Chevy Camaro turns 50 today
While not quite the runaway success of the first Ford Mustang, the debut 1967-model Camaro certainly generated a following, with the first sale followed by 220,905 more for the 1967 model year.
Following a (northern hemisphere) summer of events - that included rallies and tours of the Camaro assembly plant at Lansing Grand River in Michigan - celebrating six generations of Camaro and combined sales of more than five million, Chevrolet is keeping the celebrations going and marking the official birth date of their pony car with the release of an interactive timeline and retrospective video - which is viewable at: CamaroFifty.com
The interactive timeline uses what Chevrolet describes as a one-of-a-kind 11-by-60-foot (3.35m x 18.28m) mural created by Chevrolet, its advertising agency Commonwealth//McCann and design collective ILOVEDUST, to allow users to explore artwork of each Camaro generation, uncover special photos and facts from the Camaro's history and its evolution over the course of five decades.
"Through the course of its iconic 50-year history, Camaro has been a reflection of the times, forging in passionate influences from customers, development teams and racing technology," said Tom Peters, director of exterior design, Chevrolet Performance Cars.
"What has remained consistent is the beautifully simple and powerful sculpture that has stayed instantly recognizable to our customers and enthusiasts of all ages. I have the same passion today as when I saw a Camaro for the very first time. It just makes you smile!"
The retrospective video celebrates all six generations and chronicles the connection between Camaro's design and performance and the enthusiasts who owned them.
"Camaro fans share a lot of creative passion for the car — passion for performance and for styling — that was passed along in every generation," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. "Camaro's 50th birthday reminds us of Chevy's history of ingenuity and design excellence. We want to honor our past by creating more exhilarating and stunning Camaros year after year, and that's what we plan to do."
Visitors to CamaroFifty.com will also be able to enjoy highlights from the Camaro 50th Anniversary Celebration, which included the aforementioned car show, tours at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant and a rally of approximately 300 Camaros this past August that concluded at the Woodward Dream Cruise.
The video will also show the special, 2017 '50th Anniversary Edition' Camaro coupe and convertible that were both announced late last year.
