1979 is the best-selling model year in Camaro history, a record never broken by any later generation. It's also the year the Berlinetta name arrived, replacing the Type LT as the plush trim with aluminum wheels, dual pinstriping and cloth buckets. The Berlinetta actually outsold the (also record-setting) Z28 in its debut year.
The powertrain and identification notes below preserve configuration and model-year boundaries rather than treating every 1979 Camaro alike. Ratings use the measurement convention of their period, and visual cues are only a starting point: the VIN, factory labels, drivetrain identifiers, and surviving documentation should agree.