1967 Chevrolet Camaro: The muscular monster

A pronounced sporty silhouette with a long hood, a short trunk, and a cabin shifted back. Whether “Companion” or “Mustang-eating monster,” the Camaro was one of the fastest, most stylish, and most muscular vehicles of the 60s.

Source: AutoEvolution

Those were the turbulent years when a new automobile class emerged, pioneered with the iconic Mustang. 2 years later, GM launched its pony car Camaro. Like other “Detroit monsters” of the second half of the sixties, it became the true personification of its era – terrible and beautiful. The anti-war procession raged. The youth revolted in full, smoked marijuana, and listened to Jim Morrison. Camaro, in general, perfectly embodied the era: its target audience lived one day, and rushed into the future with a fantastic roar, leaving behind black marks from burnt tires. The Camaro was the dream of newly licensed youngsters and soldiers in the hellish jungles of Vietnam, where sometimes the most vivid memory of home was the thunderous roar of this iron monster.

The origins

Source: Classic Auto Mall

The automobile was first shown in September 1966 but appeared on sale as a 1967 model-year automobile. General Motors believed in their extensive and powerful muscle cars with the Super Sport package before the advent of the Mustang. However, the resounding success of the Ford pony car (over 100,000 Mustangs were sold in three months) sowed panic in GM. It became clear that a new “Pony era” was coming, and GM risked being left behind. So, the development of a new vehicle, codenamed XP-836, quickly began. Chevrolet CEO Pete Estes and GM Styling studio head Bill Mitchell led the project. However, the automobile owed its success to chief engineer Don McPherson, exterior designer Henry Hage, and interior designer George Engersbach. Exclusively for the Camaro and also for the Pontiac Firebird, a new F-body platform was developed. It included a separate front subframe for the engine and transmission, connected to the main body via rubber mounts to minimize noise and vibration. It was produced at factories in Norwood (Ohio) and Van Nuys (California) and at assembly plants in Belgium, Switzerland, Venezuela, Peru, and the Philippines. Although its clear superiority compared to the Mustang, Chevrolet’s new pony car failed to achieve even half of the sales volume of a competitive model.

The 1967 model year

Source: Barrett-Jackson

The model’s first generation (1967-1969) was remarkable not only for its unique design. It was revolutionary because the company offered various engine opportunities of different sizes and power, including body and interior modifications for every taste and pocket. The automobile was equipped with V6 and V8 engines, with a volume of 3.6 to 7.0 liters. Six-cylinder engines had only two varieties: one with a volume of 3.6 liters and 140 hp, and the other with a  3.9 liters volume and 155 hp. There were many more varieties of eight-cylinder engines: a 5.1-liter engine with 210 hp, a 5.1-liter carburetor with four chambers and a power of 275 hp, and a 5.5-liter engine with 295 hp, a 6.2-liter with 325 or 375 hp. The latter was for Super Sport modifications, and the most powerful in this set was a 7-liter engine with a capacity of 425 hp. This engine was installed by special order and only on the most advanced Camaro Z-28 model, produced in Super Sport and Rally Sport varieties. The interior of the vehicle was modern and stylish: power windows, vinyl roof (for a coupe), tinted windows, an independent heater, air conditioning, rear window heating, cruise control, a radio or stereo tape recorder, front seats with headrests or a solid sofa made the model a real road star.

Did you know?

Source: SoulAuto

The 1967 Camaro Z/28, compared with other basic configurations, received a heavy-duty front/ rear suspension and reinforced brakes because it was created specifically for racing.

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