https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtGK89X3g2U
Yeah, we might have jumped the gun a bit on fifty actual years, as internet memes continuously remind us that there weren’t any model year Camaros (or Firebirds) from 2003-2009. We get it, and General Motors had plenty of reasons for doing so. At least they didn’t go the way of Ford with the Mustang II when times got tough, but we digress.
The Camaro has such a storied history in both motorsport and street racing (whoops, we let that slip didn’t we?) that even with the seven model year hiatus, the legacy and sheer badassery simply makes up for it. The year 2017 marks a significant milestone for Camaro, it Chevrolet celebrates the fiftieth year since the first Camaro rolled off of the assembly line.
Codenamed the Panther for several months, the Chevy Team ultimately decided upon Camaro for the car’s monicker, both keeping in tune wit their “C” named vehicles and using it as a play on the French would meaning, buddy or pal. At least that’s what they say, but a quick Google search these days would prove otherwise. Whatever.
In a recent video unveiled just before the 2016 SEMA Show, Chevrolet cooked up this little video and produced a collage for the show, reflecting on some of the noteworthy highlights throughout the car’s history, for each of the six generations.
Camaro Chief Engineer, Al Oppenheiser, breaks it down for us with each generation and provides his own insight on what makes each car special. Happy 50th Birthday, Camaro!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
