GM’s coolest invention was an ingenious flatcar creation they used to ship the Chevy Vega upright across the US
- General Motors designed an innovative Vert-a-Pack rail in the 70s
- The Chevy Vega was packed nose-down like a hanging kebab
- Ultimately the rail proved to be as divisive as the Vega themselves
Published on Dec 01, 2024 at 8:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Jack Marsh
Last updated on Nov 27, 2024 at 6:32 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
General Motors has oozed class for the better part of a century, but it might be their unique contraption that carted the Chevy Vega worldwide that is their coolest invention ever.
When you think GM you go straight to Cadillac. Elvis Presley on Hollywood Boulevard with that signature open-top pink 1955 Fleetwood Sixty Special.
You also think of the new 2024 Chevrolet Trax – a 2024 best-seller – being carted around the world in the masses.
But their coolest invention to date might just be the Vert-a-Pac, which saw the distribution of the iconic Chevy Vega to every person’s driveways in the 90s.
GM’s Chevy Vega had an incredible transport hack
Back in the 70s, the Chevy Vega was one of the most popular, albeit troublesome cars on the road.
But between mass sales and huge numbers of recalls for the car, General Motors had quite a turbulent time shipping these cars around the US.
Originally, GM used open rail cars, but given the cars’ tendency to rust, among other problems, weather and vandalism sent many of these straight back to the garage.
That was until GM collaborated with Southern Pacific Railways to create a “Vert-a-Pac” cart.
In essence, this never-seen-before cart hung the Vega’s vertically like kebabs, squeezing them into two folded-down compartments before erecting them roof-to-roof.
Each Vega, hung nose-down, had to be modified to avoid engine leaks and spills, before being strapped into position to avoid any movement.
But, this did allow the rails to carry 30 Vega bodies at once, which came as a great improvement to the previous 18.
All the gear and no idea
Ultimately though, this car carrier proved to be rather impractical for General Motors to keep, no matter how cool the concept was.
The Vert-a-Pac proved too costly to make, too slow to load, and too complex to drive.
Still, it proves to be one of General Motors’ most innovative designs and may have paved the way for many other industries to help ship goods. Just not cars.
As for other creations, maybe General Motors could take notes from BMW and create their own Optimus Prime transformer to get the latest Chevys around the US.
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