
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Welcome to this
long anticipated auction. Many of you know this rare car already. Many more have seen it advertised in Hemmings or elsewhere. 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900 Spyder Turbo convertible, This is a rare “pre-production” prototype show Corvair. It is also a well-known car with highly documented provenance. If you like the way it looks, and most people do, read on because it isn’t what it seems to be. What it seems to be is the nicest early model Corvair you have ever seen. But it is much more than that. Frankly it belongs in a museum. It has only 28,375 well-documented miles on the odometer. These are not miles after a restoration—these are original miles. I have felt fortunate to own this Corvair even for a short time. I bought with the thought in mind that it would be a forever car for me to enjoy. But my wife and I have accepted another assignment to work at the United Nations in Geneva (we came home a year ago after an initial two-year stint). As much as I love this car, I am committed to the human rights agenda of the Human Rights Council. So, sadly, after a brief period of ownership, this gorgeous, rare, well-documented car—an icon in American automotive history, needs to find a home hopefully with a good Corvair enthusiast. It is hard to know how to price
this vehicle. If you look at it and see just another outstanding original or
restored Corvair Monza 900 Spyder turbo convertible, you are missing the point
here. Of course it is all of that by definition. This is the first or, some
believe, one of four “first” 1962 Corvairs (the others have gone missing), hand
finished by the Special Vehicles division of the Engineering Department. The
engine was removed in the pre-production process and blue printed and the block
has the special work order number stamped in it. It was finished red on red
with white stripes. It was finished in a way that no production Corvair would
ever again be finished with the point being to give this new Spyder Convertible
a inspirational coming out to Chevrolet dealers across the country. There are
photos of it at a GM senior management meeting at the Greenbrier Hotel in West
Virginian in March 1962. The car has
been featured in the Corsa magazine.
The car was a senior division car at AACA. A previous and long-term owner went
through the brakes and fuel system to counteract the significant amount of “sitting”
the car has done. My Corvair expert confirms this. The top is in perfect, like
new condition. Corvairs represent a daring effort
by General Motors to be different. The air-cooled, rear engined, horizontally opposed six cylinder turbo charged Convertible that seat four, looks great and has a big front trunk was a daring move and represents an engineering achievement of substantial significance. And this one--well it is the best in the sense of its place in GM corporate strategy and in the production attention lavished on it. What is an exceptionally well-preserved, low mileage
Corvair worth? I guess that is entirely a matter of how much you
value it. You will win an award at every classic show you enter, be invited to
every parade, and be hounded for photographs wherever you take it. If you are
prepared for that, and the pride that comes from owning something unique in the
automotive world, please bid. Clearly there is only one way the value of this
vehicle can go and that is up, way up. Corvairs are already increasing in value
but this one will always be unique—in a category of one. I will ship at my
expense for the full price. Otherwise I must insist that this lovely vehicle be
transported in an enclosed trailer by a shipping professional who is accustomed
to expensive vehicles. A few other thoughts and ground
rules. Scammers: Please don't offer to pay more than I am asking through the now commonplace PayPal scam. Trades: I am not interested in a trade unless you happen to have a black 1929 to 1940 Ford with flathead and in perfect original or restored condition. Third party
representation: Not interested in having someone offer to sell it for me.
Thanks but not necessary. Wheels: The wheels
are not wire hubcaps. They are true knock off wheels, chrome plated and very
rare and were very expensive. There is a minor amount of curb rash on one of
the wheels. The Kelsey Hayes wire wheels are one of the most rare Corvair items
today. They were also used on the 1962 Corvettes. State of
Tune: I have just recently engaged an older gentleman who spent his
early career as the Corvair specialist at one of the local Chevrolet
dealerships. He has come twice and gone over the entire car. Other than for
timing and tune up it didn’t need much. Proper NOS ignition parts were used and
he used the original factory manuals to make sure everything was set up correctly.
In a few days I will be adding his signed statement about the condition of the
car. Shipping: I don’t
know exactly how much to ship and shipping is, of course, the responsibility of
the buyer. But I will help at this end. My guess is that the shipping price
will be between $1,000 and $2,500 within the lower 48 states. I am willing to
ship anywhere but hope that the historic American automobile will stay inside
the U.S. Warranty: There is
none. I have learned by one sad experience, over a lifetime of vehicle
collecting, that unless you say “as is” and “no warranty expressed or implied”
and “please check everything and come to see and drive the car” that you might
be in trouble in the hands of an unscrupulous buyer and a skilled lawyer. I am saying all of the
above—there is no warranty and the car is sold as is and where is. Even the
wording of this description is subject to interpretation. Sorry but this is the
result of the litigious society we have created for ourselves. Communication:
I like frequent, clear, up front communication—usually by email
unless you want to discuss something more complicated and in that case I am
happy to talk to you by telephone.
Note: I am in the process of attempting to
register this Corvair with the National Historic Vehicle Register. It meets at
least two of the four criteria: (Criterion D: A vehicle that was the first or
last produced, and, Criterion C: A vehicle that is distinctive based on design,
engineering, craftsmanship or aesthetic value).
In my view the case is an easy one but others will, of course, judge for
themselves. |
Chevrolet Corvair for Sale
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Auto blog
The best Super Bowl car commercials from the last 5 years
Wed, Jan 28 2015If you've been dipping into the Autoblog feed over the past days and weeks, you wouldn't even have to be a sports fan to know the Super Bowl is coming up. Automakers have been teasing their spots for the big game, dropping them days early, fully-formed onto the Internet and otherwise trying to amp up the multi-million-dollar outlays that they've made for air time on the biggest advertising day of the year. And, we're into it. The lead up to the Super Bowl is almost akin to a mini auto show around these parts; with automakers being amongst the most prolific advertisers on these special Sundays. The crop of ads from 2015 looks as strong as ever, but we thought we'd take a quick look back at some of our favorite spots from the last five years. Take a look at our picks – created from a very informal polling of Autoblog editors and presented in no particular order – and then tell us about your recent faves, in Comments. Chrysler, Imported From Detroit Chrysler, Eminem and a lingering pan shot of "The Fist" – it doesn't get much more Motown than 2011's Imported From Detroit. With the weight of our staffers hailing from in and around The D, it's no wonder that our memories still favor this epic Super Bowl commercial (even though the car it was shilling was crap). Imported really set the tone for later Chrysler ads, too, repeated the formula: celebrity endorsement + dramatic copy + dash of jingoism = pulled car-guy heartstrings. Mercedes-Benz, Soul teaser with Kate Upton One of our favorite Super Bowl commercials (and yours, based on the insane number of views you logged) didn't even technically air during the game. Mercedes-Benz teased its eventual spot Soul with 90-seconds worth of Kate Upton threatening to do her best Joy Harmon impression. (Teaser indeed.) It doesn't win points for cleverness, use of music, acting, or any compelling carness, but it proved that Mercedes' advertisers knew how to make a splash in the Internet Age. And, hey, it's still classier than every GoDaddy commercial. Kia, A Dream Car. For Real Life Like the Mercedes video above, the initial draw here is a pretty lady; in this case the always stunning Adriana Lima. But this Kia commercial really delivers the extra effort we expect while scarfing crabby snacks and homemades, too. First of all, Motley Crue. Second, a cowboy on a bucking rhino. Enjoy yet again.
Win an SUV 2022 | The best giveaways of the week
Sat, Jan 1 2022Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze. SUVs and crossovers are a hugely popular segment in the United States, making up nearly half of total vehicles sold last year. Here are our favorite SUV giveaways we’ve found online this week. Win a Himalaya Land Rover Defender 110 Crew Cab - Enter at Omaze The Land Rover Defender is an icon. An intense, luxurious off-roader that turns heads and can crawl up nearly anything. The problem? For the past 20+ years it hasn't been available in the United States. But this Defender is different. ItÂ’s vintage, restored by Himalaya, and itÂ’s powered by a Corvette engine. Plus Omaze is giving it away. Here are the specs of the Defender in question, according to Omaze: Maximum Seating: 4 Engine: 6.2-liter Corvette LS3 crate engine Transmission: 6-speed automatic Drivetrain: 4WD Exterior Color: Satin Grey Interior Color: Jet Black Maximum Horsepower: 430 hp Maximum Torque: 425 lb-ft Approximate Retail Value: $210,000 Cash Alt: $157,500 Special Features: Black exterior roll bars and trim; Black 18” Sawtooth wheels with 35” tires; Wilwood™ brakes; 3" lift; Black diamond-stitched leather sport seats; MOMO Millenium steering wheel; front and rear matching consoles; Himalaya gauge cluster; Himalaya front and rear bumpers, bed-mounted tire carrier, and extended fender flares; Puma hood; LED lighting YouÂ’re probably asking yourself, what does it take to win? First of all, according to Omaze, "no donation or payment is necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes." $10 will get you 100 entries in this sweepstakes, while $50 will get you 1,000 entries and $100 will get you 2,000 entries. The best part? Each paid entry raises money for a worthy cause. See more about these causes at Omaze. Other Omaze sweepstakes: Win an Airstream Interstate 24X Win a 1958 Porsche 356 A - Enter at Omaze Win a Restored 1969 Pontiac GTO - Enter at Omaze Win a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 - Enter at Omaze For these and more vehicle sweepstakes, check out Omaze.com. Enter quickly, they won't last forever. Bentley Chevrolet Ford Land Rover Commerce SUV
GM Recalling Another 2.7 Million Vehicles In Five Separate Campaigns
Thu, May 15 2014The recalls keep rolling in from General Motors, evidently keen to avoid repeating the mistakes of the ignition-switch debacle and clean house. This time they're all coming at once, with five separate recalls announced together covering approximately 2.7 million vehicles. The largest of the five actions involves over 2.4 million units of the previous-generation Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura in order to fix brake light wiring harness, which have been found to be susceptible to corrosion. The recall is separate from the 56k Aura sedans which GM recently recalled over faulty shift cables, not to mention the previous massive recall of 1.3 million vehicles – some of them the same models – but appears to have resulted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation that started with the G6 almost a year ago. The second-largest campaign involves the 2014 Chevy Malibu, specifically those fitted with GM's 2.5-liter engine and stop/start system, approximately 140,000 examples of which has been found to have problematic brakes. The issue does not appear to be connected to the recall of 8k Malibu and Buick LaCrosse sedans (also involving brake woes) which we reported upon last week. Four crashes have been reported in such models, but GM admits it's not yet clear if the problem was a contributing factor in the accidents. A further 112k Corvette models from the 2005-2007 model years are being called in for problems with their low-beam headlamps resulting from a flexing relay control circuit wire that's not meant to bend. GM says it is "aware of several hundred complaints" about this issue, but notes that there have been no reports of related accidents. In addition, over 19k examples of Cadillac CTS from the 2013 and 2014 model years are being recalled over windshield wipers that might not work after a jump start. Finally, GM is also bringing in 477 examples of its 2014 Chevy Silverado, Tahoe and GMC Sierra (though not the Yukon) to fix a problem with a tie rod in its steering rack. As ever, all recall repairs will be performed free of charge, and GM is now estimating that recall-related actions this quarter will result in an estimated $200-million charge against its second-quarter earnings. Read the full announcement from GM below for further details.