This is completely and utterly mental. A few years ago we showed you the 1962 film of the Corviars crossing the so called “Darien Gap” which was a 99 mile jungle trail that served as a break in the Pan-American highway. This time we’re taking you to 1960 and showing you the wild story of a group of Corvairs that drove from Chicago to Panama. The drive is pretty normal from Chicago until they get to Mexico and then things begin to get rustic. Then they go from rustic to downright tribal and then from tribal to…well you can see the lead photo. That is mud and muck that the car is plowing!
This was during the time when Chevrolet was doing whatever it could to keep the Corvair’s image on the positive after the claims of its dangerous nature began to surface. It would be 1965 when Ralph Nader published his book but the rumblings about the car would start years before. This video shows off the traction, toughness, and downright pluggy nature of these flat six, air-cooled, European inspired machines.
One of the most completely insane parts of this film comes at about 12-minutes in. With a swollen river that has a violent current, the crew of trucks and Corvairs has no other way to get across than to be chained to a massive ‘dozer that yanks them through the water like a kid pulls a toy car through a bath tub. It seems like there is someone in the car as the water is rushing up nearly over the roof but maybe we’re wrong. Watch it for yourself and tell us.
This is an amazing film.
