Introduced in the fall of 1966 as a new model for the '67, the Chevrolet Camaro was seen as a rising star for a company rocked by the success of the Ford Mustang. The idea of combining readily available off-the-shelf parts with specially designed 2-door hard top and convertible came about directly from their targeting of the Mustang.
The most basic engine of the first-generation Camaro was a hopeless 230ci inline-6 with 138 HP. However, just as the buyer could freely choose the attributes of their Mustang, the Camaro's wide array of options allowed it to be outfitted as anything from simple transport to a gorgeous fully decked out Super Sport. The high performance SS package (which was given the option code Z27) was Chevrolet's answer to the Mustang GT.
The Camaro SS was available with a standard choice between two OHV V-8 engines: a 291 HP 350 known as the L48, and the more powerful 396ci L35 which squeezed out 321 HP.
There were also two other 396ci SS motors besides the L35. These were the 345 HP L34, and the 370 HP L78. Then, from the 1968 model onward, the lineup changed to include the L89, a variant of the L78 with a lighter aluminum cylinder head. Only 583 Camaros equipped with the L78/L89 were build in 1989 and 1969, making them among the rarest of the Camaro SS models. In the first-generation Camaros, there was a thorough minor change revision that updated the body exterior in the 1969 model. Also from '69 onwards, the standard SS engine would see its power increased to over 296 HP.