1967 Chevrolet Camaro Cherokee show car

[69Z28-RS]

that second word looks more like 'Conversion' to me....  'Camaro Conversion' ...

[bcmiller]

Did not see any pics of the second car.

I will have to go back and look for sure, but I believe they were labeled the same as the title of the thread.

[Jon Mello]

Might be Cardinal since that is the Illinois state bird, the car is all red, and it's at the Chicago auto show.

I do prefer this earlier car in all red with the nice top well cover and the four speed.

[crossboss]

Might be Cardinal since that is the Illinois state bird, the car is all red, and it's at the Chicago auto show.

I do prefer this earlier car in all red with the nice top well cover and the four speed.

+1. I think Jon has made a very logical comment. Btw, thanks for posting the neat concept/show cars!

[SMKZ28]

It is funny how several different people can look at the same image of a word and see different things.  The same thing happened in the other thread with the 1967 pace car on the used car lot.  I guess that's why it's so hard to nail down exactly what it is when there hasn't been any other evidence come to light.

Jon, it looks like it could be "Cardinal" and the logic behind it makes sense.  I'm from Illinois and I seem to remember you mentioning that you grew up here as well.

I wonder then why they changed the name to Cherokee for the New York Auto Show and beyond.     


By the way, the Corvair powered Astro 1 that appears in the photo with the Golden Cameo and Cherokee would debut at the New York Auto Show in April 1967.

[SMKZ28]

I just wanted to make sure everyone saw this fantastic photo of the what is probably the first Cherokee being constructed.  The second Cherokee was originally painted white, which this car obviously is not.

Notice the drawings of the car in the background on the wall.  It looks like they originally intended the car to have round exhaust tips coming through the rear valence.  It also looks like they were going to add a type of roll bar structure to the car.  This feature obviously never made it on to either the first or the second Cherokee but it looks similar to how this section of the 1968 Camaro Caribe Concept/Show car would look.

[Jon Mello]

Scott, yes I did spend some of my growing up years back in Illinois so you did remember correctly.

I don't know why they changed the name. Maybe somebody within Chevrolet didn't like it or it didn't test well at the Chicago auto show? Joie Chitwood drove Chevrolets in his stunt shows for many years by this time and Joie was known as the "Chargin' Cherokee" even though he was not an Indian. The Chargin' Cherokee name was painted on the side of Joie Chitwood Jr's Camaro at the Trans-Am races during this time and maybe that influenced the name change.

The round exhaust holes in the rear panel were easy enough to draw in but they would have had to make a much smaller gas tank to make room and they also would have eliminated the backup lights.

[bcmiller]

I don't know what it says on the plate in the pics you posted, but here is a closer up pic of the plate on the outdoor pic that did not have a date. This one clearly says Camaro Cherokee.

I could not figure out what was on the larger rectangular sticker on the windshield.  The smaller one has "K-22"

I asked but no pics of the yellow Camaro were available. I thought I had seen that car referenced as the Golden Camaro - like of similar to the Golden Cameo pickup.

[crossboss]

I don't know what it says on the plate in the pics you posted, but here is a closer up pic of the plate on the outdoor pic that did not have a date. This only clearly says Camaro Cherokee.

I could not figure out what was on the larger rectangular sticker on the windshield.  The smaller one has "K-22"

I asked but no pics of the yellow Camaro were available. I thought I had seen that car referenced as the Golden Camaro - like of similar to the Golden Cameo pickup.

Does this Camaro have what appears to be a Corvette like 'duck tail' spoiler?

[Jon Mello]

Yes, it does have a duck tail spoiler and this would have been a half year or so in advance of the '68 Corvette coming out which featured that look very prominently.

I think this is the first time I noticed a line in the rear quarter showing the rear duck tail is done in a separate end cap like Ford did with their Mustang and other cars. It does not appear to be a piece that attaches over the top of the stock quarter panel.

[crossboss]

Yes, it does have a duck tail spoiler and this would have been a half year or so in advance of the '68 Corvette coming out which featured that look very prominently.

I think this is the first time I noticed a line in the rear quarter showing the rear duck tail is done in a separate end cap like Ford did with their Mustang and other cars. It does not appear to be a piece that attaches over the top of the stock quarter panel.

Jon,
Yes, I agree it has an end cap. Also, after close inspection, does it appear to have the Corvette's rear bumper?? Neat concept.

[Jon Mello]

No Scott, I believe these bumpers are unique to the car and not borrowed from the Corvette line.

[Vince]

What about Camaro Cruisin or Cruising for the plate?

[Jon Mello]

These are the photos that show the undecipherable name given to the car at the Chicago Auto Show. Can anyone figure it out??  As I stated in my other thread, I initially thought it said "Carnival" but I can not be sure because of the cursive writing.  It certainly does not say Cherokee.

The more I look at it I think it does say Carnival.

[Vince]

I think I agree with you Jon.