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1994 Camaro

The convertible returns to the fourth gen

The first fourth-generation convertible, now an uncommon car.

Edited by Bill Pierce. Reviewed October 2026.

Bright Red 1994 Camaro convertible, top down, front three-quarter
1994 Camaro convertible Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For the fourth generation's first full year the convertible returned, and Chevrolet built 125,244 Camaros: 76,531 base coupes, 36,008 Z28 coupes, 2,328 base convertibles and 4,932 Z28 convertibles.

The Z28's LT1 stayed at 275 hp. Chevrolet's January 1994 order guide made the Borg-Warner T56 six-speed the Z28's standard gearbox at no charge and priced the four-speed automatic at $750 and T-tops at $695. The 1LE suspension package (oil cooler, larger stabilizer bars, stiffer shocks and bushings, "intended for serious performance enthusiasts only") cost $310 and could not be ordered with T-tops or the power seat. The fourth generation has the full LT1-to-LS1 engine story.

Red 1994 Camaro convertible with top down
Red 1994 Camaro convertible with top down, side profile and rear view from the left, parked on a town street Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Original photograph License

Did you know

  • The Camaro's LT1 was not simply the Corvette's engine: GM's own 1994 engine sheet rates the same 5.7-liter at 300 hp and 340 lb-ft in the Corvette, 275 hp and 325 lb-ft in the Camaro, and 260 hp in the Caprice (330 lb-ft) and Cadillac Fleetwood (335 lb-ft). Only the Camaro and Corvette got aluminum heads, the Camaro's torque peak came at 2,000 rpm against 3,600 in the Corvette, and every one was built in Flint, Michigan.
  • For 1994 the Z28's LT1 changed from multi-port to sequential fuel injection and the four-speed automatic became the electronically controlled 4L60-E, according to Chevrolet's own model histories; the 1993 dealer sheet still lists the engine with “Multi-Port Fuel Injection.”
  • Chevrolet expected a red, black and white year for 1994: Bright Red 29 percent, Black 26, Arctic White 17 and Medium Patriot Red Metallic 11. The two new colors, Bright Teal Metallic and Polo Green Metallic, missed that list, yet Polo Green went on to be one of the generation's most common colors, with 50,091 built across 1994–97 by one paint tally.
  • GM's 1994 engine book bragged that the LT1 started within six-tenths of a second at 20 degrees below zero, and pointed out that its gear-driven water pump kept coolant flowing even if the accessory belt broke.

Production

The table lists five production figures for 1994. It opens with Total production, 125,244, followed by Base coupe (76,531), Z28 coupe (36,008), Base convertible (2,328) and Z28 convertible (4,932).

Record Count Note
Total production 125,244 The commonly cited total. The four body-style counts (76,531 base coupes, 36,008 Z28 coupes, 2,328 base convertibles and 4,932 Z28 convertibles) sum to 119,799, the figure in a Car and Driver–sourced sales table; the 5,445-car gap has no stated reason
Base coupe 76,531
Z28 coupe 36,008
Base convertible 2,328
Z28 convertible 4,932
Dark grey 1994 Camaro Z28 coupe
Dark grey 1994 Camaro Z28 coupe, front three-quarter view, on wet grass at an outdoor auction Photo: Pokemonprime, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Original photograph License

Engines

The 1994 table lists two engines: the 3.4 L V6 (L32) and the 5.7 L LT1 V8. The highest power rating shown is 275 hp, for the 5.7 L LT1 V8.

Code Engine Power Torque Note
S 3.4 L V6 (L32) 160 hp at 4,600 rpm 200 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm Standard; SAE J1349 net ratings, MVMA sheet issued September 1993
P 5.7 L LT1 V8 275 hp at 5,000 rpm 325 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm Z28; SAE J1349 net ratings, MVMA sheet issued September 1993

Options, packages and special editions

The 1994 list has two options, packages and special editions. Of these, 1 shows how many were built.

Code Description Built Note
Z28 Z28 — LT1 V8 —
— Convertible 7,260 2,328 base and 4,932 Z28

Exterior colors

This table has nine exterior colors for 1994, each with its paint code. They include Black, Medium Quasar Blue Metallic and Dark Green-Gray Metallic.

Code Color Note
41 Black Anticipated 26 % of 1994 sales
80 Medium Quasar Blue Metallic
18 Dark Green-Gray Metallic
48 Polo Green Metallic New for 1994
91 Purple Pearl Metallic
81 Bright Red Anticipated 29 % of sales
71 Medium Patriot Red Metallic Anticipated 11 % of sales
37 Bright Teal Metallic New for 1994
10 Arctic White Anticipated 17 % of sales; white wheels available (40P)

Interior trim

This table has four interior trims for 1994, each with its trim code.

These four cloth trim codes follow Chevrolet's 1994 order guide revised January 10, 1994, with separate Camaro and Z28 coupe/convertible charts. Flame Red describes the seat inserts and door fabric; the remaining interior pieces are Graphite. The chart lists cloth buckets; no additional leather choice is inferred from the later 1995 table. These are dated ordering-chart codes, not a physical-tag crosswalk or individual-car authentication. Convertible-top codes and the complete paint/wheel/interior matrix are not reproduced here.

Code Trim Note
CBB2 Graphite cloth bucket
CEE2 Medium Beige cloth bucket
CQQ2 Medium Gray cloth bucket
CRR2 Flame Red cloth bucket Red seat inserts and door fabric on Graphite; Black, Bright Red and Arctic White exteriors only

Specifications

This table gives seven specifications for 1994, among them wheelbase (101.1 in) and overall length (193.2 in).

Item Value Note
Wheelbase 101.1 in
Overall length 193.2 in
Overall width 74.1 in
Overall height 51.3 in coupe / 52.0 in convertible
Track, front / rear 60.7 / 60.6 in
Wheels 16-inch steel with bolt-on covers standard; 16-inch cast aluminum optional and standard on Z28
Brakes V6: front discs / rear drums with ABS; Z28: four-wheel discs with ABS July 1993 US brochure for the 1994 model year, PDF p. 20.

Identification

What to check on a 1994 Camaro: VIN and convertible.

Item What to look for Note
VIN 2G1 … body 22 coupe / 32 convertible, position 8 engine code, position 10 = R, position 11 = 2 Plant 2 is Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec
Convertible Lined power top and heated glass rear window First fourth-generation convertible

Decode a specific car with the VIN decoder and the engine and drivetrain stamp decoder.

Why it matters

The reborn Camaro's first full production year, and the one that showed 1993's low total was only a late start.

The Drop-Top Comes Home

The convertible had not been gone since 1969. It returned in 1987 as an ASC-converted third-generation option, with 1,007 built that first year as 20th Anniversary Commemorative Editions, and stayed through 1992. Only the fourth generation's short 1993 launch year went without one. What 1994 brought was the first fourth-generation convertible, built on the same Sainte-Thérèse line as the coupe. Its all-power, fully lined top came with a glass rear window and defogger, and Chevrolet's dealer sheet made a point that, unlike the previous top, the deck lid could now open fully. A hard three-piece tonneau cover finished the package. Volumes were modest next to the coupe, and the base convertible's 2,328 cars make it uncommon today. The drop-top stayed in the lineup until the generation ended in 2002.

Two kinds of buyer

Chevrolet's 1994 dealer guide said the new car had brought in "a new generation of buyers." It described two groups. New prospects were import-minded singles and young married couples, predominantly college graduates, with an average household income of $66,000, who shopped on styling, quality, price and safety. Traditional Camaro buyers were committed domestic loyalists, blue-collar and "new collar" workers earning about $50,000, mostly under 35. The base car appealed to young singles and to women. The Z28 drew older blue-collar men looking for a muscle car with a high-performance image.

Red 1994 Camaro coupe with black hood stripes
Red 1994 Camaro coupe with black hood stripes, front three-quarter view, in a church parking lot Photo: OzThePyroKing, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Original photograph License

The competition ran from the Mustang LX, Dodge Daytona, Pontiac Grand Am and Saturn Coupe to the Honda Prelude, Nissan 240SX, Toyota Celica and Acura Integra. For the Z28 it meant the Firebird Trans Am and Formula, Mustang GT, Dodge Stealth, Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX. Dealers were told to stock coupes with the second option group of power locks, express-down windows, electric mirrors and a leather-wrapped wheel. Including destination, the coupe listed at $13,989, the convertible at $19,235, the Z28 at $17,489 and the Z28 convertible at $22,565.

Sources