Chevrolet introduced the Corvair lineup for the 1960 model year as the first of a series of generations of passenger
compact cars. Chevrolet introduced a more utilitarian style of vehicle the following year under the model designation "Corvair 95". In appearance and design, the cars were similar to the competing
Volkswagen Transporter, which was essentially a bus-like adaptation of the
Volkswagen Beetle that moved the driver over the front wheels, known as
forward control or
cab-over. The
air-cooled horizontally opposed
Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine was located in the rear of the vehicle under a slightly raised cargo floor. It was similar in principle to the 4-cylinder engine of the Volkswagen, but unusual for most contemporary cars. The engine developed at 4,400 rpm. Engine size was increased to for the 1964 model year, raising output to . Unlike the Corvair cars, the Corvair Greenbrier had a wheelbase, thus known as "95s." They came standard with a three-speed
manual transmission. Optional was a two-speed
Corvair Powerglide automatic transmission that was different from the usual
Powerglide). Chevrolet eventually made available a four-speed manual transmission. Two different bodies were available in the 95 series: the van and the truck. The base version was the panel van (Corvan) with no side or rear windows. The van was named Greenbrier and was available with trim and paint options similar to the passenger car versions of the Corvair. The Greenbrier version usually had windows all around and six doors, However, an option offered a total of eight doors that included rear center opening double doors on both sides of the vehicle. The Greenbrier seated nine people with the available third-row seat. The 95s and cars had an optional heater using gasoline from the vehicle's tank. Chevrolet made camper kits as a dealer-installed package for the Greenbrier vans. These included a bed that covered the rear-mounted engine as well as various kitchen, cabinet, and table layouts that changed by model year. A Corvair 95 truck was available as a "Loadside" or "Rampside". The Loadside was a pickup truck with a standard tailgate for accessing the cargo bed from the rear over the engine compartment. The bed included a metal panel that could be unscrewed to access the engine for major service. The cargo bay area between the engine compartment and the rear of the cab could be covered with a deck to form a level surface with the top of the engine compartment. The Loadside was produced during two model years with 2,844 made in 1961 and 369 built in 1962. The Rampside had a ramp hinged at the bottom of the cargo bay area on the right side of the vehicle. These were used by the
Bell Telephone Company because loading and unloading of cable drums was eased by the side ramp.
Competition Originally, the Corvair 95 line was meant to compete with the popular Volkswagen Type 2 on account of its rear engined air-cooled design, similar to how the standard Corvair competed with the Volkswagen Beetle. Ford had introduced the
Econoline van line a year prior to the release of the Corvair 95, and Chrysler released the
Dodge A100 for 1964. All of these vans were competing in the
compact van segment. They also all had variants with integrated pickup truck beds, thus creating the 'van truck' segment, although the Corvairs 'Rampside' bed was exclusive to it. The forward engine design allowed a flat floor with lower deck in the rear of the vehicle for loading and unloading cargo. The rear engine design of the Corvair gave better interior space for front seat passengers due to the powertrain being unintrusive. The Ford and the Dodge however were able to better utilize existing parts due to their more conventional designs, thereby making them cheaper to produce. The rear engine also gave the Corvair 95s a higher rear load floor compared to its competition. == Discontinuation ==