The Chevrolet RPO code for the first-generation Camaro’s 302-powered road-racing package was Z28.
Chevrolet introduced the Z/28 option in December 1966 for the 1967 model year. Its 302-cubic-inch small-block V8 was created specifically to fit the SCCA Trans-Am Series’ five-liter engine limit. Chevrolet combined a 327 block with a short-stroke crankshaft, producing a high-revving engine suited to road racing.
The package included a close-ratio four-speed manual transmission, heavy-duty suspension, power front disc brakes, a 12-bolt rear axle, 15-inch wheels, and distinctive hood-and-trunk stripes. Chevrolet advertised the engine at 290 horsepower, a deliberately conservative figure that helped keep the official output below one horsepower per cubic inch.
The name came directly from Chevrolet’s Regular Production Option system: RPO Z28 designated the Special Performance Package. ZL1, L88, and LS6 were other Chevrolet performance codes, but none identified this first-generation Camaro package. The slash was styling; the underlying option code was Z28.