1960 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Chevrolet Corvair

The 1960 Motor Trend Car of the Year was the Chevrolet Corvair. The magazine honored Chevrolet’s radically engineered compact for its innovation, packaging, and departure from Detroit norms, marking a significant moment in American automotive design at the dawn of the 1960s.

What the Award Recognized

Motor Trend’s Car of the Year title is presented to the vehicle that best advances automotive design, engineering, value, and impact in a given model year. In 1960, the Corvair stood out for its unconventional rear-engine, air-cooled architecture—features virtually unheard of among American mass-produced cars at the time.

Why the Corvair Stood Out

Below is a concise overview of the reasons Motor Trend recognized the Corvair in 1960, focusing on its technological and market significance.

• Innovative layout: A rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-six engine that freed interior space and introduced European-style engineering to a U.S. compact.
• Packaging efficiency: A flat floor and trunk at the front maximized cabin room in a small footprint, aligning with growing demand for compact cars.
• Lightweight engineering: Unibody construction and aluminum components helped reduce weight and improve efficiency.
• Market timing: Arrived amid a shift toward smaller, more economical cars in the U.S., helping to redefine expectations for domestic compacts.
• Design impact: Its clean, minimalist styling and mechanical boldness influenced discussions about practicality versus tradition in American car design.

Taken together, these elements made the Corvair a landmark U.S. model in 1960, representing a calculated risk that resonated with the award’s emphasis on progress and relevance.

Key Technical and Historical Notes

The following points highlight the most notable technical characteristics of the 1960 Corvair and its early evolution.

• Engine: Air-cooled, rear-mounted flat-six (initially 2.3L/140 cu in), emphasizing simplicity and space efficiency.
• Chassis and suspension: Unibody with swing-axle rear suspension—a design later scrutinized for handling behavior but typical of the era’s rear-engine cars.
• Model expansion: Sportier Monza trims followed quickly; by 1962, the turbocharged Monza Spyder became one of America’s first turbocharged production cars.
• Safety debate: Mid-decade, the Corvair’s early suspension design drew criticism—most famously in 1965 via “Unsafe at Any Speed”—but this postdated the 1960 award.
• Legacy: The Corvair remains a rare instance of Detroit embracing European-style engineering at scale, cementing its historical significance.

These characteristics underscore why the Corvair was seen as both daring and disruptive—qualities central to its 1960 recognition and enduring legacy in automotive history.

About Motor Trend’s Car of the Year

Established in 1949, Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award has long highlighted vehicles that move the industry forward. In 1960, the magazine issued a single overarching award, years before separate categories (such as Truck and SUV of the Year) became standard.

Bottom Line

The Chevrolet Corvair earned Motor Trend’s 1960 Car of the Year for its bold engineering and practical packaging at a time when the U.S. market was waking up to compact cars. Despite later controversies, the award recognized the Corvair’s immediate and genuine innovation.

Summary

Answer: Chevrolet Corvair. Motor Trend named the Corvair its 1960 Car of the Year for pioneering a rear-engine, air-cooled compact with efficient packaging and modern design, marking a pivotal shift in American automotive thinking at the start of the decade.

What was the Car of the Year in Motor Trend 1960?

the Chevrolet Corvair
Motor Trend named the Chevrolet Corvair its “Car of the Year” for 1960. This General Motors publication highlights the company’s successful entrance into compact car manufacturing. Motor Trend named the Chevrolet Corvair its “Car of the Year” for 1960.

What was the most popular car in 1960?

There was no single “most popular car” for 1960, but a significant vehicle was the American Motors Rambler, named the “Most Popular Car of the Year” by Reader’s Digest in 1960. However, globally, the Volkswagen Beetle was a top-selling and iconic model throughout the decade, while other influential cars like the Chevrolet Corvair and Ford Falcon were also significant in the U.S. market.
 
Key Cars of 1960

• American Motors Rambler Ambassador: Opens in new tabThis model was recognized as the most popular car of 1960 by Reader’s Digest. 
• Volkswagen Beetle: Opens in new tabThe Beetle was the top global seller for much of the 1960s, known for its unique design, simplicity, and dependability. 
• Chevrolet Corvair: Opens in new tabThe Corvair was named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 1960 and was a groundbreaking American compact car featuring a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. 
• Ford Falcon: Opens in new tabAnother important compact car, the Falcon was part of the popular compact segment and was a component of the later Ford Mustang’s design. 

Significance of the 1960 Model Year

• The early 1960s marked the introduction of innovative designs, with the Corvair being a prime example of a departure from traditional Detroit engineering. 
• The automotive industry began to address the growing threat of foreign car manufacturers, leading to the rise of popular compacts like the Corvair and Falcon. 

What was the coolest car in the 60s?

The Greatest Cars of All Time: The Sixties

• 1960 Austin Mini.
• 1961 Jaguar XK-E.
• 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray.
• 1964 Pontiac GTO.
• 1965 Ford Mustang.
• 1966 Lamborghini Miura.
• 1968 BMW 2002.

What was the Car of the Year in the 1965 Motor Trend?

In 1965, Motor Trend magazine presented the Car of the Year award to the Pontiac Motor Division for its great styling and engineering leadership in the development of personalized passenger cars. The popular Bonneville, the great looking Grand Prix and the powerful GTO were all big sellers for General Motors.