1981 – Last Classic

By the time the second-generation Chevy Camaro was finally retired after the 1981 model year, the standard inline-six was dropped in favor of a 229-cid V6 making 110 horsepower. A new 267-cid V8 made just five horsepower more than the V6, but added torque for a livelier feel off the line. The 155-horse 305 V8 continued (and became standard on the 1981 Camaro Z28), but the optional 350 V8 for the Z28 model dropped from 1980’s 190-hp rating to 165 ponies. That means that even if you brake-torqued a brand-new 1981 Camaro Z28 and floored it from a traffic light, your grandma could whip your ass in a stock 2006 Honda Civic LX sedan with an automatic transmission. Ugh. Sales plunged spectacularly in 1980 and the 1981 lineup was pared to the base Camaro, the luxury Berlinetta, and the gaudy Z28.