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Camaro Facts and History

The Chevrolet Camaro was first introduced in 1967 as a competitor to the highly-successful Ford Mustang. Build on a rear-wheel drive F-body platform like its cousin the Pontiac Firebird, this "pony car" as it was known, was available as a two-door coupe or convertible with either an in-line six cylinder or a V8 powerplant. This first generation Camaro lasted until 1969.

The second generation Camaro, introduced in 1970, was larger and wider than the previous version and remained on the F-body platform. This generation of the Camaro was in production for 12 years, until 1981, and boasted changes in both styling and performance through its production cycle.

Introduced in 1982, the third generation Camaro offered fuel injection for the first time, four-cylinder engines, 16-inch wheels, and hatchback bodies. Continued to be built on the F-body, it was this generation of Camaro that offered buyers the famous IROC version of the car.

Nineteen ninety-three saw the debut of the fourth generation of Camaro. It was built on an updated F-body platform, sported rear-wheel drive, and was available with either a V6 or V8 powerplant. You could also purchase the car with a 5.7L LT1 Corvette engine with an optional six-speed transmission. The fourth generation Camaro lasted until 2002, at which time it was phased out.

GM officials began talking about a fifth-generation Camaro in 2006. In that year, GM debuted a Camaro Concept car at the International Auto Show. It was powered by a 400 hp LS2 V8 engine and six-speed transmission. GM introduced the Convertible Camaro Concept car in 2007 with available V6 or V8 engine, and manual or automatic transmission. A new Camaro is expected to roll off the assembly lines in 2009.

Interesting Information

The Camaro name, although it fit nicely with the other Chevrolet "C"-named cars like Corvette, Corvair, and Chevelle, originally was thought to have no meaning. Later, GM research reportedly found the word in a French dictionary as a slang term for companion or friend. The Camaro was initially advertised on AM radio in an attempt to lure young buyers. Similar cars of the day were, of course, the Mustang and Pontiac Firebird, but other competitors included the Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda, and American Motors Javelin.