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The Camaro is an important car. Without the Camaro, the Ford Mustang would have ruled the world. Besides, Bumblebee is cool. This week’s Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed video by Donut Media is about the Chevrolet Camaro, and in it, James Pumphrey, gives you the background on why the Camaro was created and how it got to where it is now.
In 1965, word was circulating that General Motors was creating a Chevrolet car to compete with the Ford Mustang, it was code-named Panther. Then in 1966, General Motors organized a multi-city telephone press conference call to announce the death of Panther and the new Camaro. The press asked what a Camaro was and Chevrolet responded: “A small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.”
The first-generation Camaro was released in 1967 and was available with multiple engine choices including a 6.5-liter V8 engine as well as multiple trim levels: RS, SS, and Z/28. The Camaro survived for three more generations until the name was discontinued in 2002.
In 2006, General Motors teased the Camaro Concept car, then again in 2007 when the hero car of the movie Transformers, Bumblebee, was based on the Camaro Concept car. The fifth generation Camaro was released in 2009 for the 2010 model year. For the four previous generations, Chevrolet was playing catch up with Ford with its Camaro, but with the fifth generation, the Camaro was ahead for the first time. The car debuted with around 100 more horsepower than the Mustang GT at the time.
Currently the Camaro is on its sixth generation, with the same trim levels of the past.
In the video Pumphrey, provides detail through the generations, such as the third generations IROC-Z, the LS-based aluminum engines everyone is swapping, and the Camaro’s love of anniversary editions.
Check out Donut Media’s video below.
