1968 Chevy Camaro, American's Muscle Car

When Ford first released the Mustang, Chevy had no immediate response. However, after two years of watching the Ford mustang conquer the market, the first Chevy Camaro appeared on the market in September of 1966. However, the Camaro was not just in response to the Mustang, work began on what would become the Camaro in 1958, and the engineers at Chevy designed several proto type cars similar to the Mustang that never became reality until the Camaro. The Camaro was Chevy's first entry into the pony car market. For marketing volume, the Camaro was initially equipped with a six cylinder that was rated mediocre. The Camaro did offer the options of several V8's and had a many performance options. One unique feature of the Camaro was use of a front frame that was common in Europe but not the States; it is a technique of using rubber biscuits in combination with a uni-body construction. Some of the benefits of this design were a large interior and trunk space while offering a quieter, smoother ride.

The Camaro introduced the Z-28, which revolutionized the pony car market. The Z-28 was released quietly and unpublished and unknown by most of the buying market, it was not mentioned in any sales literature. In fact, the only way someone could get the Z-28 was to order a base Camaro with a Z-28 option, which included front brakes with power assist and the Muncie 4 speed transmission. You could not get the Z-28 in the SS package, with air conditioning, automatic transmission or in the convertible. Ordering the Z-28 option got you a 302 small block that was created from taking the 327 block and add the short stroke 283 crank. This car was specifically created to race in the Club of America Trans Am racing series, which limited the engine size to a 305. This car was sold specifically to the public for the intent of racing. The Z-28 did however prove difficult to manage on the street because of its high revving engine that was lethargic under 4000 rpm, which worked best when shifted at 7500rpm! However, one the Z-28 got some room to run it was nearly impossible to beat.

The 1968 Camaro only received minor changes from the 1967 model. The grille was more horizontal, the vent windows were deleted, and "Astro Ventilation" (flow through ventilation) was added. Side markers were added. The chrome hood inserts in the SS396 were revised while the inserts in the SS350's stayed to the original styling. Multi-leaf rear springs were added and rear shock absorbers were staggered. The SS models received new options of a 350bhp and a 396cid. The Z-28 was labeled as the MO and finally received the publicity it deserved selling 7,199 units. The Z-28's were finally recognizable to the public as they came with Z-28 or 302 markings. There were three production styles in 1967 the RS, the SS and the Z-28. The engines available were the 230, the 250, two models of the 327, two models of a 350 and three models of a 396. The Chevy Camaro SS396 took only 6.5 seconds to go from 0-60 miles per hour and in the 1/4 mile track, it could finish in 15 seconds doing 94 miles per hour.

While the Camaro was initially released as, an answer to the Ford Mustang outperformed the mustang in horsepower and performance and has proven to be an American legend. The Chevy Camaro has become a legend for American collectors and will continue to be sought after for many years to come. The Camaro is destined to continue to be an American icon.

By: Robert - LemonFree.com

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Robert has been covering the Automotive Market for many years. From New cars to used cars, Cars to Trucks. One of his all time favorite cars is the Camaro - find a 68 camaro today!