The first time the public got to see a 1967 Camaro Cutaway display was at a Can-Am race at Mosport.
On Saturday, September 24th, 1966 the Canadian public got their first look at the new sporty Chevrolet when a multitude of Camaros were provided by General Motors to help promote the new car line to the automotive and motor racing enthusiasts attending the Canadian Grand Prix for the Pepsi-Cola Trophy. This race was the third event of a total of six for the inaugural Sports Car Club of America’s Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am), and it was held at Mosport Park road course in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. According to an article entitled “Meet the Camaro” in the November 1966 edition of GM Topics (vol. 17, Number 9) “fans at the track had the chance to inspect the Camaro close-up when 25 Camaros of differing models fitted with various options and performance packages were set up in a display area. Fifteen of these cars, all convertibles, were used in the Parade of Champions when all the drivers entered in the race were driven around the track prior to race time.” Pictures from the article show a large tent located in the paddock or somewhere else on the grounds of the road course at Mosport Park. The tent had large letters written on it that announced “CHEVY SHOW.” A caption on the second page of the article proclaimed that “the Camaro was the hit of the show.” It went on to say, “gay and lighthearted was the mood around the ‘Chevy Show’ where the Camaro was on display for the benefit of the sports enthusiasts gathered for the race.” Inside the Chevy Show tent the race enthusiasts could see a brand new Camaro RS/SS 350 Cutaway car display. As far as I can tell, this event was probably the first time that the Camaro Cutaway car display was shown to the public. The previously mentioned caption goes on to say that “one of the highlights of the show was a cutaway of the Camaro which allowed interested spectators to view the interior of the car. Most of the mechanical parts of the car were cutaway as well. Electrically operated motor, transmission, rear end, and wheels pulled, slid and revolved in full view of the audience. The whole car rotated on a turntable to give viewers a look at the car from all angles.”
It is interesting to note that this event took place five days before the Camaro could be seen for the first time at Chevy dealer showrooms on Thursday, September 29, 1966. The people who viewed the cars at this race were some of the first non-press members to see it in person.
To see and read the entire article, “Meet the Camaro”, see my previously posted thread:
http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=16216.0 Picture is a cropped version taken from the article. They are courtesy of CRG member Mike Scott.
