Pete Estes

Estes became Chevrolet Division general manager in 1965 and publicly introduced the Camaro. At the June 28, 1966 naming press conference he joked that everyone present was a charter member of the “Society for the Elimination of Panthers from the Automotive World” — a jab at the car's code name — before revealing “Camaro.”

When product managers were asked what a Camaro was, the answer became the car's enduring motto: “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.”

Key beats

• Introduced the production Camaro
• The “SEPAW” naming-conference joke
• Associated with the “eats Mustangs” line