The Chevvy Corvair was the American cousin of Danny's pole-vaulting VW and its swing-axle tuck-under antics inspired Ralph Nader to write
Unsafe at any Speed -- a book which changed automotive design and brought a revolution in safety from 1962. However, Chevrolet did get it right with its super six-cylinder, alloy crankcase, air-cooled engine which I have seen in a couple of light aircraft.
Another swing-axle contender was the Tatra T87, a Czech streamlined saloon far ahead of its time with V8 engine taking it to 100mph. Many were seized when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and were highly prized by senior officers. But the combination of big V8 behind the swing rear axle was lethal, and the Tatra handling killed so many officers that it became known as the Czechs' secret weapon. After several Luftwaffe pilots wrapped themselves round a tree, reputedly the German officers were forbidden to drive it.
