Rewind to 1966, nip across the Atlantic and we guarantee you’d have your face pressed up against the window in front of a Chevrolet dealer. On this day, 45 years ago Chevy started selling its vision of the Mustang, otherwise known as the Camaro. And, as Hammond will tell you, the Camaro’s a bit awesome.

When it thrust onto the launch pad, Chevy’s manager, Pete Estes, told the world’s press what the name meant: “A small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs*.”

Though it wasn’t. Camaro sales didn’t beat the ‘Stang’s till 1977 (Ford sold 153,173 and Chevy shifted 218,858, fact fans). But it was very, very pretty.

And to celebrate, we’ve assembled a selection of glorious images of the very first car to bear the name.

Click on, the internet.

*There isn’t an animal called a Camaro that eats Mustangs. We Googled it and everything.