eBay Find of the Day: ’62 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900

The Chevrolet Corvair was introduced on October 2, 1959 and, to this date, holds the distinction of being the only domestic air-cooled, rear engine car built in North America. Initially sold as a four-door sedan, the line soon expanded its model range to include a two-door coupe and convertible, a station wagon, passenger van, panel van and pickup truck models.

Powered by an all-aluminum, flat six cylinder engine, early models used a swing axle rear suspension that was tied to handling issues by automotive activist Ralph Nader. An independent rear suspension was introduced with the 1965 models.

The 900-series, or Monza model, was introduced in the Spring of 1960, bringing higher level trim and performance options which included a more powerful engine and synchronized four-speed manual transmission. While initially conceived as an economy car, the upscale Monza would prove to be the most popular model throughout the car’s life span.

The example shown here, which sold recently on eBay, is a 1962 model with automatic transmission. Corvairs in general are getting ever harder to find and the Monza model even more so. Second generation Monza coupes are often highly favored by collectors, making the first generation examples uncommon. According to the seller, this car had just under 88K miles on the odometer and reflects normal wear and tear for its age and mileage.

The photos amply show that this car has ‘patina,’ which was apparently of interest to more than a dozen bidders, who eventually topped the selling price at $2,247. Previously located in Ft.Lauderdale, FL, the future of this car is uncertain, but it deserves to be well cared for as an example of one of the most unusual products from our domestic auto industry.