1967 Camaro SS

“A small, vicious animal that eats mustangs.” This was how Chevy executives defined “Camaro” at a pre-press conference in 1966. The 1967 Camaro was Chevrolet’s entry into the “pony car” category that for two years had been dominated by the Ford Mustang—which, interestingly, had been Ford’s response to Chevy’s 1961 rear-engine, sporty and compact Corvair Monza. With the Camaro’s lighter unibody design, powerful (front engine-rear wheel drive) V-8 , with room for 4 people; Chevy was ready to compete.

In 1967, the compact and sporty pony cars constituted more than 8% of all car sales in the U.S. And though the design and production phases of the Camaro were hurried to get the car to market, it was a well-received newcomer that offered something for everyone. The Camaro was available as a coupe or convertible, with 6 different engines, 3 option packages (including the famed “Rally Sport” and “Super Sport”) as well as a plethora of performance options. 1967 base price? Just under $2,500.

Chevy stepped up the game by offering the ‘67 Camaro with the V-8, 375hp L78 Corvette engine (for an additional $500) to “outhorse” Mustang’s top performance package of 320hp. The Camaro accounted for 10% of Chevy’s sales in 1967 (most of them V-8s). And perhaps coincidence, perhaps not; Mustang gave up about one-quarter of its sales from 1966 to ’67.

The iconic pony-turned-muscle car Camaro appeared in many films and television shows—such as “Car Wash,” “Bewitched,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” and “Herbie Goes Bananas,” to name a few. Granted, not many appearances capture the romance of rebuilding, driving—and racing—the ’67 Chevy Camaro as the 1985 comedy film “Better off Dead.”