Obviously, Bill Mitchell wasn’t going to leave the Corvair alone for long. Beginning with this 1961 Sebring Spyder, there was a steady stream of Corvair-based concept cars. The Sebring Spyder was fairly modest, and kept most of the stock body intact, except for taking a chunk out of the middle. Its primary purpose was undoubtedly to pave the way for the 1962 production Spyder.
Nothing like the cover of Car and Driver to whet the appetite, although in 1961, C&D was just beginning its long ascendency. The Sebring Spyder did not survive.
For 1962, things were kicked up a notch, with the Super Spyder. A wild set of exhaust pipes, and a completely new front end.
The front end predicted much more radical departures from the basic 1960 Corvair shape to come in future concepts. Curiously, the Super Spyder used a Paxton supercharger instead of the turbo.
From this picture and other write-ups, it appears there were more than one version of the Super Spyder, as this GM shot shows some differences, as well as having a turbo engine.
We’ll have to come back for a look at the later Corvair concepts, like the Monza GT.
The Sebring Spyder reminds me a lot of the 62-63 T-Bird Sports Roadster. I wonder if Mitchell’s project was an influence. With lead times being what they were, possibly not. However, the addition of a fiberglass tonneau cover and wire wheels on the Bird were pretty much the only special pieces, so the Sports Roadster bits could probably be designed and sourced pretty quickly.
Fascinating how much these Corvair concepts resemble the Mustang I concept of 1961. The Mustang I Wikipedia article is long, detailed and fascinating.
It was a genuine sports car, mid-engined with the Cardinal 1500cc V4. Mustang’s signature side scoops originated in Mustang I’s engine cooling scoops.
Difference being these Corvair concepts led to Spyders and Corsas that were really produced.
Seeing this I’m suddenly thinking about the John Fitch Specials.
That Super Spyder’s front end looks a lot like the Type 3 Karmann Ghia that came out in ’61. Both great styling solutions to the no-grille problem.
That car came to mind too, in fact I started to say that the Type 3 KG might well have ripped of that front end from the Super Spyder, then remembered that it came out in ’61. Hmm.
It occurred to me it could have been the other way around, as VW was first. I say no foul on Mitchell & Co. if it was. Super Spyder’s nose is cleaner, more aggressive, and even better-looking to my eye.
PS: Super Spyder’s lack of a meaningful front bumper may have something to do with that ;-).
I was also going to say that the Super Spyder looks like a KG Type 3, but you beat me to it.
Ha I was scrolling down to post the same thing! Great minds… 😉
The Type 3 Karmann Ghia was strongly influenced by the Corvair. The Type 3 was designed by Virgil Exner, Jr., then doing a stint at Ghia. He’d seen the Corvair from friends in Detroit well before launch and been very excited by it (as were many European stylists). So, the resemblance in that respect is not really coincidental.
Fascinating! Virgil Exner, Jr. you say…like father like son?
It’s a small world after all…
I’m a Mopar fan and I always hated that front end!
Exner Jr did the first generation KG, not the Type 34 KG which resembles the Corvair Super Spyder. The Type 34 pictured above was by Sergio Sartorelli while at Ghia.
Well, the design of the original Ghia is a contentious issue. It certainly resembled Exner Senior’s D’Elegance, but the Ghia wasn’t designed by him. There’s also quite a bit of difference between the two:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/last-nights-dream-1953-chrysler-ghia-delegance/
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-1970-karmann-ghia-the-fairest-volkswagen-of-them-all/
As regards the Type 3 KG, it appears to be contentious again, since Virgil Exner Jr. claims to have some sort of hand in it, yet Sergio Sartorelli is credited for it.
Everybody wants to be associated with and credited for good designs, just not the bad ones.
But that Type 3 KG front end certainly looks like the ’60 Plymouth’s, which is quite the recycling job.
That’s not correct. (I’ve spoken to Exner about this directly.) The Exners felt the first-generation Karmann Ghia was “borrowed” from one of Exner, Sr.’s Ghia-built Chrysler designs, the D’elegance; Exner, Jr. saw the KG at Ghia’s shop before launch, but was not involved in its design — he was still in college at the time.
After graduation, Exner, Jr. went to work for a while at Studebaker and then at Ghia. He was definitely involved with the styling of the Typ 34, although I suppose one could argue about exactly how much.
I stand corrected then 🙂
“The First Of Many Corvair Design Design Studies”. Hmmm, that would be Design Studies by Corvair Design?
These just covered the first two designs. Wait till we get to Design³.
A limited run (say 1000 copies) of the 61 Spyder would have been interesting (to say nothing of how collectible the survivors would be today).
Unfortunately, back in 1961 nobody was thinking in terms of “drivable collectible”. Just the same, 60-65 seemed to be the years that GM design couldn’t do anything wrong. One gorgeous show car after another, and their production designs were nice to look at, too.
The back end of the Super Spyder reminds me of the Mako Shark I showcar. Even the design cues of the body exiting exhaust brings me back to the Shark. Did Larry Shinoda have a hand in the styling of the Super Spyder as he did with Shark I?
Looking forward to that Monza GT write up! That car looks to be a great design study……Kamm Tail much like the 65 Experimental Opel GT show car, the front windshield like the Vauxhall GT and the front fender bulges like the Mako Shark II!
The Monza GT was featured on an episode of Bewitched, in which Endora conjured it up as a gift to Darrin.
Not surprising, considering that Chevrolet sponsored the show.
I seem to remember a TV series episode that featured a low, sharp-nosed swoopy custom with an entirely hand-shaped aluminum body on a stripped FWD Citroen chassis. Might have been built by Dean Jeffries, there were magazine articles about it.
Could this be the “Bewitched” car? As a fan of all Corvair dream cars, if the Monza GT WAS the car, I certainly would have tracked down that “Bewitched” episode by now!