<VV> March 2012 Automobile Magazine

[wrsssatty at aol.com]

There is an article starting on page 86 of the March 2012 Automobile Magazine entitled "Inside Man" about Blaine Jenkins, designer of GM interiors in the '60s and '70s.  The article is written by Robert Cumberford and is full of Corvair references.  It says he contributed to "every Corvair ever made."  The article credits him with the interior of the Super Monza and includes a color photo of its interior and a close up of a door panel.  It also mentions his work on "Pinky".  One interesting anecdote involves a claim that he proposed the all-black interior that debuted on the '62 Monza.  He said that management resisted but caved in when it was allowed that the headliner would be white.  In retrospect Mr. Jenkins observed; "They sold tens of thousands of Honduras Maroon cars with that interior."  And, last but not least, I have to note that the article reveals that it was Blaine Jenkins who created the 1965 color, "Evening Orchid."

I think that Collectible Automobile is the best of all the current auto enthusiast magazine and Robert Cumberford is one of my favorite writers in the enthusiast press today.  I enjoy his "By Design" column where he critiques auto design, an important aspect of automobiles that's too often ignored by the enthusiast press.  He has favorably mentioned Corvairs in the past, even devoting an entire article to praise of the design of the 1960 Corvair.  In this article in the current issue, he has outdone himself!  Must reading for the Corvair enthusiast as well as any vintage GM fan!

~Bill Stanley