1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS Coupe (RHD)

Description

Developed in response to the runaway success of Ford’s Mustang, Chevrolet’s Camaro, unveiled for the 1967 model year, was initially conceived by GM’s design team as a four-passenger Corvette.  Chevrolet's entry into the burgeoning pony car market proved a more than a worthy competitor for its more established rival, rapidly capturing a sizeable portion of the youth market.  Available either as a coupe or convertible, the new Camaro was marketed with a wide variety of engine choices, from the mild - the base engine was a six-cylinder developing a scant 140 horses - to the wild, with the ultimate option being a 375 horsepower L78 396-cid big-block but the majority of buyers opted for the classic 327-cid or 350-cid V8 small block engines, which had more than enough grunt for the enthusiast driver.  The Camaro certainly looked fantastic, with clean styling under the direction of Bill Mitchell and the curvaceous ‘coke-bottle’ lines foreshadowed the Stingray of 1968, as did the instrument panel.  The first-generation Camaro was offered with a huge options list, allowing the customer to personalise their new toy into just about anything, whether it be a luxury cruiser or a drag strip bruiser.  The Z22 Rally Sport package added distinctive hidden headlamps and unique grille, parking lights, revised tail lights plus additional exterior brightwork, including the rocker trim and around the wheelarches.  A recent series of articles in Australian Muscle Car magazine focused attention on the limited number of Camaros imported into Australia for conversion to right-hand drive and sale through local GM-H dealers like Bill Patterson Motors and Preston Motors in Victoria and Stack & Company Ltd in Sydney, with further conversion work carried out by independents like Bill Buckle Motors, often on behalf of the aforementioned dealers.  Although no official records were kept, only a handful of ’67 Camaros were converted in period and even fewer survive.  The first-generation Camaro makes a great alternative to the more common Mustangs - with the RS covered headlamps and Rally wheels, these cars look particularly eye-catching and are sure to turn plenty of heads on a cruise or club run.