1989 Chevrolet Camaro

The third-generation Camaro was produced from 1982 through 1992. The all-new 1982 Camaro was shorter and lighter, and now had a fastback appearance with a large, compound-curved window. It continued to use General Motor's F-body platform and were the first Camaros to use factory fuel injection, four-speed automatic transmissions, five-speed manual transmissions, 16-inch wheels, and four-cylinder engines.

The 1989 Camaro consisted of the Camaro RS (Rally Sport) and the Camaro IROC-Z. This marked the return to the RS designation which had last been used in 1987 on a limited-edition California-only model. Bodystyles included a hatchback coupe and a convertible. The Camaro RS was the least expensive version and came standard with a 2.8-liter V6 engine. The RS convertible came standard with a 170 horsepower V8 engine. Standard equipment included a PASS-Key theft-deterrent system, manual lap/shoulder front safety belts with a visual and audible warning system, manual rear lap belts, an energy-absorbing steering column, an energy-absorbing instrument panel, energy-absorbing front seat tops, safety glass side windows, laminated safety windshield glass, safety glass rear window, safety interlocking door latches, passenger-guard inside door lock handles, inertia locking folding front seatbacks, safety armrests and direction signals with lane-change feature. Other features included side marker lights and reflectors, parking lamps that illuminated with the headlights, four-way hazard warning flashers, back-up lights, a center high-mounted stop lamp, multi-speed windshield wipers, an inside rearview mirror with vinyl bonded glass, a starter safety switch, dual-action hood latch system, low-glare instrument panel finish, low-glare windshield moldings, low-glare wiper arms and blades, low-glare metallic steering wheel surfaces, and an audible reminder for ignition key removal.

The Camaro IROC-Z was also available in a coupe and convertible form. The base engine was a 170 horsepower V8 with buyers having the choice of a 220 horsepower 5-liter TPI V8 or a 5.7-liter TPI V8 offering 240 horsepower. They had color-coordinated IROC-Z door decals, special instrumentation with a tachometer, a front air dam, ground-effects type rocker panel moldings, power disc brakes, power rear drum brakes, power steering, power ventilation system, a rear deck spoiler, side window defoggers, a special performance ride and handling suspension, and unique taillights.

For 1989, Chevrolet produced 83,487 examples of the RS Camaro, 20,067 of the IROC-Z Coupe, and 3,940 of the IROC-Z Convertible. 111 examples of the IROC-Z were fitted with the optional 1LE competition package.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2014