Chevrolet had a big year in 1966, and it had everything to do with a car that played an important role in defining what American performance cars meant back then. I’m talking about the Chevrolet Camaro. The pony car is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer with a series of events lined up during the Woodward Dream Cruise presented by Chevrolet.

It’s only fitting that Chevrolet made the announcement 50 years to the day – June 28, 1966 – when Chevrolet first announced the Camaro’s name. Obviously, both the name and the model have endured and remain, to this day, important parts of the U.S. automotive industry. The Camaro’s status is a big reason why Chevrolet is organizing these events to pay homage to the model that helped usher in the muscle car era.

The Camaro 50th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled to kick off on August 18 at the Lansing Grand River plant in Lansing, Michigan. Here, Chevrolet will play host to Camaro owners and aficionados with a car show, heritage display, a tour of the plant, and meaningful discussions with current Camaro team members, including the car’s chief engineer, Al Oppenheiser.

The very next day, August 19, will see Chevrolet host a “Camaros and Coffee” meet at the Joe Louis Arena Riverfront parking lot in downtown Detroit. Owners of the Chevrolet Camaro are welcome to join in on the festivities, which will be highlighted by a Camaro Rally that will be led by the 50th Anniversary Edition Camaros that Chevy unveiled in March 2016.

The three-day extravaganza will conclude on August 20 with a special Camaro heritage display at the company’s site for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Befitting the purpose of the event, Chevrolet will display rare and milestone examples from the Camaro’s six generations. Among those that will be a part of the heritage display are two of the latest Camaros to hit dealerships, the all-new 2017 Camaro ZL1 and 1LE models.

Chevrolet also noted that reservations are not required, especially for the tours, but registration is required on site. There’s a lot to be thankful for with this incredible milestone and those who are interested to join in on the festivities can learn more information about them at Chevrolet’s dedicated website, www.camarofifty.com.

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Why it matters

It’s hard to believe that the Chevrolet Camaro is 50 years old. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there was a seven-year gap between the fourth- and fifth-generation models. Some people could argue that it only makes the Camaro 43 years old, right? Personally, I don’t care about the gap. I like that Chevrolet is celebrating the muscle car’s 50th anniversary on the year it first broke into the scene. And to make the announcement on the same day 50 years ago that the Camaro name was first announced? That’s a nice symmetry right there too.

The planned events are also a nice touch, but I don’t think they’ll be the only ones that Chevy plans to celebrate this year. More will be announced in the coming months. For now though, the focus is on the three-day weekend of August 18 to 20 in what looks to be a massive gathering of Camaro owners and fans alike. It’s a great way for Chevrolet to have all these fans and owners together from different generations themselves to talk about their shared passion for a car that has become one of the most iconic American-made cars in history.

I won’t be there to attend any of the events, but I no doubt appreciate the lengths Chevy is going to in order to give the Camaro the golden anniversary it so richly deserves. Let’s face it, if the Camaro was never built, the whole landscape of the American auto industry would be very different. That much, I think, a lot of people can agree on. Would the Mustang be as iconic without the Camaro serving as its natural and legitimate foe, and vice versa? We all know the answer to that question, don’t we?

Chevrolet Camaro 50th Anniversary Edition

Read our full review on the Chevrolet Camaro 50th Anniversary Edition here.