Corvair

Chevrolet car built from 1960-1969. First popular American car built with a RR (rear-engined, rear-wheel drive) drivetrain layout, and a horizontally opposed engine. It was popular in all model-years it was produced, although its sales were diminished beginning in 1965 following the introduction of the Ford Mustang and Ralph Nader's report "Unsafe at Any Speed", which attacked the Corvair for having stability problems and dangerous fuel systems(although Chevrolet did correct these problems in 1965). The Corvair was one of the first "import killers" manufactured, being small, sporty, and economical. The simple Horizontally-Opposed 164 cu. 6-cylinder engine was easy to service and required little maintnence, and got excellent gas mileage. It was the only car to incorporate a 4-wheel fully independent suspension system (besides the Corvette) in the 1960's, one of the first two cars to use a turbocharger, and the first car to feature a folding rear seat for additional cargo room.