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Chevrolet introduced their Volkswagen-fighting Corvair in 1960,  while the other American automakers were making scaled-down versions of big cars, the Corvair was the first American car in the compact segment to feature a rear air-cooled engine, independent suspension, and unibody construction like the successful Volkswagen that was winning people over worldwide.

In 1961, Chevrolet expanded the Corvair lineup to include more body styles, notably the Corvair "95" series of vans and pickup trucks to compete with Volkswagen's van and pickup options. The Corvair 95 featured a slightly shorter 95" wheelbase, a strengthened chassis, and a flat-six engine that was slightly beefed-up over the regular Corvair unit, producing 80 horsepower, double the rating of the Volkswagen! 

Although more economical and compact than a regular truck or van, a major drawback of the rear engine Corvair 95 was the high load floor. To make the most of the unconventionally shaped cargo area, the 95 could be had as a "Rampside", featuring a large fold down gate in the side of the bed, turning into a ramp for easy loading!

The Rampside was most popular in its initial year, with sales dwindling until the 1964 model year. Only about 20,000 Rampsides were produced, and to see one today is a rare occasion! We saw this one at an AACA national meet!



 #DriveHistory   #Corvair   #Corvair95   #CorvairRampside   #CorvairSocietyofAmerica   #Aircooled   #VW   #FlatSix   #AACA   #AntiqueAutomobileClubofAmerica 

Auto manufacturers were in an arms race, making their cars sportier and more powerful by the year through the '50s and early '60s. A result of the growing popularity of racing, it didn't take automakers long to learn the phrase "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday."

In the late '50s, the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) - which most of the major automakers belonged to - urged it's members to de-emphasize their racing efforts for public safety. Some automakers adhered to the agreement more than others, and in 1963, General Motors officially washed their hands of all official motor racing involvement.

Pontiac had already been long established as GM's performance division, thanks to Bunkie Knudsen, a GM executive who coined the phrase: "You can sell an old man a young man's car." Knudsen hand-picked engineers that he knew would drive Pontiac to the pinnacle of GM performance, including a young John DeLorean. If Pontiac was going to remain the performance division, it had to do it quietly.

While the ink was still drying on the racing ban internal memos,  engineers John DeLorean and Bill Collins devised a way to create a performance oriented car and sneak around the rules. Although GM ruled that any vehicle produced must weigh at least 10 pounds per cubic inch of engine displacement, it only applied to the base engine offering. After putting together this unauthorized combination of mid-sized car and full-sized engine, they could position it as an option on the existing LeMans and bypass the rule entirely. They called it the "GTO."

 #DriveHistory   #PontiacGTO   #GeneralMotors   #Pontiac   #MuscleCar   #AutomotiveHistory   #HagertyDriversFoundation 

The Time Machine in "Back to the Future" could have been a refrigerator, Ford Mustang, or DeLorean DMC-12! Which would you have preferred?
Watch our documentary: 88MPH to learn how they settled on the DeLorean! 

This 1947 Tucker ’48 Prototype, known as the Tin Goose, played a central role in the rise and fall of the Tucker Corporation between 1947 and 1950. It was the first automobile built by the Tucker Corporation and was used to promote the company to investors and dealers. The prototype car was also an important part of a federal investigation, national controversy, and lawsuits that led to the company’s failure. Preston Tucker, the founder of the Tucker Corporation, was an important automotive industry entrepreneur throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Because of Mr. Tucker’s vision for an innovative car, the Tucker incorporated safety equipment and many engineering features previously unavailable in American production automobiles and represents the initial implementation of these concepts in a Tucker automobile. It retains much of its original materials, components, and craftsmanship, as well as evidence of features and components modified during development. Therefore, the Tin Goose offers substantial informational value as the first Tucker automobile constructed and as the prototype for the additional fifty Tucker automobiles built.

You can see the Tin Goose on display at it's home in the Swigart Museum in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It was the 4th vehicle to be added to the National Historic Vehicle Register!



 #DriveHistory   #Tucker   #TinGoose   #Tucker48   #Prototype   #ConceptCar   #SwigartMuseum   #PrestonTucker   #ClassicCars   #VintageCars   #AntiqueCars 

Though Hudson didn’t originally intend for their sporty Hornet to go racing, thanks to a bulletproof, 145 hp, L-6 engine, class leading handling from the “step-down” unibody chassis, and the talent of top drivers, the “Fabulous Hudson Hornets” captured 81 NASCAR race wins and multiple championships from 1951-1955. This particular car, prepared by legendary race mechanic Smokey Yunick, was provided to NASCAR-champion Herb Thomas by Hudson halfway through the 1952 season. Thomas was the most prolific Hudson driver in NASCAR with 78 total podium finishes at the wheel of the Hornets and holds the record for highest win percentage in the sport. This is the only Hudson campaigned in NASCAR known to exist! Herb Thomas and the Fabulous Hudson Hornets were immortalized by Pixar’s Cars movie in 2006. This Hornet was the 31st vehicle to be added to the National Historic Vehicle Register!

Want to take a deep dive into the history of this car and the early days of NASCAR? Watch our video on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/_XlRbVNantc?si=QywjQ...  

 #DriveHistory   #HudsonHornet   #DocHudson   #FabulousHudsonHornet   #NASCAR   #Hudson   #ClassicCars 

Spring is in the air! Which of these springtime specials would you drive off the lot?

 #VintageAds   #DriveHistory   #ClassicCars   #VintageCars   #AntiqueCars   #Spring   #HagertyDriversFoundation 

Applications are now OPEN!
We are giving $150,000 in scholarships to get students behind the wheel!
The License to the Future program by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation provides grants up to $500 for students to take drivers training courses.
If you’d like to apply, learn more information, or help support this program, go to our website:  https://driversfoundation.org/our-focus-areas#license-to-the-future  
 #DriveHistory   #HagertyDriversFoundation   #LicenseToTheFuture   #Scholarship   #DriversEd   #DrivingSchool   #CarCulture   #Giving 

The most imitated car on the road!
When the Blue Streak was released in 1932, the Graham company incorporated "streamlined" styling by Amos Northup. The laid-back grille, body-colored headlights, wrap around “skirted” fenders, pearl-essence paint and a totally concealed frame, were all elements quickly adopted by other automakers. In 1933, the Blue Streak was touted as, “the most imitated car on the road.” Furthering the important place in history, the Blue Streak was engineered with an innovative banjo-style frame where the axle ran between split frame rails lowering the car’s overall stance and improving its handling characteristics over its contemporaries.
This example owned by the The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage has been meticulously restored and is one of the best remaining examples of the groundbreaking Graham design. This Graham Blue Streak is #19 on the National Historic Vehicle Register.

 #DriveHistory   #GrahamBlueStreak   #AutomotiveHistory   #ClassicCars   #VintageCars   #AntiqueCars   #NBcenter   #HagertyDriversFoundation   #GrahamBrothers 

Pick your favorite classic Corvette! 

When Chrysler lent their experimental fleet of Turbine Cars to the public in their Turbine User program, Bill Carry was responsible for delivering the Turbine Cars to their users around the United States, and teaching them how to operate them. If a Turbine Car had a problem in the field, Bill would travel to the car to diagnose and repair it!
In these photos, Bill presents the keys to Mr. and Mrs. Milliron, lucky Turbine users in Erie, Pennsylvania from December 1964 to March 1965. It's a good thing this Turbine was fitted with snow tires!

Want to learn more about the Chrysler Turbine Car and the User Program? Watch our documentary on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/fOIrB1fwVPc?si=Mvtpc...  

Photos courtesy of Bill Carry.

 #DriveHistory   #ChryslerTurbine   #Chrysler   #Mopar   #HagertyDriversFoundation   #TurbineCar   #BillCarry