Wednesday, February 5
Shadow

1968 Chevrolet Camaro

The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro underwent some suspension tweaks, as continuous improvement was a big part of the Camaro picture. New staggered shocks helped reduce the tendency toward "axle tramp" that had plagued early high-performance editions, and rear suspension travel was increased to reduce Camaro's likelihood of "bottoming."

Otherwise, changes were few, beyond the new side marker lights mandated for all cars. A silver-colored grille made up of slim horizontal bars surrounded oblong parking lights. Taillights remained oblong, with separate red and white lenses on the standard versions, and a quartet of square red lenses for the RS.

Like some other Chevrolets, Camaros adopted flow-through Astro Ventilation, deleting the quarter vent windows in each door. Super Sports had a distinctive nose stripe and optional hidden headlights. Additional detailing made the SS 396 stand out — namely, a black rear panel and a hood with fake air intakes. Another version of the 396-cubic-inch V-8, developing 375 horsepower, joined the options list.

SS Camaros now included front disc brakes. Four-wheel disc brakes became available as a "service option" on the Z28 to give the racing versions better stopping power. Camaro sales had been edging upward, with 235,151 cars built this year (7,199 Z28s), while sales of the rival Ford Mustang dipped in the late Sixties.