1967 Camaro

Chevrolet's “Panther” project reached showrooms on September 26, 1966 as a 1967 model. When a journalist asked general manager Pete Estes what a Camaro was, he answered that it was “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs” — a line that became the car's unofficial motto.

The Z/28 was almost invisible in 1967: only 602 built, not even advertised as “Z/28,” its DZ 302 engine existing only to make the car legal for SCCA Trans-Am.

Engines

• 230/250 cu in inline-6 (140/155 hp)
• 327 V8 (210–275 hp)
• 350 V8 (295 hp, SS)
• 396 big block (up to 375 hp)
• DZ 302 (Z/28, rated 290 hp — widely believed underrated)

Identification

• Fisher Body cowl tag on the firewall next to the brake booster
• 1967-only: RPO option codes stamped on the cowl tag
• Paint codes alphabetic (numeric from 1969)
• RS = hidden headlights behind a unique grille

Open questions