Chevrolet built the Chevy II because the Corvair could not beat the Ford Falcon, and it built it fast — a full range of five body styles and four trim levels, on a wheelbase deliberately half an inch longer than the Falcon’s. Then drag racers noticed how little it weighed, and a dealer-installed V8 changed the plot entirely. Read on to find out how a compact economy car ended up in the same conversation as the GTO.