The History Of The Camaro
by Renee Flowers
1986 Camaro IROC
And in the beginning there was only 1
The Camaro is a product from Chevrolet Motor Division of GM(General Motors), and was first brought into the lime light September 29th 1966. The Camaro was made to compete with the competitor Ford and their new release the Mustang. The Camaro shares the make up as the Pontiac Firebird, which was also introduced around the same time. Advertisement for the Camaro was over the radio and was directed toward the younger generation. The name Camaro is said to have no real meaning but some GM researchers later found Camaro in a French dictionary means "friend" or "companion". When it hit the floor the question was asked "What is a Camaro?", the response was "A small vicious animal that eats Mustangs."
In the first generation there were differences
In 1967 the debut Camaro had three main packages available. The RS was based solely on appearance and included hidden headlights, exterior rocker trim, and RS badging. The SS had a 350, V-8 engine. During this time frame this was the only car that offered a 350 engine until 1968. The SS also came with non functional air inlets that were on the hood, special striping, and SS badging. It was possible to buy both the RS and the SS packages. The Z/28 was not out in the open so most customers didn't know about it. The Z/28 option required power front disc brakes, and a 4 speed transmission. It featured a 302 small block V-8 engine, the engine had been specifically designed to race in the Trans Am series. Only 602 of the Z/28 were sold throughout 1967.
A bigger junior
In 1970 the next generation of the Camaro was released. It differed from the original version with a wider and larger style which made it a heavier car. In 1982 the next generation of 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 9th, 2006 rolled around the word of a new generation for the Camaro was spread. At the North American International Auto Show is where GM showed the 2006 Camaro Concept. The 2006 Camaro was powered by a 400HP LS2 V-8 engine. GM also unveiled their new 2007 Camaro at the same place a year later. On August 10th, 2006 GM Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner said that plans for a all new Camaro muscle car were in the works and were to begin early production at the end of 2008.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Renee_Flowers Feb. 19, 2007
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