1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza: A Rear-Engine Classic With Just 35,000 Miles

Chevrolet broke the compact-car mold in 1960 when it introduced the Corvair, a small car with an air-cooled powerplant mounted at the rear rather than up front. That layout set it apart from nearly everything else rolling out of Detroit at the time, and it remained the Corvair’s calling card through its production run. By the time the model was quietly phased out in the spring of 1969, roughly 1.8 million examples had been built.

Among the cars that survived is a 1965 Corvair Monza that has reportedly covered only about 35,000 miles. The Monza badge marked the sportier, better-trimmed end of the Corvair lineup, and the 1965 model year brought a redesign that sharpened both its looks and its suspension setup. Low-mileage survivors like this one are the kind of find that draws attention from collectors who appreciate the Corvair’s unconventional engineering.

For enthusiasts, the appeal goes beyond rarity. That rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-six gave the Corvair a character no other American compact of its era could match, and it helped launch a wave of interest in more balanced, European-inspired handling. Cars preserved with such modest mileage offer a rare window into how these machines felt when they were new.