Making of a Legend: A Camaro History Lesson

The Chevy Camaro is a classic muscle car. Learn the details of how this car came to be and how it has evolved in this lesson in Camaro history.

Keyword(s): camaro history

Since its launch, the Chevrolet Camaro has sold over 5 million units. With its sporty pedigree and undeniable pop culture appeal, owning a Camaro is like owning a little slice of history.

But how did this simple car, which initially played second fiddle to the Mustang, go on to feature in music, movies and automobile Top 10s everywhere?

Do you want to learn the details of how this car came to be and how it has evolved in this lesson in Camaro history? Stick around and let us show you.

A Hasty Inception - 1964

To understand the full history of the Chevrolet Camaro you need to start two years before it was actually launched.

In 1964, Ford launched its wildly successful Mustang. Prior to this Chevy had dominated the market in all divisions. They outsold their competitors in the small-sized, midsize and full-sized categories.

The Nova, Chevy's small car beat out Ford in the small-sized category.

The Chevelle, a competitor to Ford's Falcon, outsold their rivals in the mid-sized category.

And the Impala dominated the full-sized market, selling in staggering numbers. According to the New York Times, the 1965 Chevy Impala sold 1,074,925 units, a record that has yet to be beaten.

Things were looking great for Chevy. But then the Mustang arrived, setting up a class of its own - the pony car class.

Chevy had no response. They didn't even have a car to compete in this new class.

But Chevy hadn't shattered sales records in other classes by capitulating. They hurriedly began work on 'Project Panther'. It was clear that something big was in the works.

On the 26th of June, 1966 Pete Estes, Chevrolet's General Manager held the biggest conference call in the world at the time. Selected media and press gathered in 14 hotels across 

America to join the call and hear what Estes had to say.

His announcement was brief, consisting of eight short words.

"The Panther is dead, long live the Camaro."

And thus, a legend was born.

The First-Generation from 1967 to 1969

The original Chevrolet Camaro was revealed in 1966 ready for the 1967 production year.

Prior to its launch, speculation was rife about the meaning of the word Camaro. Chevy's official line was that it was a French word for friendship or camaraderie, but when asked about it at a press conference Pete Estes said the following.

"[It's] a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs"

Bold words indeed.

However, the first-generation Camaro did not eat its Ford counterpart. Between 1967 and 1969 the first-generation sold just shy of 700,000 units.

It was eclipsed by the Mustang which, although it had a two-year head start, sold over 2,000,000 units between its launch in 1964 and 1968.

Despite this, the first-generation Camaro garnered some high praise, especially in retrospect.

Edward Welburn was the Vice President of Global Design for General Motors between 2003 and 2016. Although perhaps biased, he made some interesting comments.

Welburn said that the 1967 Camaro should not have been a design success as it was rushed out of the door to compete with the Mustang at the time. However, he also stated that the first-generation Camaro delivered a "pure, classic proportion" that will always be regarded as one of the best-looking cars of its time.

The Second-Generation from 1970 to 1981

The 1970 Camaro was released just three years after the original. It was wider and featured highlights set either side of the front grille.

The new Camaro also had a redesigned hood to exaggerate the powerful V-8 engine underneath.

Ken Parkinson, the Executive Director of Design at GM International went so far as to say that the second-generation car was "pure Camaro.” Stating that, while it won't be confused with the first-generation model, it is still unmistakably a Camaro from every angle.

In August of 1971, Road & Track magazine chose the 1971 SS350 model as one of the top 10 best cars in the world.

The Third-Generation from 1982 to 1992

1982 saw the launch of the third-generation model. By this point, the Camaro had evolved into a more serious sports car.

It was the first model to introduce a hatchback style body and came with a redesigned hood to improve downforce.

The third-generation was also the first models to offer fuel-injection and either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission gearbox.

Weighing in at just over 3,000lbs the 1982 Camaro also shed nearly 500 pounds compared to the second-generation model. This made it significantly faster and lighter as the third-generation model developed 190bhp.

In 1985 the Camaro was chosen as the official car of the Internal Race of Champions (IROC). To commemorate this, Chevy officially rebranded their Z28 model to the IROC-Z.

Twelve years later in 1997, Will Smith released the song Just Cruisin', which references the IROC-Z by name.

The Fourth-Generation from 1993 to 2002

The fourth-generation model debuted in 1993. True to the original it featured 2+2 seating and options for either a convertible or T-top roof configuration.

Similar to the third-generation model, the 1993 Camaro featured a lowered front end and was engineered to improve aerodynamic performance. The new model had 17″ five-spoke wheels and a new hood scoop that contributed to both performance and aesthetic.

The fourth-generation Camaro was heavier than its predecessor, weighing in at 3,211 pounds. Despite this, the 5.7 L V8 in the 1997 model produced 330 bhp and had a top speed of over 160mph.

To celebrate its 30th birthday, the 1997 SS and Z28 models were offered as a "30th Anniversary Limited Edition.” The limited-edition package included unique orange stripes on white base paint.

Discontinuing of the Camaro 

After 35 glorious years in production, Chevrolet stopped making the Camaro in 2002. A deteriorating market for sports coupés and slowing sales lead Chevy to discontinue the Camaro in its current form.

The Camaro was absent from the market for eight years, during which time the Mustang reasserted its dominance at the top of the sales charts.

The Fifth-Generation from 2007 to 2015

After a lengthy hiatus, the Camaro came back with a bang in 2007 with the release of the fifth-generation model.

This new model took inspiration from the 1967 original. It reincorporated the headlights into the front grill and became noticeably (and iconically) 'boxier'.

The 2010 model won World Car Design of the Year at the New York International Auto Show. At the time of the awards, more than 80,000 2010 Camaros had been sold since its launch in Spring 2009.

The supercharged ZL1 model featured a 6.2 L V8 engine, developing 426 bhp. The huge increase in performance gave the Z/28 Camaro a top speed of 172mph.

The Camaro outperformed its main rival, the Mustang, on almost any track, including on the drag strip. The Z/28 model won Motor Trend's Best Driver's Car award in 2014.

The Camaro also outsold the Mustang in 2010 by a significant margin. The Mustang sold just over 81,500 units, but the Camaro sold nearly 130,000.

This sales feat was repeated in 2011. Finally, the Camaro was on top.

Transforming a Generation

Various Camaro models have been featured in many different movies throughout the years. But perhaps none are more famous than the Camaro's appearance in the 2007 science-fiction movie Transformers.

Originally a modification of the original 1967 Camaro, 'Bumblebee' transforms into the 2014 model after scanning one on the roadside.

The Camaro became an overnight legend, with fans going out of their way to replicate the 'Bee-yellow' car made popular by the movie.

The Sixth-Generation from 2016 to Today

Today's Camaro is a far cry (technologically) from the 1964 original. However, it borrows inspiration from the classic 1967 first-generation original.

The 2016 Camaro underwent some styling tweaks over its 2007 predecessor. It is more chiseled with harder edges and a more modern aesthetic. It features a very sporty-looking front splitter that ensures the front wheels stay glued to the road.

The sixth-generation model is the most powerful Camaro ever produced. The V8 produces 455 bhp with the ZL1 model's official top speed registered at 198 mph.

Top Gear Magazine has gone on record as saying that the 2016 Camaro is undoubtedly way faster and better handling than the Mustang GT350, Ford's equivalent vehicle.

The Future of the Camaro

So that was a drive through the Camaro’s history, but what about the future?

Since its relaunch in 2007, the Camaro has enjoyed immense commercial success. With over 5 million units sold, the Camaro has become one of the best-selling pony class cars of all time.

Whichever way you cut it, the Camaro’s history has made it an icon, both in the automotive and pop culture worlds. The future looks bright for Chevy and the iconic Camaro, and we can't wait to see what the seventh-generation will look like.

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