In the 1960s, a fever for fast and powerful cars began to spread in the United States. People wanted bigger engines and better performance. Car companies listened to their fan base, and the muscle car was born. Pontiac set trends with the GTO, Ford competed with the Mustang, and Chevrolet responded with the infamous Camaro.
The first model of the Camaro debuted in the year 1966 for the 1967-1969 generation. The Camaro name started with Chevrolet merchandising manager Bob Lund and GM Vice President Ed Rollett. It is a term they found in a French-English dictionary and believed it to be fitting. Camaro is a slang word that means "comrade."
The Camaro entered the muscle car game later than its competitors. A Chevrolet representative received a question asking what the Camaro was as it was being released. The official replied with, “It is a small, vicious animal that eats mustangs.” Ford dominated the pony car market, and Chevrolet had big plans to change that. As great as the original Camaro is, General Motors wanted it to be better. This need for perfection forged a path for the creation of the Z28.
Where The Z28 Started
The very first Z28 announcement took place six months after the Camaro revealed itself to the world. Z28 is the name for a special performance package available on certain trim models. GM wanted to give their car an edge over Ford by giving it a performance boost as well as some cosmetic improvements. The Camaro, as well as the Z28, almost solely exists out of spite for the Mustang.
The performance package came out just in time for the Camaro to compete in the Trans Am racing series. Before the Z28 package, the company had no vehicle that met the model rules to enter the race. Chevrolet wanted to offer a car that was street legal, but race ready. Parts of the concept for the original Z28 design came from notes from street racers. Engineers looked at modifications drivers put on their vehicles and expanded on the idea from there.
The Z28 Performance Packages Over The Years
The Z28 models have come and gone over the years. The packages may have changed, but one aspect stayed the same. The package stood for elite power and performance. It is a badge of honor on the Camaro line that comes with large engines and finely tuned parts.
The first generation featured a hood which included forced induction. GM added an upgraded suspension, rally styled wheels, and a 4.9-liter V8 engine built to compete in the Trans Am races. The second generation remained close to the first, but with improved air induction engineering. It also housed a larger 5.7-liter V8 with a higher output. The third generation featured a 5.0-liter V8 that put out up to 190 horsepower. It still drove like a track car, but GM wrapped it in a more discreet package. The fourth generation evolved from there with a 5.7-liter engine, shared with the Corvette, and an even higher output of 225 horsepower.
The final Z28 belonged to the fifth generation, and it was light years ahead of the others, with the early models coming straight from the factory stocked with a massive 6.0-liter V8 under the hood. This mechanical menace put out 650 horsepower straight off the factory line. Chevrolet upped the anti in later models, giving them a 7.0-liter V8 borrowed from the Corvette line again. These models put out an incredible 505 horsepower.
The Return Of The Camaro Z28
Chevrolet included the Z28 trim package in the very first Camaro models. The two go hand in hand, and it is hard to think of one without the other. The Z28's journey began in 1967 and lasted until 1974. It did incredibly well on the market and sales were soaring. However, new laws and high gas prices made it hard to market a race car to the public.
Chevrolet resurrected the Z28 trim level once again in 1977. The success of the Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am gave Chevy the reason to spice up the Camaro once again. This series of cars paled in comparison to their predecessors. They lacked the raw power of the first models and had even stricter rules about emissions to follow that left them feeling limited.
However, customers found it refreshing to see them and the addition of t-tops added to the experience. From there, the Z28 lived on for decades. It followed every generation of the Camaro until the early 2000s. Unfortunately, the European styling that became incorporated into the appearance of the car didn't sit well with customers. Sales started to drop for all Camaro trims, and the name plate came to an end in 2002.
The Camaro legacy didn't end there and GM revived it a long eight years later. Three years later the Z28 returned with a serious upgrade. Technology and laws had changed and GM took the opportunity to make a car that could stand and even surpass the originals. The last run of the Z28 cut short as the company focused more on the LS models instead. Yet, it is surely just a matter of time before the legendary Z28 returns again.