<VV> Corvair and OBD, EFI, etc

[kenpepke at juno.com]

What was the 'official' GM / Chevrolet reason for the demise of the Corvair?  Fisher Body Division was well on the way for tooling a 1970 model.  I worked on that project.  GM has a policy of business as usual until the official change takes place so even though engineering knew the end was coming it was not well known exactly when.  A great deal of start up problems at the new Lordstown plant was at least partially responsible for the last of Corvair production to be done off line and that may have been an unadvertised major factor.  

Chevrolet Engineering was well aware that the government had full intent to exercise more and more control of their product and emissions was the talked about 'item of the day' in house.  It was well known an air cooled engine would not meet the expected upcoming US standards.  That would not be something GM would have wanted to advertise either.  Seems to me the official reason was lack of market response and that was back in November of 65.  We know they carried the car through the 69 model year because of Mr. Nader.  To the outside world it died a quiet death.
Ken P
  


***********************************
Tony Underwood <tony.underwood at cox.net> wrote:  [in part]

                                  At 07:51 AM 8/16/2010, Tom Berg wrote:

>Even so, there's a limit to how much an old engine can be tuned for clean
>burning. And remember, inability to get the air-cooled engine to 
>meet government
>emissions limits is one reason GM gave for cancelling the Corvair.



...not heard that one.

All I heard was competition from the other marques who were making 
quicker and faster ponycars, including Chevy itself with the Camaro 
which was an offshoot of the 'Vair in the first place.   Let's not 
forget how GM was making less profit on each Corvair sold than 
anything else they made.
  


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