<VV> prkg. brake rls. handle (was the uninitiated)

[Bill Elliott]

>     I like it, too, but I wonder what inspired Chevrolet to endow the
>Corvair with such an . . . individualistic parking brake. Why not the other
>Chevys?


Well, to start with, the Corvair was a clean slate design. It made economic sense to follow convention 
in the other Chevies. No such restraints int he Corvair... and not as much room up there either. Plus, 
with no "park" in the PG, a parking brake in a Corvair took on increased importance.

But the "under the dash" design is really fairly common. Many other cars of the era had it... my '67 
Dart also has a "pull and turn" lever under the dash. And many larger European cars had something 
similiar (my Tatra has a chrome "pull and turn" as well)... as well as several other European market 
cars.  (True that most of the Euro cars that came to the US... mostly sports cars... had the lever 
between the seats.)

Of the under dash models, the Corvair is the easiest to use.... if the strangest looking.

Bill Elliott