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Car Tales: The Horse-eating Chevrolet Camaro!

‘What’s in a name?
‘Something I frequently ask myself, especially when questioning the convoluted origins of the monikers of many vintage automobiles.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS for sale
‘For example, that of the Chevrolet Camaro. Initially known as the ‘XP-836’, the car’s working-title soon became the ‘Panther’ or ‘F-body.’

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‘The Camaro was a sporty coupe and convertible based on the Chevy Nova platform, but with some powerful engine options including a 396 cubic inch V8 making up to 375bhp.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS side view
‘Approached by Chevrolet’s marketing team with a highly sophisticated, tongue-in-cheek flair on the edge of Madmen genius, GM seriously worked up the pre-publicity for the September 29 1966 premiere of the 1967 model.
‘This was a serious endeavor to create an American icon car – what would become a legendary muscle car – and would rival the Ford Mustang which had been rampantly successful since its launch in 1964.
‘When the Camaro name was finally revealed, Chevrolet’s representatives inevitably were asked what a Camaro was. The response laid out the game plan: ‘a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.’
‘Then there was a somewhat pedantic explanation of the origins of the name. In The Complete Book of Camaro: Every Model Since 1967 it was explained that with great diligence Chevrolet merchandising manager Bob Lund and General Motors vice president Ed Rollett had been going through a pre-WW2 edition of Heath’s French & English Dictionary.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS rear view
‘There they allegedly came across the word ‘camaro’, a slang term meaning ‘friend, pal or comrade.’ ‘Camaro’ would presumably therefore be a corruption of the French ‘camarade’, meaning comrade.
‘Finally agreed upon and sanctified by then General Manager Elliot M. ‘Pete’ Estes, later to become President of General Motors, Estes declared: ‘Chevrolet has chosen a name which is lithe and graceful….in keeping with our other car names beginning with “C.” It suggests comradeship of good friends, as a personal car should be to its owner.’
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS interior
‘In line with The Beverly Hills Car Club‘s maxim of comradeship with its clients, we are currently presenting an iconic 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS that is finished in its factory color, a 2-tone color scheme of Butternut Yellow and Black (Y2) with a black interior.
‘This American classic comes equipped with an automatic transmission, V8 engine, power steering, air conditioning, solid wheels with redline Firestone tires, and a jack. In addition to all the equipment, this vehicle comes with a period-correct 327 engine that is out of the car on the side. It is an excellent clean and presentable weekend driver that is mechanically sound.
‘The ‘RS’ designation on the Camaro we presently have stands of course for Rally Sport, an appearance package for the first and second generation Camaros. Electronically controlled headlight covers, upgraded rear lights, and assorted trim were all included in the RS package.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS engine
‘The Camaro was extremely buyer-friendly; it could be modified to almost anybody’s taste: there were roughly 80 factory choices and 40 dealer upgrades.
‘The first Chevrolet Camaro was priced from $2,800 to $3,500, depending on features, and was an immediate hit, with 220,906 models sold in 1967 – over 121,000 of those units were the base model. Unsurprisingly: it was a fabulous car. ‘Our SS-350 test car really surprised us,’ wrote Motortrend’s assistant editor Sten Kelly at the time of his chance to check out the then brand new Camaro. ‘Quarter-mile times were exceptionally good, especially considering the over 3500-pound weight with two passengers plus test equipment aboard. We’ve tested comparably equipped cars that were considerably slower. Some finesse with the gas pedal was needed to get the SS-350 off to a good start. High-rpm runs produced excessive wheelspin and slow times. Coming out of the hole with the tach needle running just below 3000 rpm and then stabbing it produced the best times in the acceleration runs.’
‘Classified as a ‘Pony Car’, whose popularity was largely due to the Ford Mustang’s 1964 launch, the Chevrolet Camaro tipped the requisite boxes, affordable and aimed at youthful buyers. Like other ‘Ponies’, the meaty-looking motor had rear-wheel drive and was a sporty compact car with a long hood and plenty of add-on options. (The Camaro ultimately shared some components with the Pontiac Firebird, another General Motors vehicle that premiered in 1967.)
‘So how did the Chevy Camaro fare in its attack on the Ford Mustang market? Very well indeed, it seems. The 1966 Mustang had been an outstanding achievement, with over 607,000 cars sold. But after the 1967 Camaro emerged, Mustang sales declined to around 472,000 units. By 1968 the number of Ford’s Mustangs sold had plummeted to around 317,000.
‘Quite a result. And quite a name.
-Alex Manos, Owner
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Buyer Alex Manos

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