The 1954 Corvair’s fastback styling with chopped off tail was influenced by European designs. In Europe, designers were more conceirned about aerodynamics than American designers were. Note the hood vents and front fender “gills”, wich were both scrapped on the production Corvette. Like its siblings, the Corvair used the same front design, though it also sported ribbed air intakes on the hood that routed fresh air to the interior and fender vents that allowed heat to escape the engine compartment. In typical Corvette fashion, the Corvair also had a wraparound windshield, with nearly vertical A-pillars like the Nomad, but without the wing windows. The roof was aircraft-inspired, sweeping back and tapering gracefully, eventually ending at the chrome-trimmed license plate housing, which resembled a jet-fighter exhaust port.
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