“It’s not rocket science – just cubic inches.” 1997 Motor Trend review of the Camaro.
- The Camaro’s 30th anniversary is celebrated with a special edition modeled after the 1969 Indy 500 pace car.
- The interior of the car is slightly updated for a fresher look.
- Daytime running lights become a standard feature.
Muscle Car Specifications
Performance Model
1997 Chevrolet Camaro
Quarter Mile
14.5 sec @ 96.6 mph
From an exterior, visual perspective, little had changed on the Camaro since the introduction of its fourth generation in 1993. And though the car would get a mild update the following year, the only easy way to distinguish a 1997 Camaro from its predecessors from the previous few years was the inclusion of new tri-colored taillights. But there were changes that were slightly improving the car year-by-year.
The aforementioned new interior styling updated the seats, dashboard and console, anticipating the exterior update coming the following year. And the minor changes apparently were helping the cars, as sales were up nearly 30,000 from the previous year and would not be higher through any subsequent Camaro year’s models. One contributing factor was the base motor, which was phased in for the 1995 year model and standard on all cars since 1996.
The engine was a Buick 3800 Series II V6 that produced 200 horsepower, which was substantially more than direct competitor Mustang’s base engine. Because of this relatively high performance and the availability of a performance handling package, many buyers chose the base engine over the V8 that was standard in the Z28 and SS models and optional for all other Camaros. That engine was a 5.7 litre motor producing 285 horsepower.
Total production was 95,812 units, a peak that has yet to be reached again for Camaro production to date. This is despite the fact that the base price for a coupe increased from $14,990 in 1996 to $16,215 in 1997.
Coupe
As it was every year, the coupe was the best-selling Camaro of 1997, and in fact its production of 51,553 was well over twice as much as the next closest model. For a convertible, the price started at $21,770, and 8,647 of these were made.
Rally Sport
The RS appearance package was back as an option in 1997, though this would be the last year it was available. It came in both coupe and convertible models, and a total of 9,458 were produced. The base coupe cost $17,970.
Z28
The second best-selling car in the Camaro line up, total Z28 production was 21,292 and included both Z28 coupes and Z28 convertibles. Coupes started at $20,115, while convertibles ran at least $25,520.
Super Sport
Like the Z28, the SS came standard with the V8 engine and was basically both an appearance and performance package for the car. 2,381 SS models were produced, and the package added about $4,000 to the total price of the car.
1997 Camaro 30th Anniversary Coupe
The 30th Anniversary coupe was very distinctive in that it was arctic white with orange hugger stripes. It was available in both a coupe and a convertible, and 4,533 were manufactured. The special edition added $575 to the price of the car.
Pony Car Competition
By 1997, the Camaro’s most direct competition was the Mustang, the only other pony car still on the road other than fellow GM brand the Pontiac Firebird. For 1997, production numbers between Mustang and Camaro were fairly similar, with just over 10,000 more Mustangs being produced than Camaros. This would be the last year, however, that sales figures would be so close, as Camaro was about to go into a sales decline while sales of Mustangs were rising.
Neither car was selling as many models as they had as recently as the mid-80s, due in part to the influx of competition. Though there were no other pony cars, foreign car companies were producing many sporty, small cars that were taking more and more share of the market.