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N0KFQ > TODAY 20.07.10 18:15l 63 Lines 3106 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Jul 20
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From: N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
To : TODAY@WW
Jul 20, 1972:
U.S. government study disputes Nader's charges against Corvair
On this day in 1972, the results of a two-year study conducted
by the National Highway Traffic Administration of the U.S.
Department of Transportation are released; the study concludes
that 1960-63 Chevrolet Corvair models are at least as safe as
comparable models of other cars sold in the same period,
directly contradicting charges made by the leading consumer
advocate Ralph Nader.
In his bestselling 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed: The
Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile," Nader had
dedicated an entire chapter, titled "The One-Car Accident," to
the Corvair. Upon its debut in 1960, the Corvair won Motor
Trend's "Car of the Year" honors and became an immediate
sensation thanks to its innovative design and its lightweight,
air-cooled, rear-mounted aluminum engine. However, its
deficiencies–including its tendency to oversteer and spin out of
control in the hands of the average driver–earned almost as much
attention. After his niece was seriously injured in a Corvair,
the general manager of General Motors himself threatened to
resign if the car's suspension was not redesigned (it was, in
1964). By the time the revamped Corvair was released in 1965,
Nader had already published "Unsafe at Any Speed," making
1960-63 Corvair models the target of his most outraged
criticism. Sales of the Corvair swiftly dwindled, and GM
withdrew the car from production in 1969.
At Nader's own urging, the U.S. government began a comparative
study of the 1963 Corvair with other comparable vehicles in
September 1970. The other cars used were a 1967 Corvair
(featuring the newly redesigned suspension), a 1962 Ford Falcon,
a 1960 Plymouth Valiant, a 1962 Volkswagen and a 1963 Renault.
Nader had specifically criticized the Corvair's handling and
stability, as well as its tendency to roll over during sharp
turns. In the study's results, released on July 20, 1972, the
government stated, among other conclusions, that the Corvair's
handling in a sharp turn did not "result in abnormal potential
for loss of control" and that the rollover rate for the Corvair
was comparable to that of "other light domestic cars."
According to The New York Times, Nader spoke out against the
study, calling it "a shoddy, internally contradictory whitewash"
and accusing the Highway Traffic Administration of using "biased
testing procedures and model selection." He argued against the
use of only the 1963 Corvair in the tests, which he said was
significantly different from the 1960-62 models–a charge that
the government disputed, saying that the first significant
changes to the Corvair were made in 1964. Three independent
engineers certified the government's findings, calling them
"reasonable, appropriate and sound," and General Motors issued a
statement stating that the study "confirms our position on the
handling and stability characteristics of these cars."
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