The 1967 Black Panther Camaro

These bad boys are hard to come by. I have had the opportunity to ride in a Black Panther a few times in my life. It is one of the funniest rides you will ever have.

- While Ford was fighting off the early successes of the Chevrolet Corvair and Chevy II with their introduction of the Mustang in August of 1964, GM began work on a counter-punch experimental project named XP-836. The XP-836 project directly targeted the Ford Mustang mystique and the new youth market that emerged from almost nowhere in the eyes of GM marketers. The surprising popularly of Fords Mustang framed the XP-836 project from the very start and incorporated the "Mustang formula" in the early years of production.In the winter of 1965, the XP-836 project turned out a proto type car based on some cobbled up Chevy IIs. While crude, the new Chevrolet was shaping up to run well along side Fords Pony car. Now named the "Panther", the project and the proto-types were written about in great length by the automotive press with all the excitement of a pending rivalry with the Mustang. Given a name that the public could latch onto, the "Panther" was quickly being promoted as GMs Mustang-fighter. Sometimes called "Chevys Mustang the "Panther" evolved conceptually using much of the Mustang marketing formula.
Now branded with the "Panther" script and leaping-cat emblems similar to that used by Jaguar, the proto-types advanced with an outward confidence that Chevrolets sleek new cat would be chasing down the Mustang. By early 1966, Ralph Nader was doing a hatchet job on the Corvair, and GM management sought to tone-down the image of their new car in hopes of not drawing the attention of safety crusaders with the aggressive "Panther" name. Seeking a "clamier" image for the new car, the marketing department looked to their current line of Chevrolet monikers, the Corvair, Corvette, Chevelle, and Chevy II for inspiration. Desiring another "C" name brand, merchandising manager Bob Lund and GM Car Truck Group vice-president Ed Rollert poured through French and Spanish dictionaries and came up with "Camaro". Meaning, "warm friend", the new name offered GM an excellent label to compliment the current Chevrolet line and introduce their new car with a much tamer image.

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