My favorite vehicle in this collection was the Corvair, a compact car produced by Chevrolet from 1960 to 1969, notable for its unconventional rear-engine layout. It was designed to compete with European imports like the Volkswagen Beetle and offered various body styles including sedans, coupes, convertibles, and station wagons. Despite its initial popularity, safety concerns arose, particularly regarding its handling, which were highlighted in Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed.

I learned of the Corvair when I stumbled upon a 1961 GM promotional film, Daring the Darien, where they took three Corvairs from Chicago, through the Daríen Gap, and into Colombia. For the uninitiated, the Daríen Gap is a dense and virtually impassable jungle region spanning the border between Panama and Colombia. It is characterized by rugged terrain, dense rainforests, swamps, and rivers, making it one of the most challenging and dangerous areas to traverse in the world. The lack of roads or infrastructure means there are no official border crossings, making it a notorious gap on the Pan-American Highway.

The trip included twelve men, three Chevy Corvairs, and three support vehicles (including a fuel truck). They managed to get across the jungle but lost all but two Corvairs. In fairness, the third Corvair was less than 1-mile from the finish line and ran out of fuel. Similar to the Corvair left in the jungle, the other two Corvairs that made it were left in Colombia and were never to be found again. I thought that this was a fantastic story and wonderful marketing material. Since then, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the Chevy Corvair.