Hosted by Chicagoland Corvair Enthusiasts, the 2001 Corvair Society of America (CORSA) International Convention was held from July 25th to 28th in St. Charles, Illinois, an hour west of Chicago. The theme of the convention was obviously inspired by Stanley Kubrick's science fiction masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film based on Arthur C. Clarke's novel of the same name. One of the biggest box office smashes of 1968, 2001 enthralled baby-boomers with its psychedelic special effects, unusual presentation and its speculative view of the year 2001. It has since become one of the great cinema classics.

From the perspective of the avid Corvair enthusiast, the event, 2001: A Corvair Odyssey, was a classic in its own right. It was well organized, and was attended by hundreds of Corvair lovers and their cars in hot and sunny weather. More than four decades after the Corvair first appeared in Chevrolet showrooms in October, 1959, the gathering provided strong evidence of the continuing healthy state of the Corvair hobby.

Our photo essay of the event starts in the ample parking lot of the convention's host hotel, the Pheasant Run Resort. An awesome array of Corvairs was assembled there to be scrutinized by the judges in the CORSA Concours event, or to compete for votes in the various classes of the Peoples Choice Car Display.

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First up is this Texas-based 1966 Monza sport coupe in Regal Red with a black interior. The 110 hp coupe's interior is equipped with factory air-conditioning, tinted glass, a sporty simulated wood grain steering wheel on a telescopic steering column, and an owner installed Corsa instrument cluster.

Exterior touches include dual factory mirrors (driver's side was standard in '66), rear deck antenna, front and rear bumper guards, fuel door trim, narrow whitewall tires, and wire wheel covers with 3-blade spinners. These wheel covers were a factory option from 1964 through '66, and were replaced by similar covers with bladeless center insignia in the 1967 through '69 model years.