While engineers and designers feverishly worked overtime developing a four-passenger sports car they called the F-car, Chevy’s public relations, marketing and publicity team prepared the world for the unveiling of a car they called the Panther. .
Throughout the summer of 1965, virtually every aspect of the vehicle’s design and development, from preliminary design sketches to clay models, was photographed and carefully documented. Chevy used the assets to create a 30-minute movie The Camaro, which was later shown on television and in movie theaters. They also introduced women’s clothing called the Camaro Collection and even a Camaro road racing game.
In November, Chevy sales executives and creative people previewed prototype models at the GM Technology Center. Campbell-Ewald, Chevy’s venerable advertising agency, immediately began working on catalogs, direct mail, and sales promotional materials, along with print, outdoor, and radio/television advertising. In April 1966, at the New York Auto Show press conference, Chevrolet sales executives admitted that no name had been chosen for the new vehicle, but announced that the 1967 model would be priced in the Corvair range. -Chevy II.
In early 1966, Chevy struggled with a name for its Mustang-killer. GM’s top management was nervous about the aggressive connotations of the Panther name. A similar attack of cold would see Pontiac’s version, codenamed Banshee, renamed Firebird. During its short lifespan, the F car went by many names, including Wildcat, Chaparral, Commander, and Nova. It is also rumored that Chevy considered using the letters “GM” in the name and came up with the G-Mini, which evolved into the GeMini and eventually the Gemini. However, GM’s top management vetoed the idea, fearing the car would be a flop.
Legend has it that someone at Chevrolet finally came up with the Camaro name and top management quickly agreed. Although the name has no real meaning, GM researchers found the word in a French dictionary as a slang term for “friend” or “partner.” Ford Motor Company researchers are rumored to have uncovered other definitions as well, including “a shrimp-like creature” and an arcane term for “loose intestines.”
With several pre-release materials already released under the Panther name, Chevy’s most pressing challenge now was to rebrand its killer new Mustang, the Camaro.
On June 21, 1966, about 200 automotive journalists received a telegram from General Motors that read: “Please be available at noon June 28 for an important press conference. I hope you can be available to help scratch a cat. Los details will follow.” The mysterious telegram was signed, John L. Cutter – Chevrolet Public Relations – SEPAW Secretary. The next day, journalists received another mysterious telegram that read: “The Society for the Eradication of Panthers from the Automotive World will hold its first and last meeting on June 28.” Once again, the telegram was signed, John L. Cutter – Chevrolet Public Relations – SEPAW Secretary.
Finally, on June 28, 1966, General Motors held a live press conference at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Detroit. It was the first time in history that 14 cities connected in real time for a press conference through telephone lines. Elliot M. “Pete” Estes, who replaced “Bunkie” Knudsen as Chevrolet General Manager in July 1965, began the press conference by stating that all participants were now founding members of the Society for the Elimination of Panthers from the Automotive World. (SEPAW). Estes confidently announced that Camaro was chosen as the name of Chevy’s new four-passenger sports car to honor the tradition of beginning Chevy model names with the letter C, such as Corvette, Corvair, Chevelle and Chevy II. Most auto industry insiders agreed that it was a ridiculous statement, given that the Chevy Impala was then the best-selling car in the world. Estes then explained that the Camaro name “derives from a French word meaning comrade or friend and suggests the camaraderie of good friends as a personal automobile should be for its owner.” The automotive legend also tells that, after the press conference, when a member of the automotive press asked, “what is a Camaro?” a Chevrolet product manager was quick to respond by saying, “a ferocious little animal that eats Mustangs.”
Shortly after the press conference, editors from major magazines were invited to the GM Proving Grounds for a hands-on driving experience, meet-and-greets with professional drivers and information sessions on all aspects of the Camaro. Dealers first saw the Camaro in August at the Chevrolet Sales Convention in Detroit. The LIFE magazine teaser ads appeared in early September. On September 25, the first Camaro advertisements appeared in national newspapers. On September 28, 1966, Chevrolet launched an unprecedented publicity blitz consisting of newspaper, magazine, radio, television, outdoor, and television advertising.
The first Chevy Camaro television commercial can still be seen on YouTube. It features a white Camaro RS/SS with the distinctive bumblebee nose band emerging from a volcano. The voiceover proudly introduces “Chevrolet’s hot new Camaro…something you’ve never seen before.”
Just before the official launch date of June 29, a press kit containing photos, specifications and stories was sent to newspapers and magazines across the country. More than 100 members of the press were invited to participate in a gymkhana driving competition at the GM Proving Grounds. The same type of event was held a week later in Los Angeles. A group of editors were also selected to drive the top-rated Camaro RS/SS models from Detroit to their home cities so they could publish “I Drove It Myself” featured articles in their local newspapers. Finally, on September 29, 1966, the Chevrolet Camaro was released to the public.
Mustang’s two-and-a-half-year head start on the market did little to dampen America’s enthusiasm to see the new Camaro. Chevy dealerships across the country were packed with curious and willing buyers. Dealers were given special window trim, urged to tint their windows and extend showroom hours. Long lines formed to get even a glimpse of the new vehicle. Those waiting in line were also more than willing to debate the merits of the yet-to-be-seen Mustang and Camaro. It is rumored that local police were often called in to help control crowds.
Once inside dealerships in most metropolitan areas, buyers received not one but three Camaro models. Chevy went to great lengths to supply its largest dealers with a base sport coupe, a Camaro RS, and a Camaro SS convertible. The tactic was an extension of the creative approach used in Chevy’s national ads that featured all three Camaro models under one tagline: “How much Camaro you want depends on how much of a driver you want to be.”
The sticker price of $2,466 for a base Camaro coupe and $2,704 for a base convertible was fully competitive with Ford’s price of its 1967 Mustang models, which was $2,461 for the standard coupe, $2,692 for a standard fastback, and $2,898 for a standard convertible.
Taking a page from Mustang’s success in gaining added options and accessories, the Camaro can be ordered with nearly 80 factory options and 40 dealer accessories. Buyers can also opt for a larger 250-inch version of the standard inline-six, a choice of 327-cubic-inch small-block V8s fed by either a two- or four-barrel carburetor, and two versions of the 396. Cubic Inch Big Block V8. To prevent the new Camaro from taking sales away from the Corvette, a corporate edict prohibited equipping it with engines over 400 cid. Transmission options included a four-speed manual, a two-speed “Powerglide” and, in late 1967, the new three-speed “Turbo Hydra-Matic 350”.
The first 1967 Camaro built at the Norwood, Ohio plant had a VIN ending N100001; the first one built at the Van Nuys, California plant had a VIN ending L100001. The 1967 Camaro was the only model year to have its VIN tag mounted on the door hinge pillar. VIN tags on later models were moved so they were visible through the windshield. 1967 was the only model year to feature side vent windows. 1968 saw the introduction of a fresh air intake system called Astro Ventilation. The bumblebee nose stripe included in the SS package also became available as a separate option in March 1968.
As factory-fresh Camaros rolled off assembly lines in Norwood and Van Nuys, the Chevy team worked just as hard to keep Camaros in the public eye. Camaro, in fact, was chosen as the Official Auto Pace Car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500. A white Camaro RS convertible with a 396 V8 engine, not normally available for that package, and a distinctive bumblebee blue stripe around it. from the front, he strolled across the field. . More than 100 special reproductions of the pace car were also produced as promotional vehicles for Chevy dealers across the country.
A total of 41,100 new Camaros were registered in calendar year 1966 and an additional 204,862 in 1967. Ford, on the other hand, sold almost half a million Mustangs in 1967. Still, the battle lines were drawn. Chevy knew he had a winner and came up with a bold strategy. If they couldn’t beat Mustang in the showroom, at least they would on the track. And while GM wasn’t officially interested in racing, that didn’t stop Chevrolet engineers from developing the Z/28, one of the most powerful and powerful performance packages of all time. But that is another story.