Model year · Second Generation
1974 Camaro
The big-bumper year
Federal 5-mph bumper law reshapes the Camaro's face — the split bumper is gone.
New federal rules requiring bumpers to protect the car's lighting in 5-mph impacts forced a restyle: a large aluminum “shovel nose” up front, wraparound taillights, and ~7 inches of added length. The bumper mass added 200+ lb right as the fuel crisis made weight and economy matter most.
Engines
- Inline-6 and small-block V8s (Z28 continues)
Identification
- Shovel-nose front bumper — no split-bumper RS
- Wraparound taillights
Open questions
Still unresolved:
- No 1974-specific trim breakdown built