The Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in North America by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors at the start of the 1967 model year as competition for the Ford Mustang. Chevrolet Camaro advertising would first be found on AM top-40 stations of the day – stations which appealed to young adults. Although it was technically a compact car (by the standards of the time), the Chevrolet Camaro, like the entire class of Ford Mustang competitors, was soon known as a pony car. It may also be classified as an intermediate touring car, a sports car, or a muscle car. The car shared the same platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced in 1967. Production of both cars ceased in 2002 with only the Chevrolet Camaro going back into production with the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.
Though the car’s name was contrived with no meaning, GM researchers reportedly found the word in a French dictionary as a slang term for “friend” or “companion.” In some automotive periodicals before official release, it was code-named “Panther.” Historical examples exist of Chevrolet product managers being asked by the automotive press “what is a Camaro?”, with the tongue-in-cheek answer being “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs,” a sideways reference to the competing Ford Mustang.
The Camaro was the flagship for Chevrolet, and was for many years one of its most popular models. If its frequent inclusion in automotive enthusiast magazines is any indication, the Chevy Camaro is one of the most popular cars for modification in automotive history.
1975
The Z28 option was dropped for the 1975 and 1976 models, and power continued to decline drastically. Two 350 in³ (5.7 L) V8s produced 145 hp (108 kW) and 155 hp (116 kW) (power ratings were now net as opposed to the prior gross ratings. Net power ratings were taken from the engine crankshaft as before, but now all accessories had to be attached and operating, and all emissions equipment and a full production exhaust system had to be in place. These power-robbing additions — along with stringent new emissions laws — were instrumental in creating the vastly smaller power figures found in subsequent cars). A new wraparound rear window was introduced for 1975.
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