All new 21st Century Camaro has everything right
1967: A legend is born.
Chevrolet couldn't let the challenge of the Mustang go unanswered, Not with Ford's pony car selling over a million copies in the car's first 18 months. So, inspired by the Mustang’s smash introduction in the spring of 1964, Chevrolet executives began plotting their answer. A crash program led to a September 1966 introduction of the Camaro. Like the Mustang, which was based on the lowly Falcon economy car, Camaros were based on Chevrolet’s Nova compact. And, like the Mustang, the Camaro offered a bewildering list of options. Multiple engine choices, trim packages and models meant the car could be tailored to anyone’s taste. Reflecting its birth in the muscle car era, the Camaro quickly grew into a fire-breathing performance car--as did its fraternal twin, Pontiac’s legendary Firebird. Styling tweaks and performance options that debuted for 1969 made this vintage the generally agreed all-time classic year for Camaros.
1970: Generation two offers striking new, Ferrari-influenced styling
Camaro generation two roared out of Detroit in February 1970. Lower, wider, with an egg crate grill straight off a Ferrari, the sleek new Bill Mitchell styling electrified the automotive world. The car’s design was so right, it stayed in production until 1982. Emissions regulations and a fuel crisis robbed this iteration of its power (the highest powered V8 in 1976 managed just 165 H.P.) but this was an era when even Corvettes became anemic.
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1982: Third generation Camaro arrives with a hatchback (1983 shown)
The third generation Camaro debuted in 1982. The first all-new model since 1967 had a fresh body, suspension, engine choices and transmissions. Well received by the automotive press, this was also the first hatchback Camaro and the first to offer five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions.
1993: Fourth generation is much improved but the world soon moves on
Camaro’s fourth generation arrived in 1992. A fresh new body design brought excitement, as did new front suspension and rack and pinion steering. But times were changing. Insurance rates, a loss of interest in sport coupes and the growing popularity of sport utility vehicles led to a deterioration in sales and the Camaro was put to sleep in 2002.
But like that biblical injunction that “one must die in order to really live,” GM has raised the legendary Camaro from the dead for 2010. The fifth generation roars back triumphantly as by far the best Camaro ever. Boasting styling that’s a masterful updating of the 1969 classic, the new car has 21st century engineering, powerful motors and boasts a highway rating of 29 m.p.g. The V-6 offers 304 H.P.—way more than many V-8s of Camaro’s past. And the V-8 pumps out a muscular 426 horses while still achieving an amazing 25 m.p.g. highway. Though GM is struggling for its life, the new Camaro offers proof that this company can do things very right when it’s truly inspired.
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