Knowing there was success to be had in a van with a smaller overall profile, Chevrolet leaned on its Corvair platform to create the Greenbrier. Using the Corvair’s rear-mounted, horizontally opposed, air-cooled Turbo Air 6 engine, the Greenbrier employed a 95-inch wheelbase that gained them the nickname of “The 95.” Introduced in 1961, it added another level to the already popular and multi-layered Corvair family of cars. Interestingly, as Corvair was an immediate sales hit, Chevrolet brass considered them to be more of a specialty car than competition for entry level cars like Ford’s Falcon and Plymouth’s Valiant, triggering the company to produce the Chevy II. The Greenbrier offered buyers a unique vehicle for work or family transportation which would prove versatile, efficient and easy to drive. This 1961 Greenbrier is of the rare eight-door passenger design with ambulance-style doors in the back, and it’s powered by the 2375cc flat-6 engine and 4-speed manual transmission. With the rear-engine placement, the spare tire shares space in the engine compartment. Having undergone a three-year restoration, it emerged repainted in Tampico Turquoise and Cameo White with new glass, including the windshield and seals, and a gray interior with correct gray vinyl upholstery with checkered cloth. The interior features three-row bench seating for nine passengers, the stock steering wheel, green-painted floors with black rubber mats, a passenger side sun visor, a steel dashboard and a cassette player. Below the dash, positioned near the lighter, is an auxiliary input jack. Mechanically, the 95 was treated to new piston rings, rod bearings, lifters and seals, a new flywheel, throwout bearing, pressure plate, clutch, starter, generator and a new fuel pump, and the carburetor was rebuilt. The chassis was treated to a new suspension, refurbished steering, new shocks, a new rear sway bar, new wheel bearings and new brake linings. The rear axle ratio was converted from 3.89 to 3.55:1 to allow for more relaxed cruising. Rolling on Hankook whitewall tires with Tampico Turquoise painted steel wheels, this ’61 Greenbrier features period- correct Corvette wheel covers that lend a unique finishing touch.
