Instagram Jump Start: 1954 Corvette Corvair was quite a concept – then and now

Here’s a concept for you: Since we enjoyed Labor Day so much, how ‘bout we get an extra day off for fun and relaxation every week? OK, let’s face it, that’s about as realistic as Chevrolet building an aircraft-inspired Corvette Corvair fastback coupe. Wait, Chevy did exactly that in 1954 – it just never went into production. So we’ll have to do without both dreams.

Our photo of the Corvette Corvair replica at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., was the most-liked Instagram post on HagertyClassicCars last week, and the competition wasn’t even close. Here are our top five:

  1. 1954 Chevy Corvette Corvair concept (1,709 likes) – Chevrolet unveiled the Corvette Corvair two-door fastback coupe concept at the 1954 GM Motorama in New York City. It featured a Corvette front with ribbed air intakes on the hood, wrap-around windshield and aircraft-inspired roof that swept back into a chrome-trimmed license plate housing that resembled a jet fighter’s afterburner. This replica is displayed at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. That’s a first-year 1953 Corvette on the right, and the bicycle in the background is a Schwinn Corvette, built by Chicago’s Arnold, Schwinn & Co. from 1954-64.
    1954 Chevy Corvette Corvair concept

  2. 1961 Chevy Impala (1,129) – Another restyled Chevrolet appeared in 1961, and a two-door Impala sedan joined the flagship line. The Impala was easily identified by the crossed racing flag insignias affixed to the car as well as its triple tail lights and a curved roofline/wrap-around rear window affectionately known as the “bubble top.”
    1961 Chevy Impala

  3. 1960 Willys Jeep FC-150 (1,095) – Measuring 147.5 inches from nose to tail, the 1960 Willys Jeep FC-150 truck is actually 8.5 inches shorter than an MGA roadster from the same model year.
    1960 Willys Jeep FC-150

  4. 1970 Oldsmbilie Cutlass (1,083) – Oldsmobile’s two-door 1970 Cutlass was only four inches shorter than the four-door version. Most 1968-72 Cutlass buyers chose a 350-cid V-8 engine. We saw this custom-painted Cutlass on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Mich.
    1970 Oldsmbilie Cutlass

  5. 1981-82 DeLorean DMC-12 (1,081) – How cool would it be to learn to drive a stick shift behind the wheel of a DeLorean DMC-12? A number of drivers age 15-25 did exactly that during the Hagerty Driving Experience held in Aurora, Ill., over the weekend. The gull-winged 1981-83 DMC-12 was built in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. It served as Michael J. Fox’s time-traveling transportation in the 1985 movie “Back to the Future.”
    1981-82 DeLorean DMC-12

Best of the Rest – Once upon a time, the saying, “That car can really fly!” was only a metaphor. No longer. That all changed with this post from @fugnetti_images. Shot during Monterey Classic Car Week, the image is a parade and a balloon drop all in one.
Monterey Classic Car Week, parade balloon

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