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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 - the racing car for everyday American life

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Created on April 3, 2021

Reading time 9min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

GM / Chevrolet

GM/General Motors

Archivbild

Archiv

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

GM / Chevrolet

GM/General Motors

Archivbild

Archiv

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Z/28-Version des letzten Baujahres

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - damit konnte man schon fast zum nächsten Rennwochenende fahren

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - ein Rennwagen für die Strasse

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - kein Firlefanz, aber ein Frontspoiler

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - stämmiges Heck

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - mit 473 cm Länge vergleichsweise kompakt für amerikanische Verhältnisse

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - originalgetreu restauriert

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - bereit zum Losfahren

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - viel blaues Vinyl, eine von mehreren Farboptionen

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - so richtig nach Rennsport sieht es in diesem Interieur eigentlich nicht aus

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Tacho bis 120 Meilen pro Stunde, das dürfte kaum gereicht haben

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - hier hätte eigentlich ein Drehzahlmesser gut hineingepasst

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - der Treibstoffstand kann immer im Auge gehalten werden

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Viergang-Muncie-Getriebe

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Platz für Passagiere im Fond, richtig geräumig war's da aber nicht

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Blick unter die Motorhaube

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Kraftwerk mit vermutlich über 350 PS

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - nominell 290 SAE-PS stark, in Wahrheit lagen aber eher 350 PS und mehr an der Kurbelwelle an

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Hinweis auf die Ausführung

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - die Streifen waren typisch für die Z/28-Version

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Z/28-Schriftzug auf der Front

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - "Camaro by Chevrolet"

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Hinweis auf die Motorgrösse, 302 Kubikzoll oder 4,9 Liter Hubraum

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Hubraum-Hinweis

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Camaro-Schriftzug auf der Flanke

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Stahlräder mussten genügen

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Rückspiegel beidseitig

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - die Good-Year-Reifen passend zur Epoche

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - Beschriftung auf der Flanke

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - der Heckflügel für den zusätzlchen Anpressdruck

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Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (1969) - überschaubarer Stauraum im Kofferraum, das Reserverad nimmt zusätzlich Platz weg

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - in der RS-Variante

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - erste Generation

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - erste Generation in Weiss

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - Innenleben des sportlich karossierten Amerikaners mit klassischer Konzeption - Genfer Autosalon 1967

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - neu herausgebrachtes Modell, mit dem der Mustang von Ford attackiert werden soll - Genfer Autosalon 1967

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Chevrolet Camaro SS (1966) - vor britischem Klassiker

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Chevrolet Camaro SS (1966) - bei Testfahrten unterwegs

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Chevrolet Camaro SS (1966) - Blick ins Interieur

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Chevrolet Camaro SS (1966) - Blick auf den BigRed 396, 150 kg schwer, 6,5 Liter Hubraum, 350 SAE-PS

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Chevrolet Camaro (1966) - Normalausführung der ersten Serie

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - Normalausführung mit Doppelscheinwerfern

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Chevrolet Camaro SS 350 (1967) - Coupé mit rund 350 SAE-PS

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - die Z/28-Version in Fahrt

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - eine späte SS-Variante

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - Werbung für die Schweizer Modelle

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - Heckansicht der SS-Version

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Chevrolet Camaro (1968) - als Ausstellungsmodell aufgeschnitten

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - als RSSS-Pace-Car

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Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Pace Car (1969) - Offizieller Safety Car beim Indy 500 im Jahr 1969

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - Generation 1 Indianapolis Pace Car

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - der Z/28 des Roger-Penske-Teams, wie er in Sebring fuhr - heute im Museum gezeigt

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - die 4,9-Liter-grosse V8-Version für den Z/28

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - Klassensieger der GT Gruppe - Chevrolet Camaro mit 7-Liter Motor von Don Yenko und Bob Grossman (12 Stunden von Sebring 1969)

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Chevrolet Camaro (1968) - die erste Generation ist als Cabriolet und Coupé erhältlich

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Chevrolet Camaro (1967) - die erste Generation gab es auch als Cabriolet

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - die letzte Version der ersten Generation

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Chevrolet Camaro SS (1968) - wuchtig und doch elegant wirkend, mit 5,7-Liter-V8-Motor und versenkten Scheinwerfern - Genfer Autosalon 1968

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Chevrolet Camaro (1968) - mit auffällig gemustertem Dach - Genfer Autosalon 1968

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Chevrolet Camaro SS (1969) - mit 300 SAE-PS aus dem 5,7-Liter-V8 - Genfer Automobilsalon 1969

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - vier Motorvarianten sind verfügbar - Genfer Automobilsalon 1969

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Chevrolet Camaro (1969) - vergrösserter V8-Motor mit 5,7 Liter - Genfer Automobilsalon 1969

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Chevrolet Camaro (1970) - ausgerüstet mit Rallyesport-Equipment

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Pontiac Firebird (1971) - lange Türen kennzeichneten das rund fünf Meter lange Coupé

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Chevrolet Camaro (1970) - das komplett erneuerte Sportcoupé, bei den Händlern ab dem 26. Februar 1970

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Chevrolet Camaro (1970) - die SS-Version mit mehr Leistung und agressiverer Optik

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Chevrolet Camaro (1970) - weichere Linienführung für die neue Version - Genfer Autosalon 1970

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Summary

With the Camaro, Chevrolet delivered a worthy opponent to the Ford Mustang after some delay. In addition to the "normal" versions with six and eight-cylinder engines, there was also a version called Z/28, which was particularly optimized for racing and excelled in the American TransAm Championship. This report is dedicated to the first generation of the Chevrolet Camaro and in particular the Z/28 version and shows the cars in current and historical images as well as in the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

Form above all
Modern interior and plenty of safety
Technology from the shelf
Criticism from the trade press
Camaro from Switzerland
Racing orientation in secret
Successful in the TransAm championship
Continuous model upgrades
Replacement after a good three years
Hidden gem?

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When Ford presented the Mustang, successfully offering an affordable, sleek and fun "sports car" for young people, General Motors was caught on the wrong foot, so to speak. "I didn't see this coming", said one or two GM managers at the time. But they reacted quickly and launched the Chevrolet Camaro within two years. "Youth plus comfort plus low price" was the formula for success for the Ford Mustang. General Motors also adhered to this and refrained from technical experiments. Even the design was based on the Mustang and the new Camaro was given similar proportions, i.e. a long snout and short rear end. The wheelbase also corresponded to that of the Ford.

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