<CORSA Chapters> PRESS RELEASE: CORVAIR PRESERVATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 50TH ANNIVERSARY CORVAIR COMMEMORATIVE COIN

[corvaireblast at cox.net]

PLEASE SEE PRESS RELEASE BELOW...

Only 350 of these collectable coins being made - don't wait!  I ordered mine on Friday!  

Thanks for your continued support!

Rod Murray
Corvair Preservation Foundation PR
949-636-9171
corvaireblast at cox.net

NEWS RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Dave Newell, Official Corvair Preservation Foundation Historian
1-510-782-4265 chevrobilia at juno.com

CORVAIR PRESERVATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
50TH ANNIVERSARY CORVAIR COMMEMORATIVE COIN
Collectable coin celebrates Corvair’s official introductory date October 2, 1959
Lemont, IL. (May 1, 2009) – As part of Corvair’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, the Corvair Preservation Foundation is proud to announce a commemorative, limited edition coin honoring the most important date in
Corvair history, October 2, 1959. This date marks the 50th Anniversary of the Corvair’s official introduction to the general public. The artwork for the coin was designed by renowned artist Harry Borgman and incorporates
the original Chevrolet logo that he created for the Corvair. Borgman designed many of the Corvair’s original ads in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, and will be a featured guest at the 2009 CORSA International
Convention in Jacksonville, Florida July 13-17.

“It was our purpose to create an elegant tribute to the significance of the October 2 anniversary. We chose to create a commemorative coin because Chevrolet also minted one to mark the Corvair’s introduction in 1959.  It’s fitting that the CPF would issue a new coin fifty years later. And just as Chevy’s coin did, the Corvair 50th Coin features the most famous Corvair logo of all time.” said CPF Historian Dave Newell.

50th Anniversary Coin Features
The Corvair 50th Anniversary Coin measures more than an inch and a
half in diameter and is a full ten gauge, the heaviest coin available. It will
be made from burnished, simulated gold with a black wash to bring out
the fine details, with a lacquer finish and reeded edge. Each coin will come with its own presentation jewelry box, a premium steel box covered and lined in black velour, as well as a protective, crystal clear plastic capsule which opens easily to examine the coin closely. Every Corvair 50th Coin will be shipped with a numbered Authenticity Certificate which will be signed by the artist, Harry Borgman. There will only be a limited number of Corvair 50th Coins made, and when these are gone no more will be produced.

Coins will be mailed out from the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection, home of our Corvair Museum, on Friday October 2, 2009…exactly 50 years from the Corvair’s introduction day which was also on a Friday.  The special shipping box will bear a custom-designed US Postal Service Corvair October 2 postmark and a custom postage stamp featuring Harry Borgman’s logo and a picture of a 1960 Corvair. Completing the package will be a unique mailing label set off with an image of the Willow Run Assembly Plant and Corvair 50th graphics.

The CPF is now accepting orders. Cost is $45 per coin, plus an additional $5 for Priority Mail shipping. Orders can be placed on the Corvair Society of America (CORSA) website (www.Corvair.org), or by sending your credit card information, check, or money order for $50 payable to the Corvair Preservation Foundation at P.O. Box 607, Lemont IL 60439. Your $45 donation may be tax deductible, and a receipt for your taxes will be sent with each coin.

All coin proceeds will benefit the Corvair Preservation Foundation to be used for the Corvair Museum, CPFacquisitions, maintaining educational exhibits, history presentations, exhibit transportation, and to defray
administrative costs.

MEDIA NOTE: Please visit http://pr.corvair.org/index.html for additional information, images, and details.

About The Chevrolet Corvair
Almost 2 million Corvairs were made by Chevrolet during its 1960-69 run, including 2- & 4-door models, convertibles, station wagons, pick-ups, and passenger vans. The brainchild of Chevrolet General Manager and former Chief Engineer Ed Cole, the Corvair’s advanced engineering and bold departure from other cars of the period led Motor Trend magazine to name it “Car of the Year” in 1960. Corvair is the first and only massproduced American vehicle to feature an air-cooled rear engine design, unit-body construction, factory turbocharging, and 4-wheel independent suspension. In fact, the 150 HP 1962 Corvair Spyder (along with the 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire) was America’s first factory-built turbo-charged vehicle. Originally touted as an economy car, drivers quickly discovered Corvair’s sports car-like handling and dubbed it the “poor man’s Porsche”. The 9-passenger Corvair Greenbrier van, produced from 1961 thru early 1965, was originally classified as a station wagon and is widely considered to be the forerunner of the modern American minivan, complete with an optional left-side passenger door. Car & Driver magazine in 1965 called the Corvair
“undoubtedly the sexiest-looking American car of the new crop and possibly one of the most handsome cars in the world”. The August, 2007 Hemmings Classic Car called the Corvair “GM’s Mechanical Marvel… Pure and simple, these are still great cars… and extremely advanced for their time”. Long considered one of the most affordable collectable or hobbyist vehicles available, the Corvair continues to enjoy steady appreciation, and is looking forward to celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2010.

About The Corvair Preservation Foundation (CPF)
The Corvair Preservation Foundation (CPF) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the Corvair. Founded in 1990, the Corvair Preservation Foundation is the non-profit affiliate of the Corvair Society of America. The Mission of the Corvair Preservation Foundation Corporation is to document all aspects of Corvair history and to preserve significant Corvair artifacts for the enjoyment and education of the public. Donations to the CPF are tax-deductible.

The Foundation's Corvair Museum is located in Ypsilanti, MI near the Corvair's home assembly plant at Willow Run. Housed within the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection (YAHC), The Corvair Museum was dedicated in 2002 to house and display Corvair historical and educational material. Property and income for the museum are solely from donations, primarily from CORSA members. Exhibits at the museum include vehicles, mechanical displays, literature and artwork. The Corvair Museum is operated and maintained by the volunteers
from the Corvair Preservation Foundation.  The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection, as its name implies, features automobiles and related items with ties to Ypsilanti. It has many first-rate exhibits and the feel of the place is very authentic--not antiseptic or dark like so many museums. Instead, there is a genuine nostalgic feel and there is a lot of natural light, especially in the gallery containing Corvair materials.

About The Corvair Society of America (CORSA)
The Corvair Society of America has over 4,800 members and 125 local chapters across the United States and Europe. Founded in 1969, CORSA is one of the most unusual single marque clubs in the world, and was incorporated to satisfy the common needs of individuals interested in the preservation, restoration, racing and operation of the Corvair. Its award winning monthly magazine, the CORSA Communique, was named after the Corvair magazine published by Chevrolet in the 1960s. For more information visit the CORSA website at www.corvair.org .
###