Celebrating Black Automotive History | Cliff hall and the Corwin

Amidst the local unrest of a tumultuous era in civil rights history, African-American Cliff Hall built an extraordinary vehicle. Named for Beverly Hills financier Louis Corwin, it was small by domestic standards, but its low silhouette and mid-engine configuration ensured that it would have the handling and compactness that it would need to deftly maneuver through Los Angeles traffic. More than a mere means to commute, the Corwin was envisioned by Hall as a means to offer employment opportunities for the residents of one or more of the underserved communities in and around Los Angeles in which he intended that it would be built. Unfortunately, limited development resources forced him to curtail his efforts and endorsements by high profile public figures including Mohammed Ali, Sidney Poitier, and Marvin Gaye were unable to help. Donated by Cliff Hall himself, the Petersen Museum's Subaru-engined prototype was the only Corwin ever built, yet its importance as an early precursor to small, mid-engine cars like the Fiat X-1/9, Pontiac Fiero, and Toyota MR2 has cemented its place in history. And more than a half century after its debut, the car survives a testament to his spirit of ambition, creativity, and entrepreneurship, character traits that know no racial or socioeconomic boundaries.

History of the Corwin

The Corwin was built in Los Angeles by African-American Cliff Hall and named after the primary financial backer of the project, Beverly Hills businessman Louis Corwin. Tiny by 1960s domestic standards, the Corwin represents a significant early effort to develop a small, mid-engine automobile that could provide Southern California residents a nimble vehicle that was small enough to maneuver easily in traffic and offer employment opportunities for local residents whom the designer envisioned would build it. A lack of development resources prevented Hall from producing the car in quantity, and the Subaru four-cylinder engine remained the only example ever made. 

History of the Inventor

Born in 1925, Cliff Hall was a Los Angeles native by birth. On return to California, Hall worked as a photographer for the Los Angeles Sentinel and began spending his free time drawing up designs for the Corwin. His original goal was to create a vehicle that younger generations viewed as unique, inexpensive, and more practical than a motorcycle.