Chevrolet Camaro (and its sister "F-car," the Pontiac Firebird) was hardly an original notion — it was a blatant GM rip-off of the Ford Mustang. But just because it's stolen doesn't mean it's a bad idea.

Trivia to keep in mind: Every engine in every Camaro ever built by GM was of pushrod-actuated valve design. There's never been an overhead cam engine in a factory Camaro.

First Generation (1967-1970)
 

1967 Camaro ss

1967 Camaro

Buyers could opt for a larger 250-inch version of the six making 155 horsepower, a 210-horsepower 327-cubic-inch small-block V8 fed by a two-barrel carb, that same V8 with a four-barrel carb and a higher compression ratio was rated at 275 horsepower, or two versions of the 396-cubic-inch big-block V8 making either 325 or 375 horsepower. Those engines could be lashed to a series of wide- or short-ratio three- or four-speed manual transmissions, or one of two automatics: the slushy two-speed Powerglide or outstanding three-speed Turbobydramatic.

The Rally Sport (RS) appearance package brought deluxe interior trim and hidden headlights with it, and the high-performance Super Sport (SS) package had its own distinct decoration (including a domed hood with simulated vents, "bumble bee" stripes encircling the nose and the iconic SS badges), a heavy-duty suspension and larger D70-series tires on 14-inch wheels. Beyond that, the SS-350 model also offered a new 350-cubic-inch small-block V8 rated at 295 horsepower — Chevy's first 350. The Rally Sport and Super Sport packages could also be ordered together to form the most lavishly equipped Camaro of them all, the RS/SS. And it was an RS/SS convertible powered by a 396 that Chevy provided as pace car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500.

Almost outside the regular Camaro line was the race-oriented Z/28. Introduced in December 1966, the Z/28 was powered by a special high-compression 302-cubic-inch V8 whose displacement was achieved by matching the short-stroke crank of the 283-cubic-inch version with the big-bore block of the 327. Rated at 290 horsepower and built to rev, the radical powerplant was matched to a more aggressive suspension.

How did the first Camaro perform? Car Life magazine's test of an SS-350 had it completing the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds at 89 mph while Motor Trend reported that its SS-350 did the same trick in 15.4 seconds at 90 mph.

Thanks to "Astro Ventilation," General Motors eliminated the side vent wing windows on the 1968 Camaro and also added federally mandated side marker lights and a revised base grille). Mechanically, the most significant change was the adoption of staggered rear shocks (one in front of the rear axle, one behind) to counteract wheel hop under hard acceleration.

While the 1969 Camaro's structure and mechanical elements were virtually unchanged from the '68 model, new fenders, door skins, rear quarter-panels, grille and taillights gave the car a wider, lower appearance. A redesigned dash and more comfortable seats made it more livable, too. But it was the staggering array of available performance equipment that marks 1969 as the greatest model year for Camaros.

On the yawn side, a new low-performance 200-horsepower 307-cubic-inch small-block (a 327 crank in a 283 block) supplemented the low-performance 327 and a new 255-horsepower 350 replaced the better-performing 327. On the yeow side, Chevy produced its second Camaro Indianapolis 500 pace car and offered replicas of the white RS/SS convertible with orange stripes and orange houndstooth upholstery to the public (the actual pace car was powered by a 396, but most of the replicas had 350s). In addition, two radical Camaros were produced in extremely limited numbers under special Central Office Production Orders (COPO) 9560 and 9561.

The COPO 9561 was a basic Camaro sport coupe stuffed with 427 cubic inches of all-iron big-block making 425 horsepower. Most of the 1,015 COPO 9561s were delivered to Pennsylvania's Yenko Chevrolet for conversion into that dealership's signature Camaro. Even rarer was the COPO 9560 featuring the legendary all-aluminum ZL-1 427 also rated at 425 horsepower. Only 69 of the ZL-1s were built, and because of their rarity, tremendous output and relatively low weight, they are today considered the quickest and most valuable Camaros ever built.

Sales of the 1969 models extended into the winter of 1969 and early 1970; some of these lingering '69s may have been titled as 1970 models, leading to some confusion.

Second Generation (1970½-1981)

Though it didn't make it to market until February of 1970, the second-generation 1970½ Camaro would be in production 12 years. The second-generation Camaro's styling was inspired by Ferrari and was also bigger, heavier and no longer available as a convertible. And as the 1970s progressed, it would grow less powerful, succumbing to the pressures of tightening emissions regulations and a fuel crisis.

Still based on the Nova, the new Camaro was engineered much like its predecessor in that it still used a unibody structure with a front subframe, leaf springs in the back and A-arms up front for suspension. Those A-arms were freshly designed and the steering gear moved from the back to the front of the front axle, but otherwise the basic mechanical pieces were familiar.

Also familiar were most of the engines. The 155-horsepower 250-cubic-inch six was now the Camaro's base engine, followed by the who-cares 200-horsepower 307, the lowliest of V8 offerings. A 250-horsepower two-barrel 350 effectively replaced the 327. Order the SS package and the 350 earned a four-barrel carb and additional compression to reach 300 horsepower. Moreover, SS buyers could pay even more and get a 350- or 375-horsepower 396 big-block V8.

As before, the Camaro was offered with Rally Sport or Super Sport equipment or both. The Rally Sport package featured a unique front-end appearance with a split front bumper and a center grille cavity encircled in rubber. The SS again had heavier-duty suspension and the "SS" logos.


While the 1995 Z28 received only minor changes (all-season tires and traction control were now available), the base Camaro added GM's "3800" 200-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 as an option. The 3800 was both significantly more powerful and refined than the 3400, and by 1996 would become the only V6 in Camaros.

With the adoption of the 3800 as standard power, the least powerful 1996 Camaro still had more power than the most powerful 1984 Camaro. Somewhat in celebration, the RS name reappeared on the V6 coupe as a spoiler and ground effects package. Meanwhile on the Z28 side, the V8's output jumped to 285 horsepower and SLP Engineering brought back the SS name by adding engine tweaks and 17-inch five-spoke wheels wrapped with P245/40ZR17 BFGoodrich Comp T/A tires. The SS, with its 305 horsepower rating was the first factory Camaro to break the 300 horsepower barrier since 1971, and the first of any year using net ratings.

To celebrate the Camaro's 30th anniversary, Chevy introduced a specially optioned white Z28 with orange stripes and orange houndstooth upholstery (evocative of the '69 Camaro pace car) for 1997. Otherwise, there were new "tri-color" taillamps for all models, and SLP produced an extremely limited run (106 cars) of 330-horsepower Corvette LT4 5.7-liter V8-powered Camaro Z28 SS models.

The fourth-generation Camaro's first (and only) extensive visual update came for 1998 with a new front fascia design. But the real news lay behind that face where the C5 Corvette's new-age all-aluminum small-block LS-1 V8 took up residence in the Z28. The 5.7-liter LS-1 was the first all-aluminum engine offered in a Camaro since the '69 ZL-1 and carried a thrilling 305-horsepower rating (base Camaros kept the 200-horsepower 3800 V6). GM took over production of the SS itself this year, as well, with the ram-air induction system boosting the LS-1 to 320 horsepower.

Except for electronic throttle control on V6 models, a new oil life monitor and a Torsen limited-slip differential, the 1999 Camaros were indistinguishable from the '98 models. In turn, the 2000 Camaros were pretty much the same as the '99s, except for radio controls integrated into the steering wheel, body-color sideview mirrors, some new interior fabrics and an optional 12-disc CD changer.

By 2001, it was obvious that the Camaro's days were numbered, and the only changes to the car were restyled 16-inch wheels, a new paint color and the unchanged LS-1's output rating to 310 horsepower in the Z28.

Grimly, the Camaro soldiered on into 2002. For the Camaro's last year in production, changes were, understandably, minimal. Z28s got a new power steering cooler, the sound systems were revised and V6 convertibles got the automatic transmission standard, but that's about it.

Chevrolet did celebrate the car's 35th year, however, with a special graphics package for the Z28 SS coupe and convertible. The flamboyant stripes and logos of the 35th Anniversary package were attractive in their own idiomatic way, but it was hardly the glorious send-off for which Camaro enthusiasts had hoped.

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