Chevy Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a popular pony car made in North America by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors. It was introduced on 29 September, 1966 — the start of the 1967 model year — as a competitor to the Ford Mustang. The car shared the same platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced in 1967. Four distinct generations of the car were produced before production ended in 2002. A new Camaro will roll off assembly lines for 2009.
Origin
The Camaro was initially advertised on Top 40 AM radio stations of the day in an attempt to woo the young adult market. Although it was technically a compact car (by the standards of the time), Camaro, soon joined the Mustang with a pony car designation. It may also be classified as an intermediate touring car, a sports car, or a muscle car.
Though the car's name was contrived with no meaning, GM researchers reportedly found the word in a French dictionary as a slang term for "friend" or "companion." In some automotive periodicals before official release, it was code-named "Panther," however, the project designation for the Camaro was XP-836 and some early GM photos show the final Camaro body labeled "Chaparral."[citation needed] Automotive press asked Chevrolet product managers "What is a Camaro?", and were told it was "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs". The name conveniently fit Chevrolet's "C" naming structure that included Corvair, Chevelle, Chevy II, and Corvette.
First generation
The first-generation Chevrolet Camaro debuted for the 1967 model year on an all brand new rear-wheel drive GM F-body platform and would be available as a 2-doors, 2+2 seating, coupé or convertible with a choice of inline-6 and V8 powerplants. The first-gen Camaro would last up through the 1969 model year.
Second generation
Introduced to market in February of 1970, the second-generation Chevrolet Camaro would be in production for a total of 12 years. The car grew somewhat larger and wider with the new styling; this resulted in a heavier car as well.[3] Still based on the F-body platform, the new Camaro was engineered much like its predecessor in that it still used a unibody structure with a front subframe, leaf springs in the back and A-arms up front for suspension. The car would see major changes in both styling and performance as time progressed from the introduction through the end of second-generation production in 1981.
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