The Z platform or Z-body

automobile platform A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars, often from different, but somewhat related, marques. It is prac ...

designation was used on three different types of vehicles made by

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

Chevrolet Corvair

The first was both generations of the

Chevrolet Corvair The Chevrolet Corvair is a Rear-engine design, rear-engined, Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine, air-cooled compact car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet over two generations between 1960 and 1969. A response to the Volkswagen Beetle, it was of ...

from 1960 to 1969, which were a rear-wheel-drive and rear-engine

compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class—predominantly used in North America—that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, before ...

. The platform was also modified to be used on the

Chevrolet Corvair 95 The Chevrolet Corvair 95 is a subseries of the Chevrolet Corvair line produced from 1961 until 1965. It is the general term applied to the van and pickup truck variants of the rear-engined Corvair, named for their shortened wheelbase. It was Che ...

series of vans and pickup trucks from 1961–1965. * The Corvair featured a rear-mounted six-cylinder

Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine The Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 is a flat-six air-cooled automobile engine developed by General Motors (GM) in the late 1950s for use in the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair of the 1960s. It was used in the entire Corvair line, as well as a wide variety ...

that included many aluminum components and an aluminum block, along with a rear swing-axle (up to 1964) suspension and rear transaxle. From 1965 the rear suspension was similar to the then current Corvette except that coils were used in place of a transverse leaf. Vehicles using the rear-drive/rear-engine Z-body include: * 1960–1969 Chevrolet Corvair 500 * 1960–1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza * 1961–1965

series * 1965–1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa

Chevrolet Corvette

The second was the

Corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

from 1972 until 1975 when the second Y platform was developed for the Corvette. The second digit in the

vehicle identification number A vehicle identification number (VIN; also called a chassis number or frame number) is a unique code, including a serial number, used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles, towed vehicles, motorcycles, scooters a ...

displays vehicles that used this platform followed by either Body Style 37 for coupe or 67 for convertible. Vehicles using the front-engine/rear-drive Z-body include: * 1972–1975 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Sport Coupe * 1972–1975 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible

Saturn S-Series

The third was

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

from its debut in 1990 until 2002, which were

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...

s. This platform was replaced with the

GM Delta platform Delta is a General Motors compact front-wheel-drive automobile and crossover SUV platform, originally developed by Opel Group. It was a successor to the Opel T platform; it also replaced J platform and the Z platform used by the Saturn S ...

. Vehicles using the front-drive/front-engine Z-body include: * 1991–2002 Saturn SC * 1991–2002 Saturn SL * 1993–2001 Saturn SW

External links

Z-body
Z {{Modern-auto-stub