1968 design study car - Camaro Caribe

[vtfb68]

Hmmm,
Seems the 1969 Ford copied the 1967 Chevrolet.....

[67conv6cyl]

Didn't GM keep some of these show cars in there historical archive building....does anybody know?

[crossboss]

Hmmm,
Seems the 1969 Ford copied the 1967 Chevrolet.....

Actually you have it backwards. In 1966, Ford had a show car called Mach-1 with a similar grille (the Mach-1 made production in '69). In fact, many cars during this era used this type of 'styling' exercise.
Not that I am taking anything away from the Camaro Caribe, its still a beautiful design.

[KurtS]

Didn't GM keep some of these show cars in there historical archive building....does anybody know?

No. GM kept very few cars. Only relatively recently did they create the GM Heritage Collection. Most vehicles in it have been acquired from outside of GM. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/

[rlw68]

There is a photo of this car in Lamm's book 'The Great Camaro', pg37.  The caption states the tire sidewalls are reflective.  Interesting design idea that never saw the light of day?

Regarding the other new related design threads there is a lot of info in this book.  I really like the quarter-scale transparent body model !

[bcmiller]

Rob, everything I am getting for information is direct from GM.  So that way there is no need to get information (and have to verify accuracy) from the book you mentioned.  And yes I do have a copy of that book too.

[SMKZ28]

Found this ad for the 1969 Cal-Expo in the May 1, 1969 edition of the Sacramento Bee newspaper from Sacramento, California.  It states, "Chevy displays will include all models of their sports and recreation vehicles, including the sportsmen's dream pickup, Chevrolet Caribe."

newspapers.com

This 1969 date seems to correspond to what Gary L. Witzenburg wrote on page 62 of CAMARO! From Challenger to Champion: The Complete History.  He stated, "very curiously, one so-called 'dream car' that made the auto show rounds early in 1969 was based on a '68 SS-396 Camaro.  Dubbed 'Caribe,' it was a bright red 'dream pickup' with a headerless windshield, open-topped cockpit, targa-style roll bar and a five-foot vinyl-lined, teakwood-floored pickup bed replacing the back seat and trunk.  It also featured a modified grille opening with small, high-intensity, G70 wide oval tires, with 'brushed aluminum sidewall inserts' on fifteen-inch aluminum wheels, high frequency flashing rear stop-lamps, and a hot beverage dispenser and cup storage box in the console."