The first Chevrolet Camaro produced leaves a General Motors assembly plant in Norwood, Ohio, on Aug. 11, 1966.
The 1967 Camaro coupe, GM’s answer to the low-priced and sporty Ford Mustang, reportedly was named just weeks before production started. For months, the automotive press and some GM executives had referred to the car as the Panther.
Chevrolet General Manager Pete Estes, when publicly announcing the name, reportedly quipped, "I went into a closet, shut the door and came out with the name."
Camaro is French for comrade, pal or chum. A few weeks later, GM also began assembling the Camaro in Van Nuys, Calif.
When it went on sale on Sept. 21, 1966, the ’67 Camaro sported a base price of $2,466 for a six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission.
More than 80 options, including a V-8 engine, SS-350 package, and RS package, among others, were available, which boosted the price of some Camaros to more than $3,500.
