And in the beginning there was only 1
The Camaro is a product of the Chevrolet Motor Division of GM (General Motors), and it first came out on September 29, 1966. The Camaro was made to compete with competitor Ford and its new release, the Mustang. The Camaro shares the makeup with the Pontiac Firebird, which was also introduced around the same time. Camaro advertising was broadcast on the radio and targeted the younger generation. The name Camaro is said to have no real meaning, but some GM researchers later found Camaro in a French dictionary to mean “friend” or “companion.” When he hit the ground, he asked himself the question “What is a Camaro?”, the answer was “A vicious little animal that eats Mustangs”.
In the first generation there were differences
In 1967, the debut Camaro had three major packages available. The RS was based solely on appearance and included hidden headlamps, exterior trim and RS badging. The SS had a 350 V-8 engine. During this time period, this was the only car to offer a 350 engine until 1968. The SS also came with non-functional air intakes that were on the hood, special stripes, and SS badging. It was possible to buy the RS and SS packages. The Z/28 was nowhere to be seen, so most customers didn’t know about it. The Z/28 option required electric front disc brakes and a 4-speed transmission. It featured a 302 small block V-8 engine, the engine had been designed specifically to compete in the Trans Am series. Only 602 of the Z/28 were sold through 1967.
a bigger junior
In 1970 the next generation of the Camaro was launched. It differed from the original version by a larger and wider styling which made it a heavier car. In 1982 the next generation Camaro came out. This generation was the first to have fuel injection, 4-speed automatic transmissions, and also a 5-speed manual transmission. It also came with 16″ wheels and hatchback bodies.
Into the future we go
When January 9, 2006 rolled around, word spread of a new generation for the Camaro. The North American International Auto Show is where GM showed off the 2006 Camaro Concept. The 2006 Camaro was powered by a 400HP LS2 V-8 engine. GM also unveiled its new 2007 Camaro at the same location a year later. On August 10, 2006, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Waggoner said that plans for an all-new Camaro were in the works and anticipated production would begin in late 2008.