30th Anniversary, and 106 LT4 cars
Arctic White and Hugger Orange for the 30th, and 106 LT4 cars from SLP.
A 30th Anniversary package marked the Camaro's birthday in Arctic White with Hugger Orange stripes, a nod to the 1969 pace-car scheme. Chevrolet built 4,533, at a $575 premium over the Z28 or SS they were ordered on.
Inside that total, SLP completed 106 30th Anniversary SS cars with the 330 hp LT4, the same high-output small block as the 1996 Corvette Grand Sport. They are among the rarest fourth-generation Camaros. Production for the year was 54,972.
One production figure is listed for 1997: Total production, 54,972.
| Record | Count |
|---|---|
| Total production | 54,972 |
The 1997 table lists four engines: the 3.8 L V6 (L36), two versions of the 5.7 L LT1 V8 and the 5.7 L LT4 V8. The highest power rating shown is 330 hp, for the 5.7 L LT4 V8.
| Code | Engine | Power | Torque | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 3.8 L V6 (L36) | 200 hp at 5,200 rpm | 225 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm | Standard; F-car rating |
| P | 5.7 L LT1 V8 | 285 hp at 5,000 rpm | 335 lb-ft at 2,400 rpm; 325 lb-ft at 2,400 rpm | Z28; MVMA lists 335 lb-ft, GM Powertrain lists 325 lb-ft; factory sheets disagree |
| P | 5.7 L LT1 V8 | — | — | SS (SLP); conversion output is separate from the ordinary Z28 rating |
| — | 5.7 L LT4 V8 | 330 hp | — | 106 SLP 30th Anniversary SS cars |
The 1997 list has nine options, packages and special editions. Of these, 1 shows a price and 2 show how many were built.
| Code | Description | Price | Built | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z4C | 30th Anniversary Edition — Arctic White monochromatic exterior with orange stripes, white 5-spoke aluminum wheels, embroidered emblems on mats and headrests | $575 | 4,533 | Requires 1SJ group and QFZ or QLC tires |
| — | 30th Anniversary SS with LT4 (SLP) | — | 106 | 100 US, 6 Canada |
| MN6 | 6-speed manual transmission | — | — | Z28 base; includes performance axle |
| MX0 | 4-speed automatic, electronically controlled | — | — | |
| QFZ | Tires, P245/50ZR16 all-season performance | — | — | Z28 |
| QLC | Tires, P245/50ZR16 performance | — | — | Z28 |
| N98 | 16-inch chrome aluminum wheels | — | — | Z28 |
| AR9 | Leather seating surfaces | — | — | Dark Gray or Neutral; not with 1SG on Z28 |
| GU5 | 3.23 axle | — | — | Z28 automatic |
This table has 10 exterior colors for 1997, each with its paint code. They include Black, Medium Quasar Blue Metallic and Bright Green Metallic.
| Code | Color | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 41U | Black | |
| 80U | Medium Quasar Blue Metallic | |
| 31U | Bright Green Metallic | |
| 48U | Polo Green Metallic | |
| 88U | Bright Purple Metallic | |
| 81U | Bright Red | |
| 96U | Cayenne Red Metallic | |
| 13U | Sebring Silver Metallic | |
| 79U | Mystic Teal Metallic | |
| 10U | Arctic White | Only color with Z4C 30th Anniversary |
This table has eight interior trims for 1997, each with its trim code.
The material/color codes follow Chevrolet's 1997 order guide revised August 19, 1996, with AR9 listed as the seat option. Dark Gray uses 14B/142 and Medium Gray cloth uses 92B; the prior year's Graphite/Medium Gray code assignments do not carry forward. The regular six entries and two Z4C anniversary entries are separate chart groups. Z4C is charted on Z28 coupe/convertible with Arctic White exterior; the convertible chart lists an Arctic White top. The 1SG leather exclusion belongs to the non-Z4C Z28 coupe chart. Leather seating surfaces do not mean every interior surface is leather. These are dated ordering entries, not a physical-tag crosswalk or vehicle authentication; later changes and the complete paint/top/interior matrix are not inferred.
| Code | Trim | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 14B | Dark Gray cloth bucket | |
| 142 | Dark Gray leather seating surface bucket | The non-Z4C Z28 coupe chart excludes leather with the 1SG package. |
| 52B | Neutral cloth bucket | |
| 522 | Neutral leather seating surface bucket | The non-Z4C Z28 coupe chart excludes leather with the 1SG package. |
| 92B | Medium Gray cloth bucket | |
| 73B | Flame Red cloth bucket | Red door trim and seat inserts only, with Graphite accents; charted with Black, Bright Red, Sebring Silver Metallic or Arctic White. |
| 10C | Arctic White cloth bucket with houndstooth inserts | Z4C 30th Anniversary on Z28 coupe/convertible; charted with 10U Arctic White exterior. The convertible chart specifies 10T Arctic White top. |
| 103 | Arctic White leather seating surface bucket | Z4C 30th Anniversary on Z28 coupe/convertible; charted with 10U Arctic White exterior. The convertible chart specifies 10T Arctic White top. |
This table gives three specifications for 1997, among them wheelbase (101.1 in) and overall length (193.2 in).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 101.1 in |
| Overall length | 193.2 in |
| Overall width | 74.1 in |
What to check on a 1997 Camaro: VIN and 30th Anniversary.
| Item | What to look for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| VIN | 2G1 … body 22 coupe / 32 convertible, position 8 engine code, position 10 = V, position 11 = 2 | Plant 2 is Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec |
| 30th Anniversary | Arctic White with Hugger Orange stripes and matching interior | Color alone does not authenticate |
Decode a specific car with the VIN decoder and the engine and drivetrain stamp decoder.
The LT1 era's last year ended with its rarest cars, the 106 LT4 SS conversions.
The biggest change for 1997 was inside. The instrument panel, floor console, seat contours and fabrics were all new, and every Camaro seat carried a 30th Anniversary headrest emblem. Dark Gray replaced Graphite as an interior color. Outside, new tri-color taillamps appeared, and Bright Green Metallic and Bright Purple Metallic replaced Dark Purple and Bright Teal.
Automatic daytime running lamps became standard, with automatic control that switched on the headlamps and other exterior lamps after dark. A new family of radios included a 200-watt Delco/Audyssey system and a remote 12-disc CD changer. Ownership costs came down too. The coolant was rated for 100,000 miles or five years, platinum-tip plugs for up to 100,000 miles, and a new battery-rundown protection feature switched off interior lights left on.
The RS, introduced in mid-1996, was now a full-year coupe and convertible trim above the base car, and Chevrolet's featured colors for it were the two new metallics. Every non-Z28 Camaro used the 3800 V6, rated at 200 hp and 225 lb-ft. Automatic V6 cars had a second-gear start switch for slippery roads. The optional Performance Handling Package for V6 cars added four-wheel disc brakes, a dual-outlet exhaust, a sport steering ratio and, with the automatic, a 3.42 axle.
The Z28's 5.7-liter LT1 was rated at 285 hp at 5,000 rpm, with a six-speed manual available. The MVMA table gives 335 lb-ft at 2,400 rpm, while GM Powertrain's F-car sheet gives 325 lb-ft at the same speed; the two factory records disagree. Those ordinary Z28 figures do not establish the separate SLP SS conversion's output. Acceleration Slip Regulation traction control was optional. So was a Z28 performance package that Chevrolet said was "intended for serious performance enthusiasts only." It brought a special handling suspension with larger stabilizer bars, stiffer springs, adjustable shocks and firmer bushings, and it could not be ordered with a power seat or T-tops.
The 30th Anniversary package (RPO Z4C) was offered only on the Z28. It had an Arctic White exterior with white emblems and door handles, Hugger Orange stripes over the hood, roof and hatch, and white five-spoke wheels, with chrome optional. Convertibles got a white top. Inside, the seats were Arctic White with black-and-white houndstooth inserts, or all-white leather, and 30th Anniversary emblems were embroidered on the floor mats and headrests. It required the top option group, P245/50ZR16 tires and a power driver's seat.
Chevrolet's dealer guide described the Camaro as "a sophisticated sports car that you can trust to be fun, sleek and can realistically own," and warned that price sensitivity would be an issue. It told dealers to sell T-tops as a low-cost alternative to rivals' convertibles, pointing out that the Mustang did not even offer a sunroof. The Camaro Coupe was up against the Mustang, Probe, Eagle Talon and Mitsubishi Eclipse, Celica and Prelude. The Z28 faced the Mustang GT, the performance Eclipse and Talon, the Mitsubishi 3000GT, the Celica GT and GTS, the Supra and the Nissan 300ZX.
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