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Good morning, fellow Camaro enthusiasts....
I have had several inquiries concerning my comments at "Camaros at Carlisle" --
specifically those concerning how Camaro got its name. Below you will find my
comments with a few changes to fit it in a short-story format.......please feel
free to use it in your newsletters or websites.
The history of the name Camaro:
According to some within General Motors, a 4-seat sports car was designed in the
late 50s for a growing America......it would be the Turbo-charged Corvair Spyder
of 1962......additionally, Chevrolet unveilled the "Super Nova" at the New York
Autoshow in March of 1964.....a matter of weeks prior to Ford unveiling the
Mustang......and while the Corvair was restyled in the fall of 1964....and the
Turbocharged Spyder was renamed "Corsa," within 6 months, the sales figures for
Mustang convinced GM that the "pony car" market was more than just a flash in
the pan.
Work became more intense on a program called the "XP-836".....a four seat
sporty-type coupe that would share an all-new platform with the 1968 Nova
X-body. This new car was referred to as the "Panther" or "F-body." It would be
the first GM car where computers were used extensively in the development
process. The idea behind the car that would become "Camaro" was to offer a
great-looking sporty car that attracted attention, no matter where it went. It
would have the incredible performance attributes of the legendary Chevy
small-block V8. ("the closest thing to a Vette, yet!") Additionally, the car
must ride smoothly, but handle like a european sports car. It must allow the
individual to tailor the car to his or her needs and wants -- both from a
performance and appearance standpoint.....and it must do all of this at a
Chevrolet price. (I think you will agree that these brand attributes have been
kept for 35 years.)
According to documents dated June 10, 1966, and exhaustive search was conducted
for appropriate names starting with the letter "C." -- it should also be noted
that at that time in Chevy's history, all of the car lines started with the
letter "C".......Chevrolet, Chevelle, Chevy II, Corvair and Corvette.....( Bel
Air, Impala, Malibu, etc were models within the car lines....) Furthermore,
this stayed true until the fall of 1969 when the 1970 Monte Carlo was
introduced.....but I digress!
A short list was developed from a list of over 2,200 words starting with "C"
.....and then an even more massive search was done to ensure that the name
picked would not have any negative connotation.......
One word really stood out from the others....."Camaro."
In Heath's New French and English Dictionary dated 1932...the word "Camaro" is
defined as "Comrade, Friend, Mate, Chum, or Pal." Thus, the name "Camaro" was
chosen and blessed by then-General Manager Eliot M. "Pete" Estes (who would
later become President of General Motors.) When announcing the Camaro to the
press worldwide, Mr. Estes had this to say about the name: "Chevrolet has
chosen a name which is lithe and graceful....in keeping with our other car names
beginning with 'C.' It suggests comradeship of good friends, as a personal car
should be to its owner."
And so it was............and on September 29, 1966, the Camaro roared to life in
thousands of Chevy dealerships nationwide.
From a personal perspective, I often wonder if Mr. Estes had any inkling that
the Camaro would go on to become an American Icon with a 35 year
history......and that the car would forge untold numbers of friendships -- pals
or comrades, if you will.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/jackster31b
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