The Top 5 Camaros In History

There aren’t that many car nameplates that carry as much significance as the Chevrolet Camaro. Since its release in 1966, the Camaro has been known for its high performance and distinct design. Through the years, Chevrolet has released many generations of the Camaro, with each having numerous trims, engine configurations, body types, and various special paint schemes. The question is, which ones are the best?

The Camaro’s evolution across several decades mirrors how Chevy adapted to the times and how it tried to stay on top of its rivals. Today, we’ll look at some of the best Camaros in terms of aesthetics, power, and historical significance.

1967 Camaro SS – The Original

To start this list, we go back to the original. But before we delve into the details of the 1967 Camaro SS, we have to go through a bit of history.

During the mid-1960s, Chevrolet was selling more cars than its competitors in the compact, mid-size, and full-size car categories. But then, Ford released the Mustang in 1964 and introduced a completely new car segment–the pony car. People loved pony cars because they were sporty and stylish, but most of all, because they were affordable. Chevrolet made the Camaro because it needed to compete with the Mustang.

Chevrolet offered eight different engine options with the 1967 Camaro, including an inline-6 and several V8 options. Customers could choose among three different packages that gave the Camaro sportier looks and engines. The Super Sport or SS package came with either a 350 cubic inch (cu in) or 396 cu in V8. The 390 cu in V8 produced 325 horsepower and allowed the Camaro to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in 6 seconds and do a quarter mile in 14.5 seconds.

The Camaro was advertised as having the same rear-drive, front-engine layout as the Mustang. It was also offered as a two-door coupe or convertible, just like the Mustang. The Camaro wasn’t too expensive either, with retail prices ranging from $2,800 to $3,500 ($23,728 to $29,660 in 2022). Given its performance, dependability, and gorgeous looks, the Camaro was a bargain back then.

• Engine Specs: 396 cu in V8
• Quarter Mile Time: 14.5 seconds
• 0 to 60 time: 6 seconds
• Power: 325 hp
• Torque: 410 pound-feet (lb-ft)

2010 Camaro SS – “Bumblebee”

The Camaro nameplate left the market in 2002 after a sharp decline in sales numbers. It came back in 2009 when Chevrolet released the fifth-generation Camaro, which had a design that was heavily inspired by ‘60s Camaros. Even before it was released, however, the new Camaro (in concept form) appeared in the Transformers movie that came out in 2007, where it was featured as one of the main Autobot protagonists, Bumblebee.

Under the hood, the 2010 Camaro SS retained the massive engine that Camaros were known for–a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produced 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission version could do 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a quarter-mile in 13 seconds.

• Engine Specs: 6.2-liter LS3 V8 
• Quarter Mile Time: 13 seconds
• 0 to 60 time: 4.8 seconds 
• Power: 426 hp @ 5900 rpm
• Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

1977 Camaro Z28 – First Camaro To Outsell The Mustang

By 1974, the Camaro was still falling short of its mission to beat the Ford Mustang in sales. Ford sold 385,993 Mustangs in 1974, while Chevrolet only sold 151,008 Camaros. However, things changed in 1977 when the new Camaro Z28 was released and sold 218,853 units versus the Mustang’s 153,173.

How did the Camaro beat the Mustang? During the mid-70s, strict emission regulations and the oil crisis were signaling the end of the muscle car era. Car makers needed to significantly de-tune their engines to meet emissions standards.

The ’77 Camaro Z28’s 5.7-liter V8 engine only produced 185 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, but it was enough to beat the power numbers of the Ford Mustang and Pontiac Trans Am. The ’77 Camaro Z28 could do a 0 to 60 in 8.1 seconds and do a quarter-mile in 17 seconds.

The ’77 Camaro Z28 definitely wasn’t the fastest or most powerful Camaro, but it had the best handling at the time. It had tuned shocks, stiffer springs, and thicker stabilizer bars that beat all previous Camaros on corners.

• Engine Specs: 5.7-liter 
• Quarter Mile Time: 17 seconds
• 0 to 60 time: 8.1 seconds
• Power: 185 hp 
• Torque: 280 lb-ft 

2024 Camaro ZL1 1LE – The Fastest and Last Camaro

The latest generation of the Camaro is the amalgamation of decades of technological innovation. Unfortunately, the 2024 Camaro will be the last that Chevrolet will produce, at least for now. While the Camaro is being discontinued after 2023, Chevy says the story of the Camaro is not over. The ZL1 is the Camaro’s high-performance model with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that makes 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. It can do 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds and a quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds.

The Camaro ZL1 1LE model is the extreme track performance package that turns the car into a track weapon that can corner like a supercar. It’s fitted with wider and stickier tires, an adjustable front suspension, and exclusive spool-valve dampers that improve handling on the track. The ZL1 1LE also has a rear wing, front splitter, and rear diffuser to give it downforce in high-speed corners. When the ZL1 was first released in 2017, it was so fast that it set a new lap record of 7 minutes and 16.04 seconds in the Nürburgring Nordschleife, beating the Porsche 911 GT2 RS’s time in the fastest production car category.

• Engine Specs: 6.2-liter supercharged V8
• Quarter Mile Time: 11.5 seconds @ 124 mph
• 0 to 60 time: 3.4 seconds 
• Power: 650 hp @ 6400 rpm
• Torque: 650 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm

1969 Camaro ZL1 – The Beginning of a Legacy

If the 2024 Camaro is going to be the last to have the ZL1 moniker, the ’69 Camaro was the first. It had Chevy’s first aluminum block engine that was rated at 430 hp but actually made more than 500 hp and 450 ft-lb of torque, making it Chevy’s most powerful car ever at the time. It could do 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds, and do a quarter mile in 13.16 seconds.

Unlike the other Camaros in this list, the ’69 Camaro ZL1 is one of the rarest–with only 69 examples built. Back then, it took several years to sell all of the ZL1 Chevy’s just because of their inflated $7,200 price tag, which is roughly $54,000 today. However, the ’69’s rarity and power have made the ZL1 one of the most desirable Chevys ever. In 2020, one sold for more than $1 million.

• Engine Specs: 427 cubic inch ZL1 V8 
• Quarter Mile Time: 13.16 seconds
• 0 to 60 time: 5.3 seconds
• Power: 430 hp @ 5200 rpm
• Torque: 450 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm

Each generation of the Camaro has a unique story to tell. The 1967 Camaro SS introduced the Camaro to the world. The 1969 Camaro ZL1 harkens back to the roots of the ZL1 name, reminding us of the timeless appeal of power and rarity. The 1977 Camaro Z28 won the sales crown while adapting to challenging times. The 2010 Camaro SS revived the nameplate’s prominence with a Hollywood cameo. Finally, the 2024 Camaro ZL1 1LE showcased the zenith of performance and innovation, even as it marked the end of an era. From its inception as a response to the Mustang, through triumphs and challenges, to its bittersweet farewell in January 2024, the Chevrolet Camaro has built an enduring legacy that will roar through automotive history.