To Mark the 50-Year Anniversary of the Chevrolet Camaro, We Look Back at the Iconic Car’s Very First, ‘Volcanic’ Commercial
With 2016 recently ended, we close the book on what is officially the 50th year of the Chevrolet Camaro story. The 1967 Camaro was introduced to the media in August of 1966 and it went on sale shortly after. So, 2016 effectively marked 50 years of Camaro availability.
To mark the 50th anniversary milestone, we look back at the very first Chevrolet Camaro commercial from back in that first year of sales.
Most modern car commercials are either 30 or 60 seconds long, but the very first Chevrolet Camaro commercial was a full two minutes. In speaking with folks who were alive and old enough to remember this ad from 1966 or 1967, it seems that this lengthy commercial would have played in the middle of a popular television program – presumably at a point where the viewers were unlikely to leave their TV set.
In this day and age, a commercial like this could be reserved for the likes of the Super Bowl or the Daytona 500, but back in 1966, this would have been the kind of commercial that really grabbed the viewer.
Figure that 50 years ago, the Camaro rising from a volcano would have required state of the art special effects and since there was no internet, many TV viewers had never seen such a detailed view of a volcano eruption. The Camaro rising out of the fire, with rocks and fire all around would have seemed shockingly realistic to some viewers while others would have been glued to the TV for a rare chance to see this new American performance car from every angle, inside and out – including a look at the new Camaro racing away from the volcano.
This Camaro commercial would have been nothing short of amazing back in 1966. Today, the Camaro continues to be amazing, 50 years later.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
