Camaro Exposed 1967-1969
By Paul Zazarine.
Bentley Publishers, 174 pages?

Growing up in the late 1960's and early ?70's was great for a car enthusiast, as those years were the height of the horsepower wars among the Big Three. One of the positive outcomes of this war was the infamous Chev Camaro. Paul Zazarine's new book is a candid look at the first-generation Camaros from 1967-1969.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, the volume takes an inside look at how the Camaro was designed, developed and marketed to the public in response to the Ford's new Mustang.

As an early Camaro lover myself, I found Camaro Exposed to be ?right on? with what I have read over the years.

For example, the author describes cost-saving ideas behind the muscle car, such as using the Chevy Nova's platform, which explains the high dash in first-generation Camaros. As with any good car book, Zazarine's book contains an interesting array of pictures, which show the Camaro from concept to production. There are period advertisements as well.

Connoisseurs will want to take a close look at shots of special-order variations like the Yenko and COPO. One picture I found particularly interesting showed a mockup of a 1968 Camaro station wagon, developed in response to a rumour that Ford was looking at building a Mustang wagon.

Camaro buffs will find this book packed with interesting data and trivia. It rates as a must-have.