When Chevrolet unveiled the 2016 Camaro in Detroit on May 16, it did more than just call the automotive media in for a look-see and a bite to eat. Instead, it staged a mini celebration of its long-lived “ponycar.”
Chevrolet also invited Camaro enthusiasts from the U.S. and Canada to the reveal of the 6th-generation car. They turned up with more than 300 Camaros of all vintages, examples of everything from loving restorations to hypermodified cars with wild paint jobs and pumped-up performance. Participants started their day on the city’s Belle Isle Park by parading on the racing circuit laid out for the IndyCar-series Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix before setting up a show of row upon row of Camaros. (Those who craved a little more excitement signed up for high-volume hot-lap ride-alongs with professional drivers wheeling 2015 Z28s.)
In a further salute to the car’s history, Chevy put together a “Camaro Museum” stocked with significant vehicles from throughout the nameplate’s years on the market.
Of course, the Camaro story started with the 1967 model year as Chevrolet’s answer to the Ford Mustang and Plymouth Barracuda, and it kept the same basic form through 1969 before ushering in an all-new design. Following is a gallery of some of the 1st-generation cars seen at the event, beginning appropriately enough with Camaro number 1.
Power Play: Camaro Engines Through The Years
First Generation Camaros
Test Drive: Chevrolet Camaro 1LE V6
Many of the invited owners who came to the event made a good showing of late-’60s Camaros, too.
Chevrolet Camaro Z/28: A History in Photographs
Shifting Rivalry: Camaro and Mustang to Share 10-Speed Transmission
First Generation Camaros
First Generation Camaros
