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In Search of the Elusive
Black Panther Story Contributor: Bob & Lorraine Simonen Edited by: ClassicCar.com VISIT THE CAMARO PORTAL |
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While
Ford was fighting off the early successes of the Chevrolet Corvair and
Chevy II with their introduction of the Mustang in August of 1964, GM
began work on a counter-punch experimental project named XP-836. The
XP-836 project directly targeted the Ford Mustang mystique and the new
youth market that emerged from almost nowhere in the eyes of GM
marketers. The surprising popularly of Ford’s Mustang framed the XP-836
project from the very start and incorporated the “Mustang formula” in
the early years of production. In the winter of 1965, the XP-836 project turned out a proto type car based on some cobbled up Chevy IIs. While crude, the new Chevrolet was shaping up to run well along side Ford’s Pony car. Now named the “Panther”, the project and the proto-types were written about in great length by the automotive press with all the excitement of a pending rivalry with the Mustang. Given a name that the public could latch onto, the “Panther” was quickly being promoted as GM’s Mustang-fighter. Sometimes called “Chevy’s Mustang” the “Panther” evolved conceptually using much of the Mustang marketing formula. |
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| Now branded
with the “Panther” script and leaping-cat emblems similar to that used
by Jaguar, the proto-types advanced with an outward confidence that
Chevrolet’s sleek new cat would be chasing down the Mustang. By early
1966, Ralph Nader was doing a hatchet job on the Corvair, and GM
management sought to tone-down the image of their new car in hopes of
not drawing the attention of safety crusaders with the aggressive
“Panther” name. Seeking a “clammier” image for the new car, the marketing department looked to their current line of Chevrolet monikers, the Corvair, Corvette, Chevelle, and Chevy II for inspiration. Desiring another “C” name brand, merchandising manager Bob Lund and GM Car & Truck Group vice-president Ed Rollert poured through French and Spanish dictionaries and came up with “Camaro”. Meaning, “warm friend”, the new name offered GM an excellent label to compliment the current Chevrolet line and introduce their new car with a much tamer image. |
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