What Does The 'RS' Stand For On A Chevy Camaro RS?

Nearly 60 years ago, back when Ford was crushing the competition with its Mustang, Chevrolet created a new car to try to lasso some of that audience. The V-8 Camaro was introduced with the 1967 model year, but ended up selling less than half the number of pony cars Ford sold that year. Nevertheless, Chevrolet persisted. It chased that Mustang for ten years until 1977 when the Camaro finally outsold it for the first time, according to Car and Driver magazine. Camaro bested the Mustang's sales by more than 65,000 units.

Throughout its life, the 2-door sport coupe Camaro was — like its arch nemesis — also offered as a convertible to broaden its appeal. This Chevy's enduring popularity carried it through six generations of body styles, with each of those generations featuring multiple trims such as the LT, Z, and SS for customers to choose from. On top of that, Chevrolet offered appearance packages for numerous trims to customize cars with a sportier and more distinctive look. These styling packages did not typically include performance enhancements, but are still coveted for the flair they add.  

One of the best known is the RS, which stands for Rally Sport. Today, a number of Chevy vehicles can be enhanced with RS features, but the RS package was originally offered exclusively with the Camaro, first available with the Camaro's 1967 model.

In the early years, the RS packages featured style points like a flatter grill that was less peaked than the base model's and hideaway headlamp doors that were tucked into the grill for a cleaner look. The taillights, too, were different, and Chevrolet gave those early Camaros an RS badge on the grill (unless the car were an RS SS trim, which then had an SS on the nose), as well as Rally Sport badging on the front quarter panel. In later years, the RS package could include upgrades and appointments like a different color for the grill, special LED headlamps and tinted tail lamps, and a black Chevrolet bowtie badge instead of a gold one. Other modifications included a lip spoiler on the trunk and special aluminum wheels.

Sadly for Camaro RS fans, it all came to an end with the 2024 model year when Chevrolet announced it would end production of the Camaro. The car maker sent off its beloved sport coupe with final Collector's Editions including a special RS with some of those features mentioned above. Like other popular cars ending their runs in 2024, the gas-powered Camaro departs to make way for a line of new electrified vehicles. And, while Chevrolet has not yet announced an electric Camaro, it's hard to believe that the automaker would simply give up on 60 years of Camaro heritage without bringing the car back in some new iteration.