Throwback Thursday: Project XP-785 Corvair

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Images courtesy of GM Heritage Center

Way back in the early ‘60s, no one thought that Chevrolet’s Corvair would become the target of one man devoting his efforts to ending the car’s existence. Sure, the Corvair was experiencing some growing pains, but Chevrolet had faith in the car being a long-standing member of the family. They even went so far as to design and build concept cars showing the progression they felt the little car might take.

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Under the guidance of Bill Mitchell, project XP-785 was destined to show how evolutionary the little Corvair could be. Dubbed Super Spyder, this concept was built on the underpinnings of a 1962 convertible body. Even with its overall length of 171 inches, and a wheelbase of 93 inches, both dimensions are shorter than the stock 180 and 108-inch dimensions. These differences are from the increased front and rear body overhang, and the removal of 15 inches of body, removed from between the doors and rear wheel openings.

Based on a convertible, the Super Spyder was never designed to incorporate a roof. This roadster utilized a racing-style windscreen, low-drag sport mirrors, and an aerodynamic headrest behind the driver. This headrest was built into the top of the car’s body. Stepping out of the box, the designers incorporated six tailpipes (three on each side), that exited the sides of the car. Continuing the sports car theme, Corvette Stingray taillights, split bumpers, louvers in the quarter panels, and Halibrand alloy wheels with knock-off hubs round out this futuristic ride.

The XP-785 was originally painted silver, but was eventually repainted black with silver stripes.

Powering the Super Spyder was a familiar engine. Chevrolet stayed close to the production line by using the production Corvair’s six-cylinder engine with a Paxton turbocharger. A production-model manually-shifted four speed transmission was attached to the 150 horsepower engine.

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Ahead of its time, the Super Spyder remains in the care of the GM Heritage Center.

Even today, Chevrolet is building concept cars. If you could decide what the next Chevrolet concept car should be, what would you tell them to build? Let us know in the comments section, and we’ll let them know.

About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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