My son and I love to go to car shows together; especially car shows that have a lot of restomods. We recently went to the Autorama in Detroit. At the show, my son kept asking me how to tell the difference between our favorite car, the first-generation Camaro.
So, what are the differences between first-generation Camaro’s? The most obvious and simple differences are these: if the front window has a vent then it’s a 1967 Camaro. If the read quarter panel has a grill in front of the back tire then it’s a 1969 Camaro. Lastly, if it’s missing both the grill in the rear quarter panel and the vent in the front window then it’s a 1968 Camaro.
Additionally, 1967 does not have side marker lamps. However, 1968 has large rectangular side marker lamps (lower in the front). And, the 1969 side marker lamps will have a more slender rectangular shape (higher in the front). 1967-’68 bumpers are slightly longer than 1969 bumpers, with the front bumper curving upwards.
Center: The 1967 wasn’t equipped with side marker lamps, so if it has side markers cut in, look for the vent window to be sure.
Right: You can see the different shapes and locations here on the 1968 and 1969 side marker lamps, respectively.
That’s simple, right? But it goes much deeper, too. Perhaps you’re viewing an image on the Internet or Facebook, and it’s a full front or full rear view. Can you identify what year and model it is from just a picture? If you’re not able to see the rest of the car to make a determination, there are ways to distinguish one car from the others. The information below should get you in the ballpark the next time your friend tries to show off with his first-gen Camaro knowledge.
First Generation Camaro’s – A Lifelong Love Affair
The Chevrolet Camaro is my favorite car and I love the first generation Camaros, especially the 1969 Camaro as I own one. Starting at year one, they became an instant hit and gained a solid following. People love everything that separates the generations, but what about the little differences that separate the years within the first generation? We know people that can pick a ’68 Camaro from a ’67 Camaro faster than your average person can even tell it’s a Camaro. To do that, there has to be something that differentiates them, but what?
Differences in First Generation Camaro’s – A More Detailed Analysis
Well, there are a few variances between the three years that comprise the first-generation Camaro, and we’re going to cover these differences as best we can so that when you go to a car show you can confidently assure your friend, or your son, that you’re correct. In addition, you’ll be able to tell him why he might be wrong.
Side and Rear Markings
1967 does not have side marker lamps; 1968 has large rectangular side marker lamps (lower in the front) and the 1969 side marker lamps will have a more slender rectangular shape (higher in the front). 1967-’68 bumpers are slightly extended and the 1969 bumpers fit the body a little tighter. And the front bumper curves upwards on the ends.
But other than some general body design cues, what telltale items differentiate the ’68 from the ’69 Camaro? While all three model years have different taillights, the ’69 Camaro differs significantly. The ’67 and ’68 Camaro both have two lights per bezel, but the ’69 has three. The quick way to know you are looking at a ’69 is to count the taillight lens dividers.
To tell the ’67 from the ’68 Camaro, you just need to look at the bezel. The standard ’67 Camaro has one large lens with a tail and backup light (RS and SS models had a single red lens with the backup light mounted under the bumper), while the ’68 has a lens divider integrated into the bezel. Admittedly, there are a lot of years, numbers, and descriptions being thrown around. As a result, we’ve added a few pictures to show you what we mean.
More Differences?
There is also the matter of the side marker lights that were present on the ’68 and ’69 Camaro, but not on the ’67. Side marker lights were federally mandated in 1968. 1968 Camaro has a larger rectangular-shaped sidelight, while the ’69 Camaro has a narrow rectangular-shaped side marker light. 1968 is also unique because it has a strip of chrome that runs along the top of the doors. Neither the ’67 nor the ’69 Camaro has any trim on the door tops.
Amongst the differences that can be seen with the naked eye, there are others that affect how the car works rather than how it looks. A small example of these nearly invisible differences is the mechanism that opens the headlight doors on RS-equipped cars. On the 1967 Camaro, the doors are opened by electric motors. In ’68 and ’69, they are vacuum actuated. It’s not something that is going to significantly alter performance, but it’s a difference nonetheless.
These are only some of the differences in the first generation. If we really wanted to try and point out all of them, it would take a lot more writing on our part and a lot more reading on yours. These are just some that come to mind when trying to decipher the differences between the three. Take some time to comment about the differences that we have left out, tell us the differences that are most important to you, or do both. We would love to hear from you.
Front End Identification – RS Models
Right: the 1969 RS is completely different, and easier to identify.
The easiest model to distinguish from the front for all three years is the Rally Sport (RS) which can be combined with the Super Sport (SS) trim or Z/28 package. The RS is easy to identify because of the hidden headlamps. The 1967 and 1968 models are very similar to each other, but the grille itself will help identify them.
On the 1967 model, the grille is all black, whereas the 1968 model originally had silver horizontal trim. The 1969 model stands alone as the headlamps are hidden behind a three-bar headlamp door that partially exposes the headlight behind it.
All three years will have signal lamps below the bumper: in 1967-’68 it’s a square lamp at the outer edges of the grille, lined up with the headlamp. In 1969 the signal lamp is round and moved inward towards the license plate.
Front End Identification – Base/Sport Coupe, SS, Z/28 Models
For the 1967-’68 Base/Sport Coupe, SS, and Z/28 models, you can easily identify the year based on the signal lamps. The 1967 signal lamps are inboard of the headlamps and are round, while the ’68 signal lamps have more of a soft-rectangular shape. The 1969 models have round signal lamps below the bumper.
1967’s grille has two horizontal bars above and below the signal lamps; 1968’s grille trim encases the lamps and grille. The 1969 grille will have a more pronounced center point and two horizontal bars to the headlamp.
Rear End Identification
Identifying the first-generation Camaro from the rear requires a couple of details. Firstly, the fuel filler is in the rear of all three, but only on the 1969 Camaro is it below the bumper, behind the license plate. In the 1967 and 1968 models, the filler cap is on the rear body panel between the tail lamps. The identifying factor for the RS model, however, is the backup lamp below the bumper.
In 1967 there is a single lens for the tail lamp. The RS model will have a long, rectangular red tail lamp, with a backup lamp below the bumper. The Base/Sport Coupe, SS, and Z/28 model tail lamp has a captured backup lamp to the inside of the housing.
RS Model?
In 1968, the RS model will have a two-part red tail lamp with a rectangular backup lamp below the bumper. The Base/Sport Coupe, SS, and Z/28 models will have separate tail lamps and backup lamps within the same rear lamp housing.
In 1969, the tail lamps take on a different, more slender shape. The Base/Sport Coupe, SS, and Z/28 models have a small backup lamp encapsulated in the center of the three-section lens, while the RS model has two horizontal panes with a rectangular backup lamp below the bumper.
Model Emblems
Emblems are pretty sporadic, depending on the year and trim level. From the information we’ve gathered, trying to weed out the clones and up-badges, this is what we have found:
- Z/28 – It was just an RPO code in 1967, but in 1968 the emblem was on the front of the fender, and in 1969 it was on the grille and on the front of the fender.
- SS – This emblem appeared on the grille for all three years, on the front of the fender for 1967, and on the rear of the fender for 1968 and 1969. The SS emblem trumped the RS emblem on combined trim packages.
- rs – This emblem was in lower case on the grille for 1967 and 1968 and on the front of the fender for 1967.
- RS – This emblem was in the upper case, and showed up in 1969 mounted on the grill.
- Rally sport – This emblem showed up on the rear of the fender for 1968 and 1969.
Bottom: 1968 and 1969 RS and Z/28 models had emblems in various locations.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, this will help you to identify both year and model when you see the first-gen Camaro. When it comes to engines, transmissions, and fender emblems, that’s a completely different topic and goes much deeper, so we’ve avoided identifying other RPO codes like L30 and LM1, which were not SS or Z/28 models. Pace cars (Z11 RPO) were built on the RS/SS convertible package and some models had striping packages. But that also gets a little deeper than the basic differences listed above.
Related Questions:
Side marker lights were not federally-mandated until 1968, and the ‘68 Camaro has a larger rectangular-shaped sidelight, while the ’69 Camaro has a narrow rectangular-shaped side marker light. 1968 is also unique because it has a strip of chrome that runs along the top of the doors.
The first–generation Chevrolet Camaros refer to the 1967, 1968, and 1969 Camaro. The first Camaro appeared in Chevrolet dealerships on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year on a brand-new rear-wheel drive GM F-body platform and was available as a 2-door, 2+2 seat, hardtop (no “B” or center pillar) or convertible, with the choice of either a straight-6 or V8 engine.
The 1969 Camaro did have hideaway lights. They were an option and located behind doors that unlike 1968, did not resemble the rest of the grille.
