<VV> Car History Question -- No Corvair

[Bill Elliott]

"Economy Car" in 1960 meant "inexpensive car" so many of the marques offered 
stripper models for the low cost market.  I think Rambler pretty much had 
the US "compact car" market until the Valiant, Corvair, and Falcon arrived. 
Not sure how late into the 50's Crosley was a factor...

There were a slew of European options for smaller sedans, but with the 
exception of VW and the UK/US hybrid Metropolitan, these had only a sliver 
of the US market.  SAAB, Renault, Morris Minor, Austin Mini, FIAT, DKW, and 
Auto Union are examples.

But don't underestimate the VW or even Met as a viable option for the 
"poor", though I suspect a used domestic would be more likely the 
solution... after all it was this market that the 60's compacts were aiming 
at.

With fuel economy not an issue in this era for the US, there was little to 
be gained by spending more for a small imported "economy" car when a 
mid-size US domestic stripper might be at a similar price point.

Bill

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven J. Serenska" <corvair at serenska.com>
To: "virtualvairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 12:00
Subject: <VV> Car History Question -- No Corvair


> VVers:
>
> The Corvair, Valiant/Lancer, and Falcon were introduced in 1960.
>
> Just prior to that, say, between 1955 and 1959, what would people have
> used as an economy car?  By "economy car" I don't mean a car that got
> good gas mileage, I mean one that would have been a lower priced vehicle
> that could be purchased by most anyone.
>
> I also don't mean cars like an older Volvo or a Saab (or even a VW), as
> I don't think that most Americans of lesser means would have sought out
> a relatively exotic vehicle like that.  I'm trying to get a handle on
> whatever was the low-cost family vehicle of choice in the mid- to
> late-50's before the manufacture of smaller, cheaper vehicles (e.g.,
> Corvair, Chevy II, Falcon, etc.) that were priced lower than the biggest
> cars in the product line
>
>