Yeah, I still remember big Cadillacs spinning their wheels in icy parking lots in Chicago, but my stick shift 64 Corvair could go around them like it was a dry summer day. All because it had lot of weight on rear wheels with the rear air-cooled engine, which required no anti-freeze or water pump and hoses to leak. But then I got some raises and splurged on a brand new Impala with all the goodies.
Ours was a 1963 Corvair. My parents loved that little “engine in the back” car, even though it was constantly breaking down. My dad bought another corvair and had it towed to our driveway so he could use it to pick off parts to repair ours.
Our neighbors had a corvair also, I think it was a 1966, and also a little red Renault. If i remember correctly (I was just a little kid), that car also got up our hill very well. Did it also have an engine in the back? I seem to remember that it did.