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48 Amazing Chevy Camaro Facts

Camaro facts 1st camaro

The first generation Camaro was largely based on the Chevy II Nova.

Camaro facts stations wagon 1

Pre-production, GM considered producing a station wagon version of the Camaro.

GM called the Camaro “The Panther” while in development. In fact, the Camaro was very close to being called the Panther.

Camaro facts badge

Despite folklore about the name, Camaro is not the French word for “friend”. The French word for “friend” is “ami.” The word “Camaro” means absolutely nothing.

GM’s press conference to announce the now-famous Camaro name was one of the largest scale teleconferences of the time.

The first Camaro was born on September 29th, 1966.

Eight different engine options were available for the Camaro’s debut generation:

  • 230 (3.8 L)
  • 250 (4.1 L)
  • 302 (4.9 L)
  • 307 (5.0 L)
  • 327 (5.4 L)
  • 350 (5.7 L)
  • 396 (6.5 L)
  • 427 (7.0 L)

220,906 Camaros were built in 1967.

1967 Camaros had 13” wheels.

It was the Camaro that introduced the world to the wildly popular Chevy 350.

Between the RS, SS, and Z/28 packages, original Camaro buyers had 80 different factory options to choose from.

Camaro facts yenko

Chevy dealership owner Don Yenko started modifying the Camaro SS in 1967. He wanted bigger engines, upgraded suspensions, and upgraded axles. Yenko used a Central Office Production Order - and his own dealership service staff - to build the first COPO Camaros.

READ: Check Out This Modded '68 Camaro That Runs On Pump Gas!

Camaro facts copo

The COPO Camaro was an off-the-menu build that nearly doubled the cost of the car.

READ: A Brief History Of The COPO Camaro

The Z/28 moniker came from a special performance package with a 302 engine. The order code sounded "bitchin'", so it was turned into a trim level.

The first 50 ZL1s were delivered with an undersized carburetor that caused it to miss performance marks.

Camaro facts Tim Allen

Celebrity Tim Allen owns a pristine 1968 Camaro 427 COPO.

The 1969 model was the top-selling Camaro for the 10 years to follow.

Camaro facts station wagon 2

The idea of a Camaro station wagon was introduced again in the 70s.

Camaro facts 2nd gen

GM drew inspiration for the 2nd generation Camaro from the classic Ferrari.

During the 1970s, fuel shortages and emissions laws nearly killed the Camaro. GM had to downsize engines, thus tanking performance.

In 1974, the Z/28 only accounted for 9.4% of all Camaro sales.

Camaro facts bumpers

Federal regulations forced a redesign to include massive aluminum bumpers.

As hard as it is to imagine today, Chevy dropped the 'Z/28' performance package in 1975. It returned as a handling package in 1977.

Camaro facts iroc

The International Race of Champions used only Camaros from 1975 to 1989. This is where the IROC-Z came from.

The 2nd generation Camaro was produced for 11 years, making it the longest Camaro production run.

From 1993 to 2002, the Camaro was made exclusively in Canada.

The SS Camaro returned in 1996 after being off the radar since 1972.

Camaro facts 98

1998 marked the first appearance of an LS engine in the Camaro, an engine first used by C5 Corvettes.

The F platform was used by the Camaro from 1967 to 2002. Camaros from these years are referred to as "F-bodies."

Since 2004, no car other than the Camaro or Corvette has paced in the Indianapolis 500.

Camaro facts pace car

The Camaro has the second most Indianapolis 500 pace car runs at eight times.

GM broke hearts when it snuffed the Camaro in 2002 but realized its mistake and brought it back in 2010.

Camaro facts 5th gen

The 5th generation ditched the F platform and opted for a Zeta platform instead.

Holden, a GM subsidiary company, originally developed the Zeta platform.

The 2010 Camaro was recorded as having an 18-hour assembly time per car.

Camaro facts nm camaro

Neiman Marcus had a special edition Camaro that sold out in three minutes in 2011. These models had a special Bordeaux red paint job with ghost stripes and cost $75,000.

Camaro facts bumblebee

The 2010 Bumblebee (the one that appeared in Transformers) was built on a Pontiac GTO chassis.

Speaking of Camaro movie stars, the Camaro has appeared in well over 2,500 movies and shows.

The rear 1/4 panel on the 5th generation Camaro is the largest ever produced by GM.

Camaro facts zl1

Modern ZL1 Camaro engines have 125 more horsepower than the ones used in 1969.

The 2015 ZL1 Camaro is the quickest Camaro yet with a 3.9 sec 0-60mph and 184mph top speed.

Camaro facts copo 2

GM brought back the COPO in 2011, debuting as a 2012 model at the SEMA show. Only 69 COPOs have been produced each year since 2012.

Z/28s were absent during the initial return of the Camaro but came back in 2014.

Camaro facts new z28

The relaunched Z/28s marked some of the highest-priced Camaros made.

5th generation Z/28 engineers were particularly obsessed with weight saving, going as far as reducing the window weight by 400 grams.

Camaro facts copo camaro

5th generation Z/28s have been seen on patrol for the Dubai police force.

Read: Want To Buy A New Chevy Police Vehicle? Here Are Your Options.

There are over 5,000 welds making up the 2010 Camaro SS construction.

Camaro facts 2016

The first Camaro with a four-cylinder engine in 30 years is the 2016 LT.