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Chevrolet sports car celebrates 28 years by sticking to its muscle-car roots

OVERDRIVE

OVER THE years, cars have changed dramatically. In fact, some cars — for better or worse —- have changed so much that they no longer cater to the same kind of buyers. -

The Chevrolet Camaro, howev- er, doesn’t belong to this “tran- sient” group of cars. While the Camaro has received countless modifications and design changes over the past three decades, it has always maintained its original her- ilage, character, and image.

The Camaro was, is, and'will always be, a fust, fun, sleek American sports car with enough punches to out-accelerate all but the few competitors. So when did this legendary sports car first arrive?

It all started when the car was introduced on Sept. 26, 1966 — a few years after Ford intraduced the highly successful Mustang sports car. .

The Chevy Camaro and its twin counterpart, the Pontiac Firebird, were both brought out by GM to Steal sales away from the Mustang and to take full advantage of the booming muscle-car cra.

Like today’s Camaro, the 1967 version was available as a sports "coupe and a convertible model. The

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THE CAMARO was, is, and will always be, a fast, fun, sleek American sports car.

first Camaros were attractively priced at about $3,000.

The base °67 Camaro featured a six-cylinder engine, vinyl front bucket seats, energy-absorbing steering column, and padded instru- ment panel — nothing to get too excited about.

Check off the $S350 perfor- mance option, however, and the Camaro suddenly turns downright:- nasty with a 295-horsepower, 5.7- litre (350-cubic-inch) V-8 engine, heavy-duty suspension, and “bum- ble bee™ striping around the front nose.

Halfway through the model » year, even more powerful versions became available: the $5396 model and the king-of-the-Camaro 228. The limited production Z28 was tauted as “the closest thing to a ‘Vette,” and boasted a high-output 4.9-litre (302-cubic-inch) V-8 engine, 4-speed manual transmis- sion, and bold rally stripes.

The Camaro received a complete make-over for 1970, becoming rounder and sleeker in the process.

Though the convertible model

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was dropped, the Camiuro sports coupe was still offered in many dil- ferent variations including the RS, $8350, $8396, and Z28 models.

As before, the Z28 model was the choice for the performance purists, lts high power, 5.7-litre V-8 engine -—~ dubbed the LT-i — pumped out staggering 360 horses, amere 10 horsepower fess than Chevrolet’s flagship Corvette sports

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Thanks to the oil crisis of the early °70s, however, Chevrolet was forced to drop the gas-heavy Z28 designation in 1974 — but not for long.

The Camuaro’s ever-increasing sales figures prompted Chevy to bring back the 228 for a mid-1977 introductio 1. and the Camaro fans went crazy once.more,

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“ICH put butterflies in your stomach, a lump in your throat, and asinile on your face,” said the Z28 advertisement in 1978.

Not to be outpaced by fast-mov- ing competilors, Chevrolet brought out the all-new third generation Camaro in 1982, complete with aggressive new looks, sharp stance, aircratt-inspired cockpit, and highly improved chassis.

With an available high output V- S engine, the new 228 captured many enthusiasts” hearts, and brought new meaning to the word “fun-to-drive."

{In LORS, the still-populir Z28 became available with the hot IROC option, which was introduced to commemorate the International Race of Champions racing Se

Two years later, the convertible model returned after [8 years of absence. and quickly became the most desirable Camaro to own — at least in rain-free cities.

The Camaro reached its 25th birthday in the 1992 model year, and Chevy made available a special edition Heritage Appearance Package. With bold stripes and body-colored grill and wheels, the 25th Anniversary model harked back to the ‘60s muscle car Camaro.

Despite the fact that engincers implemented numerous changes to

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