The name "Camaro" means...

[intocarss]

As the launch date neared, the car still had no name. It had been called various names by GM, including Nova, Panther, Chaparral, and Wildcat. Chevy also considered using the letters "GM" in the name, and came up with G-Mini, which evolved into GeMini, and finally Gemini. General Motors Headquarters killed that name, because they didn't want the letters "GM" used in case the car was a failure.


Finally, the car was introduced to the press as the Camaro, considered to be a good name because nobody knew what it meant. Chevrolet produced an old French dictionary showing that the word meant "friend" or "companion", but Ford found an alternate meaning in an old Spanish dictionary-"a small, shrimp-like creature."The automotive press had a good laugh over that, and an even bigger one when one journalist found yet another meaning-"loose bowels." It didn't take long for the laughter to stop after the introduction of the stunning 1967 Camaro!

[Track Junky]

Interesting bit of history their Jerry, Thanks for sharing. Although I think us Camaro owners all know "companion" definitely fits the bill.

[67 fastback]

Originally Posted by Track Junky

Interesting bit of history their Jerry, Thanks for sharing. Although I think us Camaro owners all know "companion" definitely fits the bill.

Actually, If you dig back further to the latin meaning, Camaro, Mustang, and a group known as Mopar all loosely translate to Money Pit.

[Track Junky]

Originally Posted by 67 fastback

Actually, If you dig back further to the latin meaning, Camaro, Mustang, and a group known as Mopar all loosely translate to Money Pit.

So True

[intocarss]

Originally Posted by 67 fastback

Actually, If you dig back further to the latin meaning, Wife, Camaro, Mustang, and a group known as Mopar all loosely translate to Money Pit.

Fixed it

[214Chevy]

Originally Posted by intocarss

... It didn't take long for the laughter to stop after the introduction of the stunning 1967 Camaro!

I guess it did mean loose bowels, because Ford is still sh#%ing themselves today, 44 years later and still not laughing. I bet some Ford exec now in his 80's would have never thought the Camaro would be such an iconic classic. Not to mention the basis for which 90% of most aftermarket/resto parts are built with in mind. Well done GM...well done.

[WSSix]

not sure I agree since the Camaro was built in response to the Mustang. A car that sold many millions and has a strong aftermarket as well.


Regardless, cool story on the name. I had heard it was a last minute decision but never really looked into it myself.

[protour73]

Here's the explanation on Wikipedia:

Background

Before any official announcement, reports began running during April 1965 within the automotive press that Chevrolet was preparing a competitor to the Ford Mustang, code-named Panther.[6] On June 21, 1966, around 200 automotive journalists received a telegram from General Motors stating, "...Please save noon of June 28 for important SEPAW meeting. Hope you can be on hand to help scratch a cat. Details will follow...(signed) John L. Cutter – Chevrolet Public Relations – SEPAW Secretary." The following day, the same journalists received another General Motors telegram stating, "Society for the Eradication of Panthers from the Automotive World will hold first and last meeting on June 28...(signed) John L. Cutter – Chevrolet Public Relations SEPAW Secretary." These telegrams puzzled the automotive journalists.

On June 28, 1966, General Motors held a live press conference in Detroit’s Statler-Hilton Hotel. It would be the first time in history that 14 cities were hooked up in real time for a press conference via telephone lines. Chevrolet General Manager Pete Estes started the news conference stating that all attendees of the conference were charter members of the Society for the Elimination of Panthers from the Automotive World and that this would be the first and last meeting of SEPAW. Estes then announced a new car line, project designation XP-836, with a name that Chevrolet chose in keeping with other car names beginning with the letter C such as the Corvair, Chevelle, Chevy II, and Corvette. He claimed the name, "suggests the comradeship of good friends as a personal car should be to its owner" and that "to us, the name means just what we think the car will do... Go!" The new Camaro name was then unveiled. Automotive press asked Chevrolet product managers, "What is a Camaro?" and were told it was "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs."[7]

The Camaro was first shown at a press preview in Detroit, Michigan, on September 12, 1966, and then later in Los Angeles, California, on September 19, 1966. The Camaro officially went on sale in dealerships on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year.