First Camaro Ever Built: #N100001 Found and Restored

 

First Production Camaro

All restorations of iconic vehicles and their facts are very important to the history of the model's bloodline. Where a vehicle's been, who has owned it, special stories of the vehicle, and what makes a vehicle worth restoring in the first place are all things that are very important to the restoration process. 

When Camaro #100001 (the first Camaro ever built) was found, and the attempt to restore it back to its original condition was on its way, just finding out the whole 50-year history of the Camaro took two years alone. Tracking down the owners and recording all their backstories and adventures they had with the vehicle was just part of the process of restoring something so important to automotive history.  

Why The First Camaro Matters

This special 1967 Camaro started out as a 230 cu.-in. 3-speed sports coupe with a Bronze exterior color and tan interior. It was a far cry from what it ending up being before its restoration, a beat-up old-looking '80s style drag car with a roll-bar, slicks, a hood scoop. 

The restoration would include all the options the Camaro had on it back in 1966 including the original engine, trans, whitewall tires, push-button radio, front antenna, and a deluxe seat-belt package. 

For a Deeper Look at the First Camaro Ever Built, Check Out the 18 min. Video Below. 

First 1967 Camaro Commercial Broadcast In 1966

 

Back in 1966, the American people were introduced to a sports car that would see five decades of success. That sports car was the Camaro, and to this day has just as much power and influence in the high-performance auto motor industry as the day it first went on sale on Sept. 29, 1966.

After the Mustang was introduced in 1964, Chevrolet had to come up with a sportier, tougher two-door sports car than its current two-door sports car at the time, the Corvair. So under the code name XP-836 and then soon after named the Panther for temporary identification, Chevy went to work.

For the year 1967, Chevy decided to name the soon to be an iconic sports car, the "Camaro". This obscure word comes from the French-English dictionary meaning "friend". They added eight different engine setups including a SS 350 option and a stout 427 option. Even though the Z/28 did not come along till the next year, on the day of September 29th, 1966, the Camaro hit the road for the first time. Five decades later, this sports car is still a noticeable piece of automobile history no matter what year or model you are driving.