Rob
08-15-06, 10:30 AM
Green Light for the Camaro Completes a Pony Car Trio
EPA/John F. Martin
By DON SHERMAN
Published: August 13, 2006
SOME would say that the spirit of the 1969 Camaro was resurrected last week when General Motors announced that Chevrolet’s sporty coupe would make its comeback in 2009. In the eyes of enthusiasts and collectors, though, the first-generation Camaro never died.
Clearly G.M. had some idea how much passion remains for that car’s classic shape and proportions, not to mention its standing as the prototypical muscle car. At the Detroit auto show in January, a Camaro design study that drew heavily on the styling of the ’69 model stole hearts and incited a groundswell of excitement; speculation that it would get a go-ahead for production had swirled around Detroit all summer.
With strong sales of the Ford Mustang, and then DaimlerChrysler’s confirmation that it would build a retro-style Dodge Challenger — also unveiled at the Detroit show — as a 2008 model, G.M. seemed to have little choice but to commit.
The public’s reaction on the auto show circuit and at publicity events — like a recent appearance at a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, Calif., with Jay Leno at the wheel — bolstered Chevy’s confidence that if it built the car, buyers would come.
Though production stopped in 2002 after 35 years and nearly 4.8 million cars, the Camaro is widely considered the everlasting muscle car. Small batches of custom Camaros built from ’69 bodies are being produced today, and at least one company is stamping complete replacement body shells for the first-generation cars of 1967-69.
Arriving late to the party — and then having to play catch-up to the Mustang — is nothing new for the Camaro. When Lee A. Iacocca unveiled the shapely and affordable Ford at the 1964 World’s Fair, G.M. executives thought that Chevy’s existing sporty models — Corvair, Chevy II, Chevelle and Corvette — would be enough to compete against the emerging class known as pony cars.
It took a crash program to deliver the Camaro and its Pontiac stablemate, the Firebird, two and a half years later. Known by the code name of Panther during the development program, the 1967 Camaro was a hodgepodge of hand-me-downs. The basic body structure was a joint effort with a forthcoming Chevy II; chassis and powertrain hardware came from parts bins in the corporation.
Though G.M.’s vice president for design, William L. Mitchell, was unhappy with the high cowl and awkward proportions forced on his department, his team rose above those obstacles to create a clean 2+2 coupe and convertible with Coke-bottle curves on its flanks. Slightly longer, lower and wider than the Mustang, the 1967 Camaro was an instant hit. More than 200,000 were sold in the first model year, accounting for more than 11 percent of Chevy’s total sales.
To compensate for the Camaro’s late arrival and mild styling, Chevy marketing heaped on the spices. Bucket seats were standard. The options menu offered seven engines; four transmissions; and two grille and headlamp configurations. Power plants ranged from a tepid 140-horsepower 6 to a thumping 375-horsepower V-8; to fight Ford on road-racing circuits, a special Z/28 edition was developed with a high-revving 5-liter V-8, conservatively rated at 290 horsepower.
Collectors covet those first-year low-volume specials. If you can find an authentic 1967 Z/28 — only 602 were made — expect to pay $30,000 to $100,000. Less distinguished Camaro coupes sell for $10,000 to $15,000; convertibles can bring about twice that.
Chevrolet wisely didn’t mess with success in the Camaro’s second year. The arrival of G.M.’s Astro Ventilation made vent windows unnecessary, so 1968 Camaros are easily identified by their full-length door glass.
Because an all-new Camaro was planned for 1970, engineering changes for the ’69 model year were modest, though most exterior panels were given a face-lift. Streamline accents flowed from the wheel openings. Fake vents appeared behind the doors. Grilles were inset and given a more prominent V-shape.
The ’69 Camaro became the all-time favorite of backyard mechanics and drag racers. As the price of used Camaros fell in the 1970’s and 1980’s, new drivers were able to buy them cheaply — and drop in a hotter engine as soon as their paychecks allowed. The high, wide engine compartment initially despised by designers gave Camaros an edge over Mustangs and other muscle cars.
Today’s collectors bypass well-used examples in pursuit of cars built in small numbers. To skirt corporate edicts that limited the horsepower of standard production models, Chevy’s performance group cooperated with selected dealers using Central Office Production Orders; the cars are known as COPO editions.
The most ambitious was Fred Gibb of LaHarpe, Ill., who ordered 50 1969 COPO Camaros built with G.M.’s most potent engine: a ZL-1 aluminum-block 427-cubic-inch V-8. But the $7,200 price for a Camaro with the ZL-1 engine caused an early form of sticker shock; Gibb sold only 13 ZL-1’s before cajoling Chevrolet to redistribute his leftovers.
The total run of 69 ZL-1’s is now seen as the Camaro’s gold standard. Ed Cunneen, president of the COPO Connection registry and keeper of scrupulous archives, said a collector recently snapped up two ZL-1’s for $1.2 million each.
Million-dollar Camaros seem preposterous until you consider how much restorers spend refurbishing more readily available models. Larry Brogdin, sales manager of Dynacorn Classic Bodies of Oxnard, Calif., said that selling replacement parts for first-generation Camaros is a multibillion-dollar global business.
To put its products where the money is, Dynacorn recently began offering freshly made 1969 Camaro coupe and convertible body shells with G.M.’s blessing. Panels stamped in Taiwan are accurately welded together in jigs. Dynacorn sells its crate bodies, complete with fenders, doors, hood, deck lid and convertible top frame for less than $20,000.
Full Article with photos... (http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r610890941)
EPA/John F. Martin
By DON SHERMAN
Published: August 13, 2006
SOME would say that the spirit of the 1969 Camaro was resurrected last week when General Motors announced that Chevrolet’s sporty coupe would make its comeback in 2009. In the eyes of enthusiasts and collectors, though, the first-generation Camaro never died.
Clearly G.M. had some idea how much passion remains for that car’s classic shape and proportions, not to mention its standing as the prototypical muscle car. At the Detroit auto show in January, a Camaro design study that drew heavily on the styling of the ’69 model stole hearts and incited a groundswell of excitement; speculation that it would get a go-ahead for production had swirled around Detroit all summer.
With strong sales of the Ford Mustang, and then DaimlerChrysler’s confirmation that it would build a retro-style Dodge Challenger — also unveiled at the Detroit show — as a 2008 model, G.M. seemed to have little choice but to commit.
The public’s reaction on the auto show circuit and at publicity events — like a recent appearance at a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, Calif., with Jay Leno at the wheel — bolstered Chevy’s confidence that if it built the car, buyers would come.
Though production stopped in 2002 after 35 years and nearly 4.8 million cars, the Camaro is widely considered the everlasting muscle car. Small batches of custom Camaros built from ’69 bodies are being produced today, and at least one company is stamping complete replacement body shells for the first-generation cars of 1967-69.
Arriving late to the party — and then having to play catch-up to the Mustang — is nothing new for the Camaro. When Lee A. Iacocca unveiled the shapely and affordable Ford at the 1964 World’s Fair, G.M. executives thought that Chevy’s existing sporty models — Corvair, Chevy II, Chevelle and Corvette — would be enough to compete against the emerging class known as pony cars.
It took a crash program to deliver the Camaro and its Pontiac stablemate, the Firebird, two and a half years later. Known by the code name of Panther during the development program, the 1967 Camaro was a hodgepodge of hand-me-downs. The basic body structure was a joint effort with a forthcoming Chevy II; chassis and powertrain hardware came from parts bins in the corporation.
Though G.M.’s vice president for design, William L. Mitchell, was unhappy with the high cowl and awkward proportions forced on his department, his team rose above those obstacles to create a clean 2+2 coupe and convertible with Coke-bottle curves on its flanks. Slightly longer, lower and wider than the Mustang, the 1967 Camaro was an instant hit. More than 200,000 were sold in the first model year, accounting for more than 11 percent of Chevy’s total sales.
To compensate for the Camaro’s late arrival and mild styling, Chevy marketing heaped on the spices. Bucket seats were standard. The options menu offered seven engines; four transmissions; and two grille and headlamp configurations. Power plants ranged from a tepid 140-horsepower 6 to a thumping 375-horsepower V-8; to fight Ford on road-racing circuits, a special Z/28 edition was developed with a high-revving 5-liter V-8, conservatively rated at 290 horsepower.
Collectors covet those first-year low-volume specials. If you can find an authentic 1967 Z/28 — only 602 were made — expect to pay $30,000 to $100,000. Less distinguished Camaro coupes sell for $10,000 to $15,000; convertibles can bring about twice that.
Chevrolet wisely didn’t mess with success in the Camaro’s second year. The arrival of G.M.’s Astro Ventilation made vent windows unnecessary, so 1968 Camaros are easily identified by their full-length door glass.
Because an all-new Camaro was planned for 1970, engineering changes for the ’69 model year were modest, though most exterior panels were given a face-lift. Streamline accents flowed from the wheel openings. Fake vents appeared behind the doors. Grilles were inset and given a more prominent V-shape.
The ’69 Camaro became the all-time favorite of backyard mechanics and drag racers. As the price of used Camaros fell in the 1970’s and 1980’s, new drivers were able to buy them cheaply — and drop in a hotter engine as soon as their paychecks allowed. The high, wide engine compartment initially despised by designers gave Camaros an edge over Mustangs and other muscle cars.
Today’s collectors bypass well-used examples in pursuit of cars built in small numbers. To skirt corporate edicts that limited the horsepower of standard production models, Chevy’s performance group cooperated with selected dealers using Central Office Production Orders; the cars are known as COPO editions.
The most ambitious was Fred Gibb of LaHarpe, Ill., who ordered 50 1969 COPO Camaros built with G.M.’s most potent engine: a ZL-1 aluminum-block 427-cubic-inch V-8. But the $7,200 price for a Camaro with the ZL-1 engine caused an early form of sticker shock; Gibb sold only 13 ZL-1’s before cajoling Chevrolet to redistribute his leftovers.
The total run of 69 ZL-1’s is now seen as the Camaro’s gold standard. Ed Cunneen, president of the COPO Connection registry and keeper of scrupulous archives, said a collector recently snapped up two ZL-1’s for $1.2 million each.
Million-dollar Camaros seem preposterous until you consider how much restorers spend refurbishing more readily available models. Larry Brogdin, sales manager of Dynacorn Classic Bodies of Oxnard, Calif., said that selling replacement parts for first-generation Camaros is a multibillion-dollar global business.
To put its products where the money is, Dynacorn recently began offering freshly made 1969 Camaro coupe and convertible body shells with G.M.’s blessing. Panels stamped in Taiwan are accurately welded together in jigs. Dynacorn sells its crate bodies, complete with fenders, doors, hood, deck lid and convertible top frame for less than $20,000.
Full Article with photos... (http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r610890941)