The following images of a Corvair Monza convertible are large, but hopefully, worth waiting for. To minimize load time, they appear on separate pages. While the first image loads, have a look at the following comment from a professional who's covered the auto industry since 1958, and has high praise for GM's Corvair initiative.

"THE OLD GENERAL MOTORS didn't get to the top of the heap by playing it safe. It was the style leader; first with the fins, the longest hoods, the big wheel openings created to give the look of motion. A technological leader, too, developing the high-compression engines and the first practical automatic transmissions. The old GM was willing to take risks: Remember the Chevy Corvair, the small car built with an aluminum, air-cooled rear engine? Ralph Nader helped kill it by making it a target in his quest for money and notoriety. But it was an ambitious car, a bold car, a pioneering move.

That passion for cars, that product and technological daring, pushed GM to 45% to 50% of the market. GM was unbeatable. So much so that the government even considered breaking it up to protect poor Ford and Chrysler."

Jerry Flint, former Senior Editor - Forbes Magazine