The first-generation Chevrolet Camaro debuted for the 1967 model year.
Chevrolet introduced the Camaro as its answer to the Ford Mustang’s success in the growing pony-car market. The first-generation car was built from 1967 through 1969 on General Motors’ rear-wheel-drive F-body platform, which it shared with the Pontiac Firebird.
Although it is often described as a 1967 Camaro, the car was actually unveiled and sold before the calendar year began. Chevrolet previewed it to the press in September 1966, publicly introduced it on September 26, and began dealership sales on September 29, 1966, as a 1967 model.
The debut Camaro’s standard engine was a 230-cubic-inch Turbo-Thrift inline-six, not a V8. Buyers could choose from several optional V8s, while performance packages such as the SS and Z/28 gave the car stronger engines and upgraded equipment. The Z/28 arrived during the 1967 model year with a high-revving 302-cubic-inch V8 designed around Trans-Am racing rules.