Any Chevy Corvair is a rare sight these days. And the handsome Corvair Rampside pickup is one of the rarest versions of all. That’s why the stellar 1963 example for sale on eBay is so remarkable. The Throttlestop in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., is offering the Rampside on eBay for $49,900.
The Corvair—considered a compact car when it was introduced in 1960—had a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. The affordable model was initially a hit, selling more than 200,000 each year through 1966. Its success led to variants.
The follow-up “Corvair 95” models (named for the 95-inch wheelbase) debuted in 1961. They came as panel vans and pickups—modern body styles for the period.
The Corvair Rampside’s two-tone paint was standard.
GM’s Overlooked Innovation
Jay Leno owns a 1961 red-and-white Rampside, which he describes as “one of the most innovative vehicles ever developed by GM.” He cited the progressive ideas of Ed Cole, who was running GM at the time. The trucks even had independent suspension.
Leno paid $600 for his rough example, then put it through a full restoration. “This is the kind of vehicle you want to drive in a pandemic,” he said. Leno goes into detail in this video:
Power for these “Forward Control” trucks came initially from a 2.3-liter Turbo Air flat-six mounted under the hood. The engine developed 80 horsepower.
The base engine in the Rampside was 140 cubic inches, but a 164-cubic-inch version debuted for 1964—and is in this truck.
The pickup could be ordered as either a “Loadside” with a conventional tailgate—or the “Rampside” with an added walk-on ramp on the passenger side. The ramp was novel, which may be why the Rampside had better sales.
Easy Loading
The Rampside’s bed was in two levels. The ramp opened at the lower point, and behind that, it rose to the second level that went back to the tailgate. The engine was moved all the way to the rear, under a removable cover. A version with two rows of seats was explored but never made it into production.
The bed was on two levels.
The Loadside is the rarest Corvair—just 2,844 were produced in 1961, and a minuscule 369 in 1962. The Rampside was 80 percent of sales, so the Loadside was discontinued after 1962. Rampside did 2,046 in 1963, but only 851 for 1964, its final year. The novelty of walking your load onto the bed must have worn off.
The interior was spartan. These were work trucks.
This original California black plate example on eBay is an older restoration. The color scheme is a gorgeous Omaha Orange and Cameo White. It is “mechanically and cosmetically excellent,” the dealer says. He says that it drives well too.
The highlighted features include a four-speed manual transmission, a 105-inch cargo bed, and an original AM radio that works. You could put it to work or take it to shows. He said:
These trucks are an outstanding conversation piece, and you can be the hit at your local car show or cruise night.
The engine was enlarged during the model’s run from 145 cubic inches to 164. Some sources say that didn’t happen until the 1964 model year. But other ‘63s also seem to have the larger engine, so it’s unclear if this is the original motor. But the output of the 164-incher is a useful 95 horsepower. The upgrade included a new oil cooler.
Fully Supported by eBay Parts
The Rampside is an older restoration.
Given how rarity works, the Loadside is probably worth a little more than the ramp version. Nonetheless, NADA puts the average retail of a 1962 Rampside at $35,700, and the high retail at $67,900. So this one is in the sweet spot.
eBay Motors has a full complement of Corvairs. The great thing about Corvairs is they share many mechanical parts, so many of the components available on eBay will fit.
This Rampside is nice enough for life as a garage queen. But just imagine the fun of taking it on the road.
