Modified 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. Rear valence backup lights and hidden headlights denote Rally Sport option.

The Chevrolet Camaro was a compact car introduced in North America by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors at the start of the 1967 model year as competition for the Ford Mustang. Although it was technically a compact (by the standards of the time) , the Camaro, like the entire class of Mustang competitiors, was soon known as a pony car.

Though the car's name was contrived with no meaning, General Motors researchers found the word in a French dictionary as a slang term for "friend" or "companion." Ford Motor Company researchers discovered other definitions, including "a shrimp-like creature" and an arcane term for 'loose bowels!" In some automotive periodicals before official release, it went by the name, "Panther".

1967

Based not on the compact Chevrolet Nova but the other way around, four distinct generations of the car were produced. The Camaro's base powertrain was a 230 in³ (3.8 L) inline six_cylinder engine rated at 140 hp (104 kW) and backed by a GM Muncie three-speed manual transmission. A Muncie four-speed manual was also available. The two-speed "Powerglide" automatic transmission was a popular option in 1967-68 until the three-speed "Turbo Hydra-Matic 350" replaced it starting in 1969.

The 290-horsepower, 350 in³ (5.7 L) V8 first saw duty in the 1967 Camaro and virtually every engine in the Chevrolet lineup was offered as an option, all the way up to a special-order 427 in³ (7 L) "big-block" in 1969. To keep costs down, Chevrolet offered the car in only two body styles, a coupe and convertible.

1968

1968 saw the introduction of astro ventilation fresh-air-inlet system, and the removal of the side windows windwings. Also added were side marker lights, a pointer frong rill, and divided rear tailights.

1970

The larger second-generation Camaro which debuted in 1970 suffered two major setbacks. A strike at a GM assembly plant in Ohio disrupted production, and 1100 1970-1/2 Camaros were scrapped because they did not meet 1971 Federal bumper safety standards. This was the most enduring Camaro design, lasting until the more modern, lighter third-generation Camaro of 1982 through 1992.

1977

The Z28, which had been discontinued after the 1974 model year, was re-introduced to the buying public in the spring of 1977 as a 1977-1/2. This car was an instant hit, with most cars sold equipped with air-conditioning and an automatic transmission for a comfort-oriented public. The cars were also available with a Borg-Warner Super T-10 4-speed manual and minimal option packaging for those buyers interested in a performance-oriented vehicle. The half-year model was one of the few American performance vehicles available at the time. The car was capable of turning in quarter-mile times comparable to many of the nineteen sixties' performance cars, and the chassis was developed to reward the driver with a first-class grand touring experience, capable of outstanding handling, especially in the hands of a competent high-performance driver. More than one Z28 was sold as a stripped radio-delete bare-bones performance car, and in this trim the Z28 could out-perform Trans-Ams and aging C3 Corvettes on highways and canyon roads.

Engine:

• 1978_1981 350 5.7 L (350 in³) V8

1982

The 1982 model introduced the first Camaros with factory fuel injection, four-speed automatic transmissions (three-speed on the earlier models), five-speed manual transmissions (four-speed manual transmissions in 1982, and some 83-84 models), 15 or 16-inch rims, hatchback body style, and even a four-cylinder engine for a brief period (due to concerns over fuel economy). The Camaro Z28 was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1982.

In 1985 Chevrolet introduced a new Camaro model - the fameous IROC-Z, called after popular racing series. IROC-Z Camaro featured upgraded suspension, special decal package and Tuned Port Injection system taken from the Chevrolet_Corvette Third generation Camaros also had a suspension system that was more capable in corners than the previous generation. The Camaro IROC-Z was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1985.

Engines:

• 1982-1985 2.5l (151cid) L4
• 1982-1989 2.8l (173cid) V6
• 1990-1992 3.1l (191cid) V6
• 1982-1992 5.0l (305cid) V8
• 1985-1992 5.7l (350cid) V8

1993

1993 began the fourth and last generation of Camaros, lasting through the 2002 model year. Production of the fourth and final generation was moved from GM's Van Nuys, California assembly plant to one in Ste. Therese, Quebec in 1993. Though the car would no longer be produced in the US, the new design which incorporated lightweight plastic body panels over a steel space frame, and a better suspension, further improved upon the Camaro line. From 1993 to 1997 the Camaro was available with the LT-1 engine, the same Generation II small block V8 used in the Corvette, although in slightly de-tuned form. In 1996, the long-discontinued "SS" option was resurrected and in 1998, the all-new LS-1 engine Generation III small block was offered on the SS and Z28 Camaros, marking the end of the Generation I small block V8 that had its roots in Chevrolet's 265 in³ engine of 1955. Unfortunately, sales were below expectations, and production of the Camaro ceased in 2002.

Engines:

• 1993_1995 3.4l V6
• 1995_2002 3.8l (231cid) V6
• 1993-1998 LT1 5.7l (350cid) V8
• 1998_2002 LS1 5.7l (350cid) V8

1998

1998 saw a new head light design for the Camaro. The new design removed the previous recessed_light design present in the 1982_1997 Camaros. In addition the LT1 engine was removed and instead an LS1 in its place.

Summary

Though production Camaros were never as fast as the flagship Corvette, the car cost less than half as much and was easily modified. If its frequent inclusion in automotive enthusiast magazines is any indication, the Chevy Camaro is one of the most popular cars for modification in the automotive history.

Throughout its history, the Camaro shared its internal body and major components with a sister car _ the Pontiac Firebird.

External Links

CamaroSource.ca (http://www.camarosource.ca) - Contains extensive, in-depth information on the Chevrolet Camaro.