The Chevrolet Camaro is a popular pony car made in North America by Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and introduced in late 1966 as a competitor to the Ford Mustang.
The car shared the same platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced in the same year. When asked what a Camaro is, the press was told it was “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs”.
The Camaro was initially advertised on radio stations in an attempt to woo the young adult market. Although it was technically a compact car, Camaro soon joined the Mustang with a pony car designation. It may also be classified as an intermediate touring car, a sports car, or a muscle car.
What’s In A Name?
GM researchers reportedly found the word Camaro in a French dictionary as a slang term for “friend” or “companion.”
To be sure, the name conveniently fit Chevrolet’s “C” naming structure that included Corvair, Chevelle, Chevy II, and Corvette. Some early GM photos show the final Camaro body labeled “Chaparral.
“Hugger” was the Chevy marketing department’s nickname for the Camaro starting in 1969, because it “hugs” the road. An advertisement for the Indy 500 read: Why is the Camaro the pace car again? Because it’s the Hugger.
Generations Of “Huggers”
Four distinct generations were produced before production ended in 2002. A new Camaro will roll off assembly lines in 2009.
Debuting in an all brand new rear-wheel drive GM F-body platform, it blazes its way as a 2-door, 2+2 seating coupé or convertible with a choice of inline-6 and V8 power plants. The first-gen Camaro would see through the 1969 model year.
In February 1970, the second-generation cars were introduced. Larger and wider with new styling, it was engineered much like its predecessor: using a unibody structure with a front subframe, leaf springs in the back and A-arms up front for suspension. The car would see major improvements in both styling and performance through the end of production in 1981.
Starting on the 1982 model year, the third-generation line produced a “20th Anniversary Commemorative Edition” for 1987 and “25th Anniversary Heritage Edition” for 1992. These were also the first Camaros with factory fuel injection, four-speed automatic transmissions, five-speed manual transmissions, four-cylinder engines, 16-inch wheels, and hatchback bodies.
It was during the third-generation that the famous IROC Camaro M was available. Production would continue through the 1992 model year.
The fourth-generation Camaro debuted for the 1993 model year in an updated F-body platform, and featured the 5.7 L (350 cid) LT1 V8 engine that had been introduced in the Corvette one year earlier, as well as an optional six-speed manual transmission.
The 1998 model year was refreshed with both exterior and engine changes. Replacing the LT1 was GM’s all-new 5.7 L (346 cid) LS1 which had been introduced with the Corvette C5. The fourth-generation line would last up through the 2002 model year, at which point the production of the F-Body platform was stopped.
The fifth-generation Camaro, announced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show as a concept car, is powered by the 400 hp LS2 V8 and equipped with the T-56 six-speed manual transmission. At the next year’s auto show, the Camaro Convertible Concept was introduced, similar to the coupe concept other than the convertible top, the Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat paint job, and a pair of dark gray racing stripe.
Camaro Cameos In Pop Culture
The Chevrolet Camaro has appeared in several films, music videos, and television series. The car has appeared in the movies Pretty Woman, At Close Range, 10 Things I Hate About You, Val Kilmer’s Heat and as a fourth-gen police interceptor driven by John Cena in the movie The Marine. sThe Camaro is confirmed to be the vehicle mode of the character Bumblebee in the much-anticipated 2007 film, Transformers.
Reviving A Classic
In August 2006, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced that they will build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro muscle car based on the award-winning concept that debuted at the earlier Detroit auto show.
The all-new Camaro will begin with early production versions at the end of 2008 and will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009.
The Camaro Convertible is expected to go into production about a year later. It will be rear wheel drive, have an independent rear suspension, be offered with both V6 and V8 engines, and have available automatic and manual transmissions.
