<VV> Uniquely unstable?

Wrsssatty at aol.com Wrsssatty at aol.com
Mon Sep 28 12:50:35 EDT 2009


This is from memory as I do not have my research, etc. in front of  me.  In 
the video in question, 
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLrMaFkLjlI_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLrMaFkLjlI) 
 
the second clip of a Corvair (starts at approximately 1:51 and first shows  
a Corvair going around pylons) is, I believe, from films shot at the behest 
 of a California personal injury law firm (I believe the attorney's name 
was  David Harney) that handled the lion's share (at least in California) of 
the  product liability lawsuits against GM regarding the Corvair.  They went 
out  to a local airport and hired a race car driver,  Paul O'Shea, to drive 
the  Corvair and cause it to roll over.  The films were then entered into  
evidence and shown at trial to illustrate their position that the Corvair was 
 inherently unstable.  Unbeknownst to them, GM learned in advance that the  
plaintiffs' attorneys would be at this airport attempting to film a Corvair 
 rolling over on the runway.  GM secretly filmed their attempts at filming  
the Corvair rolling over.  I think GM's cameras might have been in the  
airport's control tower.  After the plaintiff's attorney showed their  edited 
film of the Corvair rolling over during the trial, GM showed their own  film 
that illustrated the many, many times Paul O'Shea had driven the Corvair up  
and down the airport runway attempting to get it to roll over without it 
doing  so.  Although these films were discredited in a court of law, the 
portions  of the films where a Corvair actually did roll over has, over the 
years, become  stock footage for anyone wishing to illustrate the position that 
the  Corvair was an inherently unsafe car.
 
~Bill Stanley


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