Chevrolet Corvair Ralph Naders 1965 Assessment

In 1965, Ralph Nader burst upon the political scene with the publication of his book “Unsafe At Any Speed.” Although the book covered multiple car industry safety issues, it became best known for its first chapter which was dedicated to the Chevrolet Corvair. During subsequent Congressional hearings, Nader even called the Corvair “the leading candidate for the un-safest-car title.” The Chevrolet Corvair When it was introduced in 1960, the Chevrolet Corvair was considered a revolutionary compact. It is the only American-made mass-produced car ever to feature an engine in the “trunk.” In 1962, the Corvair became the first mass-produced car model to offer a turbocharger as a factory option. Chevrolet continued to make Corvairs until 1969. The first generation of Corsairs had a swing axle rear suspension. The combination of this axle, the removal of the sway bar for cost reasons, and the back-heavy load of the rear-mounted engine caused the Corvair to have different handling and vehicle maintenance requirements than other American-made cars. This resulted in hundreds of accidents and over 100 lawsuits against GM. In particular, the critical role of tire pressure in stabilizing the Chevy Corvair was not clearly understood at the retail level. In the Corvair, specialized tire pressures with narrow spec ranges and differences between front, back, hot, cold, and sometimes even number of passengers were needed in order to substitute for the absence of the sway bar. However, neither Corvair salesmen nor Corvair owners understood why tire pressure was so important. Ralph Nader’s role As part of a theme of cost-cutting through safety negligence, Nader researched and publicized the Corvair’s suspension problems in the first chapter of his 1965 book “Unsafe At Any Speed.” He even tracked down George Caramagna, the Chevrolet suspension mechanic who had argued unsuccessfully with management for keeping the sway bar. Nader did not mention that the swing axle was not a problem in the European cars which used it, such as the Porsche 911. European cars which used the swing axle without issues ranged all the way down to Volkswagon Type 1 Beetles. Results Even before Nader’s book was published, Chevrolet had already started to make some design changes to its Corvair. The 1962 model made the sway bar available as an unpublicized option, along with aftermarket kits, such as the EMPI Camber Compensator. By 1964, the roll bar became standard, along with a heavy duty suspension. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society