1973 Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevy Camaro was no longer playing catch-up to Ford's Mustang by 1969, with racing success spurring showroom sales. The Z/28 option had been quietly introduced for 1967, conceived and built with development spearheaded by Vince Piggins as Chevrolet's SCCA Trans-Am contender. Further refinements followed in 1968 and 1969, and the all-out racing versions were most successfully campaigned by Penske Racing and piloted by Mark Donohue, winning back-to-back SCCA Trans-Am Championships in 1968 and 1969 against competition from the Bud Moore and Shelby-prepared Mustangs.

Following changes to SCCA's Trans-Am rules which allowed larger-displacement street versions of each manufacturer's racing cars to be reduced in displacement to a 5.0-liter or 305 cubic-inch limits for the track, Chevy developed the LT-1 engine for the next-generation F-Body Camaro.

The second-generation Camaro, known as 'Super Hugger,' was introduced late in 1970, featuring a lower, longer, wider, and heavier body than the previous first-generation cars, with mechanical upgrades that resulted in infinitely better handling and ride characteristics. A strike at the Norwood, Ohio GM assembly plant delayed the introduction of the new F-Body Camaro/Firebird generation and when the cars were finally launched in 1970, they were designated as 1970 ½ models due to the constraints of the shortened model year.

Production of the '2nd Gen' Camaro continued through the 1981 model year, with cosmetic updates made in 1974 and 1978 model years. The '2nd Gen' Camaro was still based on the F-body platform with a unibody structure, front subframe, leaf springs controlling the solid rear axle, and an A-arm front suspension. Stricter EPA emission regulations forced a slight detuning of the LT-1 V8 engine in 1971, followed by a milder hydraulic cam for 1973. The SS was dropped by 1973, but a new sport-luxury LT line was introduced alongside the Z28 and RS packages. The LT-1 was redesignated 'L82' for 1973, still delivering impressive response and acceleration in the Z/28, upholding its well-deserved reputation for high performance.

1973 Chevrolet Camaro
For 1973, Chevrolet produced 89,988 Camaros for the North American market. Of those, 32,327 were LT models, 16,133 were RS, and 11,574 were the Z28s. Very few changes were made for 1973, with the vertical moldings on the grille reduced from twelve to seven. The full-width front bumper bar now had black rubber-faced guards. Inside, there was a new soft-rim steering wheel with four spokes. Though not very visually evident, the rear seats received more foam padding.

Chevy made 15 new colors available on the Camaro and they introduced the LT package (a $500 option), representing 'Luxury Touring'. The LT package included rocker panel accents, dual outside rearview mirrors, Hide-Away wipers, extra sound-deadening insulation, and 14 x 7-inch Rally wheel rims. The interiors featured full instrumentation which included a tachometer.

Available on all models (except the Z/28 package) was the new option, Turbine I wheels. The Z/28 Special Performance package was a $600 option.

The base Camaros were powered by a 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine delivering 100 (SAE) horsepower. The 307 CID V8 had 115 (SAE) horsepower. An automatic transmission was standard on all Camaro V8s and LT models and was a no-cost option for the Z/28. A four-speed manual with floor shift controls was available. The previous Buick-like horseshoe shifter used in the Firebirds was replaced by a new console-mounted shifter for automatic transmissions similar to the shifter used in Pontiac Firebirds.

The Z/28 was powered by a 350 cubic-inch V8 engine featuring overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, and a two-barrel carburetor. Horsepower produced by this engine was 145 (SAE). The previous solid-lifters were switched to hydraulic tappets. The Z28 option was available on both the sport coupe and LT models.

Complying with new no-damage standards in 5 miles per hour NHTSA legislation, the front incorporated standard impact-absorbing front bumper system. The Rally Sport option had chrome bumperettes on both sides of an impact absorbing urethane grille surround.

The Super Sport package and the big-block 396 CID were no longer available, and power ratings had decreased across the board due to new emission standards. Power windows returned to the options list after having been absent since 1969, with the switches positioned within the console.

Industry sales were strong for 1973 with over 2.4 million examples produced by Chevrolet, a dramatic increase over the 2.25 million produced a year earlier. As a result, Camaro sales were strong, with an additional 21,332 examples built compared to 1972, but down by over 17,500 examples from the 107,496 units built in 1971.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2012