The Mustang Eater: Chevy Camaro From Then to Now

Before it officially came out on September 29, 1966, the Chevy Camaro was code-named 'The Panther,' and was slated to become a competitor to the Ford Mustang. A press conference was pulled together, and General Motors showed the world what would soon be the most iconic muscle car made in America: The Chevrolet Camaro, or Project XP-836. When asked what 'Camaro' meant, Chevrolet responded it was a "small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs." The real origin of the name actually helms from the word 'comrade,' and specifically, the word Camaro is of French-English Creole origin.

First Generation

The first generation of Camaros lasted from 1966(7) to 1969. They came as two-door coupes or convertibles, with two + two seats. These bad boys boasted rear wheel drive with a choice of seven different sized V8 engines to power the front. There was a Super Sport and Rally Sport design to pick from, and, in 1967, the Z-28 was introduced with stripes down the hood and a 302 cubic inch V8 engine to fit to melt asphalt.