2nd Generation History

The dawn of a new decade saw the birth of a new generation of Camaro, and judging by the fresh new offering, it was hard to predict the dismal years that would follow. The Camaro enters the ‘70s slightly late due to labor disputes, riding into dealer showrooms in February on a wave of critical acclaim. The longer, lower, wider F-body captured a combination of aggressive Detroit and fluid European styling, creating a true, world-class appearance. That same basic appearance managed to keep the second generation Camaro alive for 12 years, surviving horsepower reductions, an energy crisis, bumper laws and emission restrictions.

The pony car ideal lived on in the ’70 Camaro, with long hood/short deck treatment being swept back to new extremes. Gone were convertible tops and quarter windows, but not performance (at least for the first couple of years). The base six cylinder became the larger 250-inch engine, and the 375-horse 396 (which actually displaced 402 cubic inches) remained the top regular-production powerplant. The faithful 327 left the V8 lineup, with a 307 and three versions of the 350 remaining as small-block options.

Believed by many to be the best Camaro ever built, the ’70 Z28 reached the pinnacle of a high performance car. Revised SCCA regulations paved the way for a 360 horse version of the 350 which, paired with a wider track width and better handling, made the Z28 an outstanding all-around performer.

But the appeal of the new Camaro seemed to fall on blind eyes and deaf ears. Due in part to the shortened production year, sales for ’70 fell dramatically, starting a three year trend where all pony cars fell prey to rising insurance rates, safety concerns, gas lines and a buying public seemingly uninterested in performance. In 1972, a 174-day United Auto Workers strike at Chevrolet’s Norwood, Ohio, assembly line contributed to a record-low production of less than 69,000, fueling corporate notions to permanently retire the Camaro and sister Firebird.

At the time, it was hard to tell if the Camaro’s 11th-hour reprieve was a blessing or a curse. Lower compression ratios and additional emissions controls were sapping more power from the Camaro engines each year. Big blocks, as well as the SS option, disappeared from the Camaro following ’72.

A facelift was in store for ’74, with a new nose and taillight panels accommodating federally-mandated, I-beam style bumpers. The following year, a larger, wrap-around rear window made its debut, and the Z28 model made an exit, creating a low-water mark of the performance drought. The most powerful 350 for ’75 churned out a meek 155 horsepower.

It should be noted that the lackluster performance of the mid- and late- ‘70s did have one positive result: It solidified first generation Camaros as used-car performance bargains. As modified street machines took the place of factory hot rods on the street, affordable early Camaros soon evolved as the car of choice for gearheads across the country.

Despite lousy performance, Camaro sales grew throughout the mid-‘70s. A major facelift in ‘78put some flash back in F-body styling, fueling appearance-conscious sport car buyers to break Camaro sales records that year. Heavy bumpers were finally covered with a body-colored, integrated soft fascia both front and rear, complete with tri-colored, segmented taillights. And the Z28, which had been revived a year earlier, got more than just tape stripes for ’78. A 185-horse 350 was an improvement over the years past, while a flashy ground-effects kit and spoilers made Z28 a disco-era dream.

Sales records were again broken in 1979, but only minor changes marked the remaining years of the second-generation Camaro. After a 12-year run, the F-body still managed to look fresh. More importantly, unlike its only remaining competitor- the mustang- the camaro had remained true to its pony car form throughout the dark ages of the ‘70s. While dismissed by many as undesirable collector cars, mid- and late- ‘70s Camaros offer plenty of potential for street machines, and are a dirt-cheap way to get yourself in an F-body today.

Written By Damon Lee of Super Chevy