Chevy Corvair Corsa Turbo: The Most Atypical Performance Car From the Golden Age of Muscle

During the mid-1960s, the American automotive industry was engaged in a fierce battle for horsepower supremacy. The muscle car war, kickstarted by Pontiac in 1964 with the introduction of the GTO package, saw carmakers release ever-more-powerful V8s and squeeze them into the engine bays of intermediates and intermediates, as well as pony cars.

While Chevy was among the top dogs of that performance battle, the GM division also marketed the most atypical and innovative compacts built in the US during that decade.

Equipped with a rear-mounted and air-cooled flat-six mated to a transaxle, the Covair was more of a Porsche than anything built in the US during that era.

Moreover, during the 19662 model year, the compact received a turbocharged version of Chevy's atypical motor, becoming only the second mass-produced passenger car to use a turbocharged engine, debuting several weeks after Oldsmobile's F-85 Jetfire.

A brief history of the Corvair

The idea behind this revolutionary model can be traced back to the early 1950s when Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole, who later became the division's general manager, pushed the development of an air-cooled flat-six from an idea to an actual running motor.

The innovative engine ended up powering an all-new compact dubbed Corvair, which became available at the onset of the 1960 model year.

Available in all conceivable body styles for competitive prices, the Corvair became a very successful model, prompting Chevy to improve it in the following years.

For the 1965 model year, the Corvair was heavily redesigned, gaining a host of aesthetic and mechanical improvements that improved it across the board.

Furthermore, the second generation debuted with a new trim that pushed the elegant little car into performance territory.

The all-new Corvair Corsa

Dubbed Corsa, the Italian word for race, the new trim became the redesigned Corvair's now range-topper, sitting above the entry-level 500 and the mid-range Monza.

In terms of design, the second-generation compact was heavily upgraded, which made it look more modern and more European than its predecessor.

Available only on the two-door hardtop or convertible, the Corsa trim made Chevy's rear-engine model more powerful but also a bit more elegant.

Apart from the full wheel covers, chrome side trims, front bucket seats, folding rear seats (for the coupe), door panel-mounted armrests, and courtesy lights that came standard in the mid-range Monza, the Corsa added bespoke badges, a silver cove panel, and bumper grille inserts at the rear, as well as a new instrument cluster with three additional dials.

Powered by an innovative engine

During the lifespan of the first generation, the Corvair's most powerful engine option was the innovative 150-hp turbocharged version of Chevy's pioneering Turbo-Air 6.

Formerly available in the range-topping Monza Spyder, this version of the flat-six was discontinued along with the Spyder trim.

However, the new Corsa received a standard naturally-aspirated 164ci (2.7-liter) Turbo-Air 6 equipped with an atypical four single-throat carburetor setup that allowed it to produce 140 hp - only ten less than the discontinued turbo version.

Nevertheless, the turbocharged flat-six didn't disappear from the Corvair's engine list. Those who wanted a more powerful Corsa could opt for the optional Turbo-Air 6, which came with a single side-draft Carter YH carb positioned ahead of a turbocharger that delivered up to 10 psi (0.69 bar) of boost.

Equipped with this upgraded turbocharged engine, mated to either the standard three-speed manual or the optional four-speed, the Corsa had no less than 180 hp and 232 lb-ft (314 Nm) of torque, becoming the most powerful factory-built Corvair of them all.
The most potent six-cylinder-powered US model of 1965 and 1966

The Corvair Corsa could be transformed into an addictively fun performance-oriented compact when equipped with some of the available options, like the turbo engine, the four-speed transaxle, the heavy-duty suspension package, the limited-slip differential, and the quick-ratio steering box.

In 1965, MotorTrend magazine tested one such optioned-out Corsa Turbos, recording a 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) time of 10.9 seconds, a top speed of 114 mph (183 kph), and a quarter-mile run of 18.1 seconds, traveling at 79 mph (127 kph).

While it was clear that the Chevrolet Corsa Turbo stood no chance against a thoroughbred muscle car such as the Tri-Power GTO, the Chevelle Malibu SS Z16, or even the 4-4-2, the hot compact performed much better than six-cylinder-powered pony cars like the Mustang or the Barracuda.

Moreover, with its independent suspension system and the optional chassis upgrades mentioned above, the Corsa Turbo delivered a far better driving experience and felt quicker than it actually was.

The Corvair Corsa Turbo today

The Corsa was offered with the optional turbocharged engine only in 1965 and 1966. While the motor offered more power than the naturally aspirated version, it also brought more headaches to owners due to maintenance and reliability issues.

Those issues translated into poor sales, particularly in the 1966 model year, so Chevrolet ultimately chose to discontinue the option.

With 7,206 turbocharged units manufactured in 1965 and an additional 1,951 in the following model year, the Corsa Turbos isn't extremely rare today, but you won't find nearly as many in pristine shape today.

These days, the Corvair, in general, and the Corsa Turbo, in particular, benefit from a cult following. Because of that, surviving examples are well taken care of, and a more-than-decent supply of spare parts and aftermarket upgrades is available.

In terms of market value, a restored, low-mileage Corsa Turbo is pretty rare, but despite that, one such example rarely demands over $25,000 when it goes under the hammer, which makes it one of the most affordable American classics of the 1960s.

Despite its issues and lack of power, especially compared to its larger, more muscular contemporaries, the Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Turbo remains an American automotive icon.

Tiny, elegant, fun to drive, and atypical in more ways than one, it still manages to be fascinating six decades after its introduction.

For more on this underrated Chevy legend, we recommend watching the YouTube video below by The Cars of Palm Springs.