My maturity in the auto world arrived during a three-year stint as assistant pr manager at Volkswagen Canada's Toronto headquarters. It left me with a fondness for rear-engine cars which migrated to Chevrolet's Corvair. This happened before I caught the "European must be better and Detroit cars are crap" and "Japanese must be better and Detroit cars are crap" disease. The Corvair was far from perfect, especially in v.1, but it was pretty, had 6 air-cooled cylinders, and could be bought as a sedan, coupe, and convertible. Like VW, Chevrolet also produced brilliant window-van and pickup variations, though the latter failed in the marketplace.

The Monza Spyder convertible came with a turbocharged engine that raised power from 90 hp to a whopping 150 hp, and included a package with heavy-duty clutch, 4-speed transmission, and modified suspension. Knowledgeable enthusiasts would alter the rear wheel camber from positive to negative, making the car more stable in corners and all but eliminating wheel tuck-under caused by the swing axles. This, of course, affected tire wear, so tires needed to be rotated more frequently. Ralph Nader (who didn't possess a driver's license) charged the Corvair with being Unsafe at Any Speed but many of us felt the fault lay with the incompetence of North American drivers. The second edition Corvair was certainly safe at any speed but by then it was too late.

This lovely 62 Monza artwork is available as a print from the GM PhotoStore. ©GM PhotoStore/General Motors