1969 Chevrolet Corvair

Corvair 500 Coupe

6 - Cyl.

Manual

101379W705214

Gasoline

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE This car is a true piece of history and a “survivor” in every sense of the word. Not only is it entirely original with only 890 original miles, it is the last Corvair ever sold by Chevrolet. It has a very interesting history in that for many years it was believed that it was the very last Corvair built, but it is actually the last Corvair sold. It was built without a dealer order and stored at theWillow Run assembly plant. It was then moved to Chevrolets Show and Display garage a few blocks behind the GM Building where it was stored until 1975. On November 15th, 1975 it was purchased by Merollis Chevrolet, a dealership near Detroit. The car was purchased by Arthur Astor and added to his extensive collection in 1997. This well known collection (The Astor Collection) was auctioned in Monterey in June of 2008. It has been in another private collection since that time. The car is a true time capsule. It is virtually brand new with only a tiny random scratch here and there. It looks, runs, and drives as if it just left the factory. The original tires have been replaced because the sidewalls are cracked, but they have been retained and they are included in the sale of the car. I am happy to make the car available for inspection. Please call me at 516-524-4102.I do not wish to disclose the reserve, so I would respectfully request that you not ask. Here is some interesting historical information about this car: From Dave Newell, (Corvair Society of America) Corvair expert and author: I’ve personally been researching this 1969 Corvair story and the mysteries surrounding it since the 1970s. I’ve interviewed Gerry Phillips and Jim McClernon, the Chevrolet managers, plus all those involved with 1969 Corvair production and decision making that I could locate. Those men included the engineers who laid out the off-line assembly area where the last 3,806 of the 1969s were built, many of the supervisors, plant management, line workers, Chevrolet distribution personnel, auditors, etc. at the time----even GM Chairman Jim Roche, who was directly involved with the last Corvair. 1969 Corvair number 5214, was one of the final 2500 or so ‘69s which were built without dealer orders and stored at the Willow Run assembly plant when production ended. These were then shipped to dealers as orders came in and 5214 was one of the last few 69s left at the plant. Chevy Manufacturing Manager McLernon sent the last few cars to Flint, and 5214 ended up being the last one left there. It was taken down to Chevy’s Show and Display garage a few blocks behind the GM Building, where auditors discovered it and brought about its auction to local Chevy dealers. In a now famous letter, Gerry Phillips stated that “regardless of serial number” 5214 was the last Corvair built. Gerry admitted to me that the car was not the last one built, and that he had confessed the error to an internal GM auditor who made him sign another letter to that effect. The bottom line was that he misinterpreted what was told to him by Jim McClernon, Chevy’s manufacturing manager. McLernon also told me that 5214 was simply the last Corvair that GM sold. 1969 Corvair #6000 was definitely the last Corvair built. 6/29/08. Sold at Monterey Auction “The Astor Collection” From the auction catalog: For 1969, the last year of the Corvair, the cars were built exclusively at the Willow Run plant in Michigan, with production halting for two weeks in late October, to be resumed in a special Corvair-only assembly line manned by 43 dedicated workers, who built the cars virtually by hand. While over 2.1 million Chevrolets were sold for 1969, just 6,000 Corvairs were assembled in its final production year, making them very desirable to collectors. The car offered here is well known to Corvair enthusiasts. As confirmed by the 1969 Corvair Group, after production ended, Chevrolet retained a certain number in its inventory, of which this particular example was the last to be sold and went to the Merollis Chevrolet dealership near Detroit. Although it was the last to be owned by Chevrolet, Merollis subsequently received erroneous written confirmation from Gerry Phillips, Supervisor of Car Operations, that “regardless of the serial number, the unit purchased from our office November 15, 1975 was indeed the last Corvair to come off the assembly line”. A letter of retraction was later written after the car was offered by Merollis in Hemming Motor News, with the same mistaken claim. In reality, the serial number of the last car ends in 6000, not 5214. Equally remarkable is 5214’s condition, which is largely attributable to the fact that it has covered less than 900 miles since its construction four decades ago. Everything is reportedly original on the car, from the paint and tires to the remarkable as-new black interior. This is certainly one of the more fascinating Corvairs in existence, beautifully maintained with a fascinating history and incredibly low mileage.