Chevrolet Camaro 1968 images

This 1968 Camaro pairs the SS-package 350 V8 – good for 295 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque – with the desirable M20 wide-ratio four-speed manual. It’s also a car built in the one model year that offered ten different engines and introduced federally mandated side marker lights along with the vent-window-deleting “Astro Ventilation” design, small details that separate a ’68 Camaro from the ’67 it followed.

1968 Chevrolet Camaro 350 CID V8 M20

MCF thanks Gateway Classic Cars for the images here.

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Decoding a 1968 SS 350 Build Sheet

“350 CID V8 M20” reads like a parts-counter shorthand, but decode it and you’re looking at one of the most desirable drivetrain combinations Chevrolet offered on the first-generation Camaro. The M20 designation points to a specific four-speed manual transmission, paired here with the SS-package 350 that turned a good-looking pony car into a genuinely quick one. 1968 also happened to be the year Chevrolet offered more engine choices in the Camaro than ever before — and the year federal safety rules quietly reshaped how every Camaro looked. What does a spec sheet like this actually add up to on the road?

295 Horsepower and a Wide-Ratio Four-Speed

The SS-package 350 in the 1968 Camaro made 295 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm, backed by the SS performance package’s chassis upgrades for better handling under all that extra power. The M20 code on the build sheet designates a wide-ratio four-speed manual transmission — the enthusiast’s choice over the two-speed Powerglide automatic that backed small-block cars in 1968 (big-block 396 Camaros got the three-speed TH400 instead) — the now-legendary TH350 automatic wouldn’t arrive across the V8 lineup until the following year.

The Year Camaro Got More Choices — and More Safety Features

Chevrolet offered ten different engines in the 1968 Camaro, up from eight in 1967 and eventually twelve in 1969, including a new 307-cid V8 added to the lineup. At the same time, federal safety requirements pushed Chevrolet to add side marker lights front and rear and introduce “Astro Ventilation,” which eliminated the front vent windows that had defined the car’s side profile since 1967 — small changes that mark any ’68 Camaro apart from its ’67 sibling at a glance.

Why the SS Badge Meant More Than Just Trim

Unlike some manufacturers’ performance packages that amounted to little more than exterior badging, Chevrolet’s SS option on the 1968 Camaro brought genuine mechanical substance — specific engine calibrations, upgraded suspension components, and unique exterior cues like simulated hood vents and SS-specific badging that distinguished it clearly from a standard Camaro at a glance. That combination of real mechanical upgrades and clear visual identity is a large part of why SS-optioned Camaros from this generation remain more sought-after than comparably equipped but unbadged cars.

The Engine Bay Tells Its Own Story

A correctly detailed engine bay on a car like this — with period-correct hose routing, factory-style clamps, and appropriately finished components — takes real research and restraint to get right, since aftermarket parts catalogs have offered countless non-original substitutes over the decades since 1968. Enthusiasts who focus on engine bay accuracy understand that a numbers-matching block means little to serious judges if the surrounding details don’t match what actually left the factory on a given production date.

First-Generation Camaros and Their Lasting Popularity

Of the three generations Chevrolet built before the Camaro nameplate was eventually revived decades later, the original 1967-1969 first generation has consistently commanded the strongest collector following, prized for its cleaner, simpler lines compared to the more heavily sculpted bodies that followed. A well-optioned 1968 SS 350 with the desirable four-speed manual sits comfortably within the segment of the first-generation market that draws the most consistent buyer interest today.

Caught Between Two More Famous Model Years

Sandwiched between the Camaro’s celebrated 1967 debut and its best-selling, most heavily restyled 1969 finale, the 1968 model year sometimes gets overlooked despite carrying real mechanical refinements of its own. That in-between status has quietly worked in favor of buyers today: well-optioned 1968 SS cars like this one often sell for less than comparable 1969 examples, even though the underlying SS 350 driving experience is every bit as strong.

A Combination That Still Rewards Enthusiast Buyers

The specific combination of the SS 350 and the M20 four-speed manual makes this exact configuration one that knowledgeable Camaro buyers actively seek out rather than settle for as a compromise. Cars built this way split the difference between outright big-block muscle and everyday drivability, offering enough performance to satisfy an enthusiast while remaining considerably easier and less expensive to maintain than a numbers-matching big-block equivalent.

Why Small-Block Ownership Still Makes Sense Today

Beyond the lower purchase price relative to a big-block 396 car, a small-block 350 like this one is simpler and cheaper to keep running, with a wider parts network and a shallower learning curve for owners doing their own maintenance. For enthusiasts who want to actually drive their Camaro rather than trailer it between shows, that practical advantage matters just as much as the car’s collector-market standing.

What Astro Ventilation Actually Changed

Removing the front vent windows in favor of Astro Ventilation wasn’t purely a styling decision — it simplified the door structure and reduced wind noise at highway speeds compared to the vent-window design used on 1967 Camaros, even though it meant giving up the small, driver-adjustable airflow those vent windows had offered. That kind of running change, made quietly between model years rather than announced as a headline feature, is exactly the sort of detail that helps enthusiasts date a Camaro correctly at a glance.

Ten Engines, One Clear Sweet Spot

With ten different engines available across the 1968 Camaro lineup, from the base inline-six up through the largest big-block options, Chevrolet gave buyers an unusually wide spread of price points and performance levels to choose from in a single model year. The SS 350 shown here sat solidly in the middle of that range — enough performance to satisfy most buyers, without the added weight, fuel consumption, and insurance cost that came with stepping up to the 396-cubic-inch big-block options further up the order sheet.

Why Dashboard Details Matter to Judges

Correct gauge faces, the right steering wheel pattern, and unmodified dash trim are exactly the kind of small details concours judges check closely on a numbers-matching SS 350 build, since these are the pieces most likely to have been swapped out or damaged over more than five decades of ownership.

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