<VV> Late 4-doors

Wed Dec 5 20:56:08 EST 2012

I usually don't get involved in these navel-contemplation arguments, but I had to chime in with my $0.02. 

To compare the "generally accepted" adage that "Nader killed the Corvair" to our argument is not really accurate since that particular adage, generally-accepted or not, is just wrong. The sedan/coupe/hardtop etc argument is more subtle than that. 

Back in the days when my Ford Model A was made, a coupe meant something very specific and that type of car does not exist today. There were two door ("Tudor") and four door ("Fordor") sedans which were clearly different than coupes, roadsters and phaetons. The sedan body type was a unique style that had either two or four doors. 

In the year 2012, the term sedan generally refers to a car with four doors and a trunk. There are some modifications to it such as the term "sport sedan." A coupe generally refers to a car that has two doors (though not always, as was the case with some Saturn three and four door coupes, the latter being referred to as a "quad" coupe ), but has a more stylized, "sporty" appearance. 

In the 1960s there were more shades in between, and there were actually still some two door sedans (cars with two doors that had the same style as the four door sedans, but only had two doors) and the complication of the various designations of the b-pillar-less hardtops, both two and four doors. 

However, since the term hard-top is not widely understood today, but sedan vs. coupe is, I tend to be like John Roberts and use the terms coupe and sedan. It's simpler. If the LM Corvair were available in a pillared sedan, two door sedan, a 60's definition of coupe etc, the other designations might be necessary to tell them apart, but since there was only one two-door body style and one four-door body style, coupe and sedan work fine for me to tell them apart. 

Karl in Boston 

----- Original Message -----

From: jvhroberts at aol.com 
To: kenpepke at juno.com, virtualvairs at corvair.org 
Cc: chartzel at comcast.net 
Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 1:55:50 PM 
Subject: Re: <VV> Late 4-doors 

 Simple, Ken. We're using generally accepted definitions. Otherwise, we'll be constantly arguing with people, while everyone understands the generally accepted definitions. I don't have the energy to correct people on something where the generally accepted definitions are understood by all. 

John Roberts 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ken Pepke <kenpepke at juno.com> 
To: Vair Views <virtualvairs at corvair.org> 
Cc: jvhroberts <jvhroberts at aol.com>; Clark Hartzel <chartzel at comcast.net>; Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org> 
Sent: Wed, Dec 5, 2012 12:10 pm 
Subject: Re: <VV> Late 4-doors 

Probably the most used 'generally accepted' would be the statement that Ralph 
Nader killed the Corvair!   

Just because something is 'generally accepted' does not mean it is correct.  So 
why are so many 'Corvair people' willing to settle for incorrect or less than 
correct statements / names?  Why do some even promote those erroneous thoughts!   
Now that the marketplace is finally recognizing the Corvair's engineering 
excellence shouldn't we, as the modern day promoters of the marque, hold 
ourselves to a higher standard?   

Ken P 
Wyandotte, MI 
65 Monza 110hp 4 speed 2 door 
Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up. 

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

On Dec 4, 2012, at 11:03 AM, shortle wrote: 

> I agree with JV that a 2 door is a coupe and a 4 door is a sedan. What are 
some of the other "generally accepted definitions" among the Corvair brethren? 
> The first 1 that comes to mind is: Saginaw transmissions are 1966-1969. (We 
all know this is not totally correct but still generally accepted). Any others? 
> Timothy Shortle in Durango Colorado 81301 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
>> From: jvhroberts at aol.com 
>> Sent: Dec 4, 2012 8:14 AM 
>> To: kenpepke at juno.com, virtualvairs at corvair.org 
>> Cc: chartzel at comcast.net 
>> Subject: Re: <VV> Late 4-doors 
>> 
>> 
>> The generally accepted definition is the two doors are coupes and the four 
doors are sedans. This is how we've identified them all this time. 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> John Roberts 

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