Chevrolet used the name Chevrolet Greenbrier for two distinct vehicles. The first was a six-to-nine-passenger window van version of the Corvair "95" panel van. The Corvair 95 series also included the Loadside and Rampside pickup trucks, featuring a mid-body ramp on the right side. These variants used the Corvair powertrain in a truck body. Production of these vans was from 1961 until 1965.

The Greenbrier name was used again as a model name for mid-trim level Chevelle conventional station wagon from 1969 until 1972.

1961–1965 Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon

Chevrolet introduced the Corvair lineup for the 1960 model year as the first of a series of generations of passenger compact cars. Chevrolet introduced a more utilitarian style of vehicle the following year under the model designation "Corvair 95". In appearance and design, the cars were similar to the competing Volkswagen Transporter, which was essentially a bus-like adaptation of the Volkswagen Beetle that moved the driver over the front wheels, known as forward control or cab-over.

The air-cooled horizontally opposed Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine was located in the rear of the vehicle under a slightly raised cargo floor. It was similar in principle to the 4-cylinder engine of the Volkswagen, but unusual for most contemporary cars. The 145 cu in (2,375 cc) engine developed 80 hp (60 kW) at 4,400 rpm. Engine size was increased to 164 cu in (2,683 cc) for the 1964 model year, raising output to 95 hp (71 kW). Unlike the Corvair cars, the Corvair Greenbrier had a 95 in (2,413 mm) wheelbase, thus known as "95s." They came standard with a three-speed manual transmission. Optional was a two-speed Corvair Powerglide automatic transmission that was different from the usual Powerglide). Chevrolet eventually made available a four-speed manual transmission.

Two different bodies were available in the 95 series: the van and the truck. The base version was the panel van (Corvan) with no side or rear windows. The van was named Greenbrier. The Greenbrier version usually had windows all around and six doors, However, an option offered a total of eight doors that included rear center opening double doors on both sides of the vehicle. The Greenbrier seated up to nine people with the available third-row seat. The 95s and cars had an optional heater using gasoline from the vehicle's tank.

Chevrolet made camper kits as a dealer-installed package for the Greenbrier vans. These included a bed that covered the rear-mounted engine as well as various kitchen, cabinet, and table layouts that changed by model year. An example was the 1961 kit for $485.

A Corvair 95 truck was available as a "Loadside" or "Rampside". The Loadside was a pickup truck with a standard tailgate for accessing the cargo bed from the rear over the engine compartment. The bed included a metal panel that could be unscrewed to access the engine for major service. The cargo bay area between the engine compartment and the rear of the cab could be covered with a deck to form a level surface with the top of the engine compartment. The Loadside was produced during two model years with 2,844 made in 1961 and 369 built in 1962. The Rampside had a ramp hinged at the bottom of the cargo bay area on the right side of the vehicle. Rubber trim on the edge helped avoid scratching the paint when the ramp was lowered for loading and unloading cargo. These were used by the Bell Telephone Company because loading and unloading of cable drums was eased by the side ramp.

Competition

Ford and Chrysler introduced compact vans of their own (the Ford Econoline and Dodge A100), using a more conventional water-cooled engine mounted between the front seats. As these became successful, General Motors responded with its design, which placed the Chevy II sourced engine in a "doghouse" between and behind the front seats. The forward engine design allowed a flat floor with lower deck in the rear of the vehicle for loading and unloading cargo. General Motors stopped producing the truck versions of the Corvair in 1964, and the Greenbrier was the only remaining 95 in (2,413 mm) wheelbase Corvair for 1965. Eventually, Chevrolet and Volkswagen would abandon rear-engined vans in favor of conventional or front-wheel-drive water-cooled engines.

Although Greenbriers were unsuccessful in the marketplace, passenger vans continued to evolve through full-sized vans. The similarly sized 7–8 passenger minivan would become a booming vehicle segment by the 1980s as an alternative to station wagons.

1969–1972 Chevelle Greenbrier

The four-door station wagons of the mid-sized Chevrolet Chevelle line were renamed for the 1969 model year. The base-trim Chevelle 300 was renamed Nomad, while the medium-trim Chevelle 300 Deluxe was changed to Greenbrier. The top-of-the-line station wagon model of the Chevelle Malibu 135/136 became the Concours and Concours Estate Wagon. A newly introduced two-way tailgate came standard on the Concours. The Estate model added simulated exterior woodgrain trim.

Station wagons were available with a third-row seat except for the base Nomad line (only available in a six-seater form). The standard engine for all models was an inline-six, but not available with the optional three-row seats.

For the 1970 model year, the Chevelle 300 Deluxe series was renamed to Chevelle, and the inline-six engine was no longer available in the station wagons.

The series' model code was changed to 1C starting with the 1972 model year.

The Nomad, Greenbrier, and Concours names were all dropped for 1973 when the Chevelle was redesigned, and the station wagons began sharing series names with the other body styles.

References

External links

• Media related to Chevrolet Greenbrier at Wikimedia Commons