Chevy Corvair Goes Up in Flames on Main Street in Southampton

A 1969 Chevy Corvair classic car, which houses its engine in the trunk of the vehicle, started smoking and then went up in flames after an engine fire caused the car to burn. The fire caused a big commotion on Main Street on Saturday in Southampton, and was immediately put out by the good work of the Southampton Fire Department who responded to the scene with two fire trucks. Police also responded with emergency vehicles and closed off traffic.

The car was parked directly across the street from the restaurant 75 Main, and a few of the diners there saw the entire scene unfold. “At first we thought it was just engine smoke from an old car,” said one diner, “But then we saw the car across the street and in a moments notice, the fire department was there to put it out. ”

The owner of the car, who was not identified, returned with his house guests to his vehicle to find some of his Ralph Lauren towels completely destroyed, which were valued at around $100 a towel. Other than the towels and the car however, there were no injuries.

The Corvair was Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year for 1960.

The Corvair’s legacy was affected by controversy surrounding its handling, its inclusion in Ralph Nader‘s book Unsafe at Any Speedand a subsequent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) study saying the car’s handling was as safe as that of its contemporaries.