The USA has seen its share of list-worthy muscle cars, and the Chevy Camaro is one of those cars. The Camaro was first introduced to the public in the summer of 1966, so in honor of it’s 52nd birthday, we figured we’d share some facts about this legendary car.
Chevrolet Manufactured the First Camaro in August 1966, Camaro Facts
Chevy vs. Ford
When people think of American muscle from the 1960’s, they typically think of the Ford Mustang. But the Camaro also made its mark on this decade, although in a different way. For instance, Chevrolet kept the design of the Camaro pretty much top-secret — until it was finished and ready to be introduced to the public. Ford, on the other hand, teased its public as the Mustang was being developed. This secret design helped to give the Camaro a “surprise” launch that took the driving world by storm.
Although the Camaro didn’t outsell the Mustang, its sales in the beginning were strong enough – selling over 400,000 cars in the first two years alone – that the “Camaro vs. Mustang” rivalry helped to define Detroit in the 60’s, and helped to make the Chevy/Ford debate even stronger — and it’s still going strong to this day.
The Rise of the Muscle Car
Before the 1960’s, when people thought of sports cars, they typically pictured the smaller, European-style cars that were popular at the time. This decade changed that perception, and the Camaro played a vital role in altering the public’s views of sports cars, and the American scene in particular.
A Popular Collector’s Item
The Camaro is ranked as the third most popular collector’s car — right behind the Corvette and the Mustang. In fact, there are over a million collector’s Camaros insured in the US alone!
What’s in a Name?
When the Camaro was introduced, one of the biggest questions was about its name. People didn’t know what a “Camaro” was — and for good reason; Camaro wasn’t a real word! While some execs claimed it was a word found in an old French dictionary that meant camaraderie or friendship, the definition that eventually stuck was that a a Camaro was “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.”
And did you know? The original name for the Camaro was the Chevrolet Panther.
Everyone Needs a Second Chance
The Camaro was actually a rush job — from initial concept to production, the entire process took only about 36 months. Why so quick? Because Chevy sales were being trounced by the Ford Mustang, and the Chevy Corsair, which was intended to be the main rival for the Mustang, failed to gain traction with buyers. A new idea was needed, and thus, the Camaro was born.