<VV> Production Numbers

[James P. Rice]

Doug:  It was over two years ago when I last worked on a article intended
for the Communique on the Corvair Time line.  I just went and checked the
spread sheet I created for a info I bought from www.productioncars.com

You are correct about the Corvair/Chevy II numbers exceeding those of the
Falcon.  My brain fart.  Or should I say the Corvair/Chevy Falcon numbers?!

But the point is still valid, which you did not challenge, is that we, the
American people, voted with our wallets for the conventional.  And those
among us buying the unconventional bought foreign in substantial numbers
even then.

The Corvair sold reasonably well, better than some of the other compacts out
there.  But most of them became mid-size cars in '64/'65.  The Corvair
ultimately did not "support itself" per corporate expectations.  When the
Mustang came out, and all kinds of cars got power, the Corvair was left
behind and then fell out of the corporate favor.  If it was ever in most of
the corporations favor.  Anyhow, GM choose the F-body to answer the Mustang
challenge, and tire ripping power for the mass market of the conventional.
So our favorite car slowly died.

If GM had wanted to, which they didn't, they could have reworked the LM some
and promoted the Corvair to the buyers of the unconventional and sold 100k
or so a year.  And made money doing so. But Nadar poisoned that well.  It
was to much like work for a corporation which could make money doing less
work.  A legacy which recently lead to bankruptcy.

Historically Yours,
			James Rice

 ************************************************

Message: 9
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:57:48 +0000 (GMT)
From: Doug Mackintosh <dougmackintosh at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: <VV> 68 Vette,  C.Jordan, Astro I and Opel GT's.
To: ricebugg at mtco.com
Cc: Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>

James, I always enjoy your historical view, but I don't think the numbers
support your recollection about Chevy II and Corvair production. From the
numbers I was able to pull off the internet (and Corvair figures from The
Corvair Decade) it looks like in 1963 and every year from 1966-1969
(excluding
Econolines), and that the combined Chevy II + Corvair totals beat the Falcon
in
every year that the Chevy II was being produced (I only looked through
1969)?.

I have attached the numbers in a spreadsheet. The Econoline numbers are not
complete. The big drop in Falcon production in 1967 is attributed to a major
strike against Ford that year.

Do you have different numbers, or just one of those tricky memories?

James Rice wrote:

<<What actually killed the Corvair was the buying choices of the American
people.? They bought Falcons about 3 to 1 over the Corvair and Plymouth
Valiant.? Ed Cole say the sales numbers and in mid-1960 started the Chevy II
program, which was introduced in the fall of 1961 as a '62 model.? It was
the shortest model intro in GM's history up to that time.? If I remember
correctly, the combined sales of the Corvair and the Chevy II did not ever
equal the Falcon sales.>>

-- Doug Mackintosh
Corsa member since 1996
Corsa/NC member since 1996, Virtual Vairs member
Corvair owner 1969-1971 and 1996-on