Arriving four years late to the pony car party, the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro was rushed into production after Ford’s stunning success with the original Mustang. Now, 40 years later, history repeats itself. With nearly 200,000 Ford Mustangs sold after a 2005 retro redesign took the icon back to its 1960s roots, Chevrolet can’t afford to ignore the sporty rear-drive coupe segment, and the bowtie boys are planning a return as evidenced by the Camaro concept car the company trotted out at the 2006 North American International Auto Show which foreshadows a production car to arrive for 2009.

When the new Chevy Camaro hits showrooms, Ford will have added power, performance, and polish to the successful Mustang. Will General Motors be too late this time, or will the return of the Camaro, and the Dodge Challenger, spark a new pony car war to rival the late 1960s and early 1970s? With Baby Boomers retiring with more wealth than any generation in history, we forecast a long and successful run for these retro-modern muscle cars. And if the Camaro Concept piques your interest, you might want to know a little bit more about this legendary performance machine, so turn the page for a retrospective on the iconic Chevy Camaro.