1963 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside Pickup

As Chevrolet's inaugural compact vehicle, the Corvair boasted a rear-positioned, air-cooled engine, similar to the Volkswagen Beetle. Taking inspiration from the German automaker, Chevrolet expanded the Corvair lineup to include a van and a pickup, exemplified by the 1963 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside Pickup.

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Transforming the sedan into a van or pickup required repositioning the driver's seat forward, above the front wheels. While the overall length remained at 180 inches, the wheelbase was reduced from 108 to 95 inches.

In a collision, the driver's feet were perilously near the front bumper, while behind them stretched a 105-inch truck bed or, in the van version, a 114-inch cargo deck. The Corvair Greenbrier wagon could accommodate three rows of seats, providing the spaciousness and adaptability of a modern minivan.

The commercial lineup was labeled "Corvair 95" due to its wheelbase. It included three models: the Corvan, Loadside, and Rampside. The Corvan served as a panel van, the Loadside featured a standard double-walled cargo box with a rear tailgate, and the Rampside introduced a side door on the right that doubled as a loading ramp.

Exclusive to the Corvair, this design enabled heavy items to be rolled into the bed rather than lifted, a feature prominently showcased in Chevrolet's promotional materials. The ramp's edge was rubber-coated to prevent damage when lowered onto the ground or a curb.

Although the cargo bed was longer than those in traditional trucks, it wasn't flat. The rear section of the floor had to be elevated to accommodate the engine.

Thankfully, the Corvair's six-cylinder engine was relatively compact. Its design featured two horizontal cylinder banks opposing each other with the crankshaft centered. Chevrolet recognized that a heavy rear-mounted engine could compromise handling, so they utilized aluminum extensively to reduce weight, though some critics still argued that handling remained a concern.

Unlike most American economy cars of its time, the Corvair featured dual carburetors. Its compact 145-cubic-inch engine delivered 80 horsepower and, crucially for a truck, 128 pound-feet of torque. A fan mounted on top supplied air to the air-cooled engine.

A three-speed manual transmission came as standard, while buyers could opt for a four-speed manual or a Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission.

In 1960, Chevrolet became the first major truck manufacturer to adopt independent front suspension. The Corvair 95 surpassed full-size trucks by offering fully independent suspension, thanks to its swing-axle rear suspension shared with Corvair sedans. Despite its passenger-car roots, the Corvair 95's payload capacity rivaled that of full-size Chevrolet trucks.

Sales of the Corvair 95 never gained momentum, and its pickup variants were far less popular than the Corvan models. (The 1963 Rampside was priced at $2,212 new but attracted only 2,046 buyers.)

Ford launched the Falcon-based Econoline around the same period. Just as the conventionally designed Falcon outsold the Corvair, the Econoline outperformed the Corvair 95. Chevrolet responded in 1964 with a front-engined Chevy Van, though it lacked a pickup version. Production of Corvair vans and pickups ceased that year, with a few Greenbrier wagons lingering as 1965 models.

The 1963 Rampside showcased here comes equipped with a radio, chrome bumpers, and the optional four-speed transmission.

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