Chevrolet Camaro (first generation) (1967–1969)

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Chevrolet's answer to the Mustang — a rushed counterpunch that became an icon in its own right.

Ford's Mustang caught General Motors flat-footed, and the first Camaro was the hurried reply. Built on a new platform shared with the Pontiac Firebird and launched for 1967, it matched the Mustang's pony-car formula: a long hood, short deck, and a huge menu of engines, from a mild straight-six to fire-breathing V8s, wrapped in coupe or convertible bodies.

What lifted it from imitation to icon were the hot versions. The SS brought big-block muscle, while the Z/28 — created to go Trans-Am racing — used a high-revving 302 V8 and proper brakes and suspension, and it remains one of the most collectible American cars of the era. More than 220,000 sold in that first year alone.

The Mustang started the pony-car war, but the Camaro made sure it became a real fight — one that has never entirely stopped.

Written and fact-checked for every.autos · every claim checked against the sources below · 2026-07

Sources (2)

Background

The first-generation Chevrolet Camaro is an American pony car introduced by Chevrolet in the fall of 1966 for the 1967 model year. It used a brand-new rear-wheel-drive GM F-body platform and was available as a 2-door, 2+2 seat, hardtop, and convertible. The F-body was shared with the Pontiac Firebird for all generations. A 230 cu in Chevrolet straight-6 was standard, with several Chevy V8s available as options. The first-generation Camaro was built through the 1969 model year.

Text adapted from “Chevrolet Camaro (first generation)” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07

Production years

1967 1968 1969

Sources

Wikipedia ↗Wikidata ↗ WIKIDATA confidence: high