Chevrolet Camaro I (1966–1969)

Building a Mustang rival: XP-836 and the F-body

Chevrolet presented its new car to the press on 28 June 1966 under the project name XP-836; magazines had reported it before that under the code name "Panther". The styling came from a team led by Henry Haga, the same studio that had shaped the 1965 Corvair.

Underneath was the new F-body: a unitised body at the rear bolted to a separate front subframe that carried the engine and front suspension, an arrangement shared with the 1968 Chevy II Nova. The Pontiac Firebird used the same platform. Almost all US cars came from Norwood and Van Nuys, but the Camaro was also assembled in Antwerp in Belgium, Biel in Switzerland, Caracas, Lima and Manila.

There was no predecessor to improve on, so the real benchmark was the Ford Mustang, on sale since 1964. Model-year sales are usually quoted as 220,906 for 1967, 235,147 for 1968 and 243,085 for 1969. How this car fits into all six generations is explained in the Chevrolet Camaro overview.

RS, SS and Z/28: the three packages

The first Camaro was sold as a base car with a long options list, and three packages became famous:

• RS (Rally Sport): an appearance package with hidden headlamps behind the grille, revised tail lamps, RS badges and bright trim.
• SS (Super Sport): a 350 or 396 V8 with chassis upgrades and non-functional bonnet inlets. A 1967 RS/SS 396 convertible paced the Indianapolis 500, and 100 replicas were sold.
• Z/28: offered from December 1966 for SCCA Trans-Am racing, with a 302 cu in V8 of 4.0 in bore and 3.0 in stroke (101.6 x 76.2 mm), a 780 cfm Holley carburettor, Muncie four-speed, power front discs, a 12-bolt rear axle, 15-inch wheels and bonnet and boot stripes. Output was rated at 216 kW (290 hp). Production rose from 602 in 1967 to nearly 7,200 in 1968 and more than 20,000 in 1969, helped by Trans-Am titles in 1968 and 1969 for Roger Penske's team and driver Mark Donohue. The Camaro Z28 has its own page.

Year-by-year changes, 1967 to 1969

1967: the launch year, with front vent windows, the full range of sixes and V8s and the first Z/28s.

1968: the vent windows were deleted in favour of Astro Ventilation, side marker lights were added and the grille became more pointed. High-performance SS cars gained staggered rear dampers and multi-leaf rear springs.

1969: almost all-new sheet metal except the bonnet, boot lid and roof, with a new grille, door skins and rear quarter panels. Four-wheel disc brakes (RPO JL8) were added during the year, but only 206 cars got them. Because the second generation was delayed, 1969 production ran on until November 1969.

Engines and gearboxes of the 1967–69 Camaro

US power figures of the period were SAE gross ratings, which are higher than the net ratings used from 1972. kW figures are converted from the quoted hp.

The six came with a three-speed manual as standard. Options were a four-speed manual, the two-speed Powerglide automatic, the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 for most V8s from 1968 and the Turbo 400 for the SS 396. For 1969 six-cylinder cars could also have the two-speed Torque-Drive semi-automatic.

The 1969 COPO cars were special orders. About 1,000 Camaros received the L72 427, including 201 ordered by the dealer Yenko, and only 69 ZL1 cars were built.

Dimensions of the first-generation Camaro

Safety: no crash ratings for 1967–69 cars

Neither NHTSA nor the IIHS has published a crash-test rating for any 1967, 1968 or 1969 Camaro; both organisations' rating programmes came later. Ratings for later Camaros do not apply to these cars. Safety equipment of the period was basic: the 1968 update added side marker lights, power front discs were part of the Z/28 package, and four-wheel discs reached only 206 cars in 1969.

Buying a first-generation Camaro today

No reliability survey covers cars of this age, so condition and documentation decide everything.

• RS, SS and Z/28 identity: packages can be added to a base car, so ask for documentation that proves the original specification.
• COPO and Yenko cars: with only 69 ZL1s and about 1,000 L72 cars, these are prime targets for replicas; expert verification is essential.
• Year choice: the 1969 has the most distinctive styling, while the 1967 is the only year with front vent windows.
• Usable classic: a small-block V8 car with power front discs is easier to live with than a big-block COPO.

For contemporaries, see the Plymouth Barracuda and other classic cars of the 1960s.