Five things you might not know about the 1967 Chevy Camaro!

The beautiful. powerful, technologically-advanced 2021 Chevy Camaro is here at Landers Chevy of Norman, and we can't stop checking out all the advanced style and features of this incredible, next-gen muscle car. You may know this already, but the exterior styling of the 2021 Camaro is actually based pretty closely on the original, first-gen Camaro, including the long hood, low roof and very short trunk lid, as well as the "wide-hipped" rear fenders and even the slope of the rear window.

Given that, the new 2021 Camaro owes a lot to the Camaro that started it all: the original 1967 Chevy Camaro, which was introduced with great fanfare back in the fall of 1966 as Chevy's answer to the Ford Mustang. The resulting shape not only fired the public's imagination, but also kicked off the long-running "pony car wars," with hot cars like the Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, Barracuda and even now-defunct vehicles like the Pontiac GTO and American Motors AMX duking it out for boulevard supremacy.

In celebration of the arrival of the all-new 2021 Chevy Camaro at Landers Chevy of Norman, read on for five fun things you might not know about the creation and introduction of the original 1967 Camaro! And if you want to see what a glow-up Camaro has had between then and now, stop in today for a test drive of the 2021 Camaro at Landers Chevy of Norman, or shop our full selection online right now.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP OUR SELECTION OF CHEVY CAMARO MODELS

1) THE CAMARO WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO BE CALLED THE CHEVROLET PANTHER: Developed under the code name XP-836, several names were kicked around GM for the hot coupe that would eventually become known as "Camaro" before Chevy designers finally settled on the Chevrolet Panther — a play on the car's low, sleek, on-the-prowl look. After auto safety crusader Ralph Nader went after and sank the Chevy Corvair, however, higher-ups at GM decided the name was too threatening, and demanded a replacement only weeks before production began. After several false starts, Chevy General Manager Pete Estes came up with the name "Camaro."

2) "CAMARO" DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING OTHER THAN CAMARO: Unlike the Corvette, whose name refers to a small, mobile type of warship, and the Ford Mustang, which is named after the famous wild ponies of the American southwest, Camaro is actually a word that was made up, though Pete Estes — who gave the name the green light after nixing the heavily-favored name "Chaparral" —  originally told reporters "Camaro" was a seldom-used French word for "friend." In reality, it was just a word that was created by Chevy's advertising department in the mad scramble for a name after "Panther" was 86ed by the General Motors front office. Once reporters checked their French dictionaries and learned that "Camaro" wasn't in there, Estes started jokingly telling journalists that "Camaro" was the name of a ravenous beast that eats Mustangs, a nod to the Mustang vs. Camaro stoplight wars then raging.

3) A CAMARO TRUCK AND STATION WAGON MODEL WERE CONSIDERED: Ford Mustang was actually offered in three different versions, including coupe, convertible and a long-roofed fastback" model. Naturally, when engineers and designers at Chevy started considering the shape of the Camaro, they wanted a similar range of exciting models. Though only the Camaro coupe and convertible ever saw the assembly line, some of the designs they came up with were truly unique and tantalizing "what ifs," including a sleek, two-door Camaro station wagon, a pickup version with a small bed that took cues from the Chevy El Camino, and a fastback version of the Camaro with a roofline that smoothly tapered to the rear valance with a hatchback instead of a trunk lid.

4) THE CAMARO'S INTRODUCTION INCLUDED SEVERAL ATTENTION-GRABBING MEDIA STUNTS: When a hot new product is introduced today, brands try to make as big a splash with their target audience as possible. The same was true of Chevy when the Camaro debuted in September 1966. In addition to a flashy and fun introduction event for the press and public, Chevrolet went so far as to produce a half-hour documentary called "The Camaro" that aired on TV and as a short film in theaters. Seeking to grab the attention of young, music-loving Americans who were Camaro's target audience, Chevy also produced a musical stage play called "Camaro!" Performed by professional musical troupes in 25 cities all over America, the show featured a full orchestra, singers and dancers, all showcasing a new 1967 Camaro coupe and convertible parked on stage.
 
5) CAMARO'S INTRO ALSO INCLUDED A LINE OF WOMEN'S CLOTHING: Another audience Chevy particularly hoped to reach with the Camaro's fun look and surprising performance were young women. To help do that, Chevy hired then-hot fashion designer David Crystal to create "The Camaro Collection," a line of six mod-style dresses that were sold in over 400 stores across America beginning in early 1967. Everyone who purchased one of the dresses was automatically registered in a drawing to win either a Chevy Camaro coupe or convertible, the ultimate fashion accessory!

Though the original 1967 Camaro is an icon of design and horsepower, the 2021 Chevy Camaro might just be the best-ever example of the nameplate, packing the style you love from the original with the safety, performance and technology of today. Stop in today for a test drive of the all-new 2021 Chevy Camaro at Landers Chevrolet of Norman, or shop our full lineup of Chevy Camaro coupe and convertible models at our website right now!
Source: blog