An All-American Icon, "A small, vicious animal that ate Mustangs,'" is none other than the Camaro by Chevrolet. Born in 1967 in response to Ford's highly successful pony car, the Chevy Camaro had been a mainstay in auto Americana up until 2002. Then it suffered its first death, only to be resurrected in 2010. Now, with the shift away from internal combustion engines looming, the Camaro as we know it faces the axe yet again.
With January 2024 set as the curtain call for the car's production, many a rumor exists, though nothing is clear. It seems that the Camaro story is not yet finished, even as the latest generation rides off into the sunset, it will continue to have a tale written by General Motors. With that, we can take solace. In the meantime, we can celebrate what this car represents, starting with the Camaro Super Sport (SS).
The Camaro SS is in many ways, Everyman's muscle car. Not only is it the longest-running trim in the Camaro lineup, spanning all generations except for the third, but it was also the kickstart to performance upgrades. Being where it fell between base models and max output, it was generally a sweet all-around compromise.
Respect Your Elders
The base Camaro was called the sports coupe (or convertible) in 1967. The SS was the next level up, with a bigger base, and optional engines. The 1967 SS engines consisted of a 350 rated at 295 horsepower and two 396 cubic-inch engines. The lesser 396 was rated at 325 horsepower, with the other being a big-block rated at 375 horsepower.
In 1968, a 350 horsepower 396 was added, along with an L89 coded 396 with aluminum heads. These carried over into the 1969 model year, the final year of this first generation. A cool visual cue to whether the car carrying a small or big block, in addition to the side badging, was a black-painted tail lamp panel for the 396.
The first-generation SS may not be the fastest Camaro ever, but it was certainly the next step up from the base, and one that featured a variety of options. Coupled with the timeless styling of these first few years, that's all that's needed to create a classic collector, one that set the stage for what was to come.
Second Generation Camaro SS Takes Things Up A Notch?
The 1970 Camaro SS could get you that same L78 396 motor that carried over from the first gen, but power began to lag after 1972, the last year you could order a big block. It's debatable today if this car is better than it's predecessor, given the eventual power dip, and the popularity of the first gen as a collector.
Still, the car was very adaptable given the platform it was built on, though also a first gen carryover. The generation ran from 1970-1981, was spotted in various films, and is perhaps most desired in split front bumper form. Nevertheless, it has been highly modified given the platform. Though not every popular Camaro is an SS, it seems that this version of the SS is important due to that fitment, along with its longevity within the gen. For afterward the trim is skipped in the chronological timeline.
Performance Makes The SS Return
After the 12-year run of the second-gen, the SS trim leapfrogged the third-gen, along with the strict emissions standards that sapped muscle car performance. A couple of things of significance happen in gen four, starting with the SS trim return in 1996.
Though this is a bit of a cheat, because the trim was paired with another trim simultaneously for the first time, becoming the Z28 SS. First, SLP engineered a serious build, one that was considered factory ordered, but was also a limited run. Second, this is when the legendary LS engines were born, as the LS1 graced the stage in 1998, replacing the LT1 and LT4.
The fourth-gen is considered the first modern muscle car, due to it being an evolution rather than a revolution post the third-gen, incorporating many improvements across the board in performance design. Unfortunately, due to poor sales, none of this was enough to spare the Camaro's first demise.
Old Habits Die Hard
The Camaro production ended in 2002, then a concept car was released in 2006 before the real deal made its way onto showroom floors in 2010. That model again saw the SS as the performance trim past the base level, and boy did it come back with a vengeance. Featuring a 426 horsepower LS3 V-8, producing 420 pound-feet of torque, this was the baddest SS you've ever driven.
Coupled with retro styling cues based on the '69 model, the fifth-gen was arguably quite the looker as well. The 2013 model saw the return of the 1LE track pack as well, a package first seen in the third-gen. Building off that fourth-gen modern tech, in an all-new "zeta" platform, the SS really became a great all-around car at an affordable price.
Coupled with the 1LE package made the car even better from a motorsport perspective. In 2007 the Camaro made its return as Bumblebee in the Transformers film, a few years before the production model was even out on sale. As such, several different SS Bumblebee editions were sold as production models, some that even carried over into the current version of the car.
The Final Stand
If you thought that the fifth-gen was where it's at, consider the sixth! Built on an all-new "Alpha" platform, meant being a lighter, more powerful version of its predecessor. Today this rendition SS features a V-8 LT1 motor, with 455 horsepower and matching pound-feet of torque.
Add the 1LE track package, and you've got the best outta-the-box SS ever. Not only does it have cool styling cues, like a flat black hood for glare on the track, a black spoiler, special wheels, and Recaro racing seats (just like the fifth-gen), but it comes with a Tremec six-speed manual, special track-tuned suspension, and upgraded exhaust (also like the fifth-gen).
Lastly, it has better brakes and drivetrain cooling components to keep the car going lap after lap (you guessed it, like the fifth-gen). For around $50,000 MSRP, it's a helluva car! All things considered, a V-8 Camaro SS will still get 16mpg city and 26mpg highway, with a zero to sixty time of 3.9 seconds.
Add modern rev-matching technology, and what else could you want? Seeing what the SS was, and what it has become, it's hard to accept losing such a car as the Camaro again. We can only hope that a future Camaro can hold its own in comparison because what we really want is for it to stay in the first place.