It’s been a while since we had a Flashback Friday, but we found these photos of the 1967 Camaro Z28, and thought we would throw them up with a little history of this race-track optimized package of the very first generation Camaro.
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Z/28 Package on the 1967 Chevy Camaro
The first generation of the Chevy Camaro released for the 1967 model year was available with multiple factory and trim options, and three main packages. The RS package was mainly appearance based, and the SS offered a 5.7-liter V8 engine and specialty exterior touches, but the Z28 was on another level completely.
Designed to perfectly integrate into the Trans-Am road-racing series, the 1967 Chevy Camaro Z28 package included a specialized chassis and suspension system and a unique 4.9-liter V8 engine that came in just under the maximum engine displacement limits for the Trans-Am races. Matched to a Muncie four-speed manual transmission, that engine was rated for 290 horsepower (just slightly over the lowest available horsepower on the current 2016 Chevy Camaro), though that may have been a deliberate under-estimation by Chevrolet. The actual maximum horsepower for the 1987 Camaro Z28 was probably between 360 and 400 horses. This specialty package option also include front disc brakes, unique tires, and racing stripes. It had sport-car handling and breathless performance.
Only 600 1967 Camaro Z28 Models Produced
While production numbers for the RS and SS packages respectively were around 64,800 and 34,400 models for the 1967 model year, only about 600 models of the 1967 Chevy Camaro Z28 were produced. That means while collectors can generally find a used first-generation Camaro for less-than the MSRP for a new model, the rare and valuable Z28 is much pricier and hard to find. Definitely fun to spend a Flashback Friday checking out this sleek and powerful powerhouse!