Was the Corvair Really Unsafe at Any Speed?

Ralph Nader's groundbreaking 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile" accused U.S. auto makers of knowingly producing cars that endanger public safety, all for the sake of profit. In his, Nader pointed his finger primarily at General Motors and its sporty Chevrolet Corvair model as the epitome of unsafe car design. He claimed that the Corvair's unsafe rear suspension design had caused the car to easily flip over during sharp cornering as well as being prone to fishtailing.

The Corvair

In 1960, General Motors introduced the Corvair to compete with European cars, like the VW, the Fiat, and the Renault, that were entering the American marketplace. The Corvair was offered in a variety of body styles: four-door and two-door sedans, station wagons, convertibles, and even a compact van to compete against the VW bus.

And the Corvair was a success. "Motor Trend" even named it 1960's "Car of the Year."

Ralph Nader

Even though the indictment against the Corvair was only covered in the first chapter of "Unsafe at Any Speed", the negative publicity caused irreparable damage to Corvair sales. This put Ralph Nader high on GM's enemies' list.

In their infinite wisdom, General Motors hired private detectives to follow Nader and snoop into his personal life and finances. They even tried to tempt him with hookers, and they tried to convince the new media that Nader was a homosexual. When the auto giant's dirty tricks were exposed, this only served to propel Ralph Nader and his burgeoning social justice movement to national celebrity and icon stature.

Nader eventually sued GM for invasion of privacy and settled out of court for $425,000.

In 1969, the Corvair model was discontinued.

The NHTSA

As a result of Nader's book and notoriety, Congress established the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1966. The NHTSA immediately set up mandatory safety standards for the American automobile industry including required seatbelts, padded dashboards, safety door locks, and collapsible steering columns.

And now the question: Was the Corvair really unsafe at any speed?