Corvair wagons were not common back in the day, much less so nowadays. A mere 26K sold in ’61, with a scant 6K more selling in ’62 before the curtains came down on the variant. Good thing the Corvair has been an automotive martyr since its downfall, with a faithful, devoted fan base. The wagons may be rare, but the survival prospects of those around are high. Chances of seeing a Corvair doing daily driver duties? Low. Chances of a Corvair wagon still doing such work? I would venture to say none. But preserved for posterity? Surely.
So this one, posted by canadiancatgreen at the Cohort is appropriately at a car show. Pampered and well cared for. And being uncommon, how not to share it?
However, we got just one canadiancatgreen shot from that car show. So let’s complement with this front image posted by frequent Cohort contributor William Oliver. Also in red, also a 700 trim, and also at a car show. How else could it be by now?
Lots has been said about the Corvair at CC, covering its virtues, wonders, and renowned flaws. We’ve shared vintage photos, talked about its large styling influence, performance and more. Clearly, the wagon version has gotten its own post, which covers it in detail.
But if you must get the short version, the wagon arrived in Corvair land in ’61, a year after the rest of the lineup had debuted. So, somewhat late, and with the Falcon already outselling Corvairs (and Valiants) by a good number.
Still, for ’61, Corvair Lakewood wagons came in 500 and 700 trim. As friendly as the brochure images make it seem, rear-engined wagons are an acquired taste. Mainly, due to the higher loading area, and dynamically, if loaded, trickier at the wheel thanks to the already heavy back end. Also, keeping the cabin’s noises in check is an engineering challenge (But, I would think, a cozy place to sit on a cold winter trip).
The wagons would remain around for ’62, dropping the Lakewood name. Monza would take over the higher trim, and the lower model was just 700. The Monza trim would be the Corvair’s future, but not in the case of the wagon, which faded for good in ’62.
Today’s glitzier trimmings make both finds 700 models. Now, Corvair wagons may have been rare, but they are in no danger of extinction. A good amount, in various shades, show up in any online search. But that’s just the case with flawed icons, we are fascinated by their potential and their daring, while also endlessly wondering what could’ve been…
Related CC reading:
Amazing how the ‘tin worm’ never got a hold of this one! A beautiful example of a car that was ahead of it`s time.And it keeps the ‘wood’ in the Chevy wagon series name.
I’m not sure it’s possible to talk about the Lakewood without mentioning that comedian Ernie Kovacs was killed in one. It’s often brought up when discussing the Corvair’s dangerous handling chacteristics. What’s often overlooked is that Kovacs had been drinking and was angry after just having had a fight with his wife, Edie Adams, and driving on a rain-slicked roadway when he lost control while turning at an intersection and collided with a power pole, right into the driver’s door in the wee hours of the morning.
The bottom line is it is quite inconclusive as to how much the Lakewood’s design contributed to Kovac’s accident and death.
A very unusual car for a Hollywood star to drive. Had the door been reinforced as the government (must have been woke) would ultimately mandate, Ernie probably would have entertained for many more years to come.
It was his wife’s car.
https://www.decidedlygrim.net/?p=7652
Odd since the article says she hated the car. Why would someone get a car that they hated to drive? I can’t figure that one out, unless they had gotten the Lakewood, gratis, from GM as some sort of potential promotion effort.
On top of that, as stated, not exactly something you’d think the spouse of a big star would drive, either. Edie Adams was something of a minor celebrity, herself. It was like the complete opposite of their other car, a Rolls-Royce, that she wanted to drive instead of the Lakewood on that fateful night.
A few years later, VW figured out how to make the load floor low with the Squareback model.
They must have lost tons of money on all the bespoke wagon parts. The stamping dies were barely even broken in.
I guess no post about the Lakewood would be complete without some discussion of Ernie Kovacs. And no discussion of Ernie Kovacs would be complete without:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=416o9b_pjQk
A textbook example of surrealist absurdity. On mainstream TV during one of the most boring periods of American media.
RIP Ernie, Edie (at the piano) whose Lakewood Ernie was driving, and Jack Lemmon with the mallets (unless of course it was Frank Sinatra in that costume…as Frank sometimes performed this skit with Ernie). The man and his work has always figured large for me even if he died about the same time that I was born.
I have always thought that the Lakewood was a really nice little wagon. Unpredictable handling (on wet roads, by an inexperienced driver, who may have been distracted any number of ways) aside.
Some say Nader singled out the Corvair in his book. Ernie was a friend.
I like the looks.
I remember in 1971 some hippies lived around the corner from my father, they had a really nice 1961 Lakewood, (I was more enthralled by their ’34 DeSoto and the two tone ’60 VW Deluxe Kombi), one day they said ‘it won’t start, yours for $150 .
At that time my after school job was $45/ week so no way, I looked it over and discovered the positive battery cable clamp was buried in white corrosion (salts), took it apart and cleaned it up, said ‘there ya go’ and they drove it a while longer .
I surely wish I’da been able to buy it, so clean and good running, working radio and no oil leaks even .
-Nate
45.00 a week was fair, chunk, a change in “71”.
Like the pic of the “Corvair”, with the “Rambler” lounging in the background.
Lakewood. Gawd, I’d forgotten about that one. Greenbriar I do remember, but it appears to have been much more popular. Well, relatively speaking.
They never made it past the brochure stage here blurb about Corvairs was circulated to gauge interest but there were several GM options in that size already so not enough interest and we didnt get them.
My mom’s brother was an air-cooled guy: a Lakewood for the family vehicle and a 356 for his daily driver. I don’t remember much about the car, other than the shift lever on the dashboard.
Any current discussion of the Corvair wagon should include reference to the “MORRvair” used buy the crew at Matt’s Off Road Recovery. About the only thing Corvair left on an impressive machine is the sheet metal, but it is a cool conversion of an iconic car. A great videos on youtube as well, fascinating videos.