Chevrolet Camaro CS 327 Coupé Frua

Vehicle Overview

The Chevrolet Camaro CS 327 Coupé Frua was a one-off prototype created in 1968, merging American engineering with Italian design refinement. Based on the platform of the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro, the vehicle was re-bodied by the renowned Turin-based coachbuilder Pietro Frua, known for his work across a variety of European marques. The car’s name, CS 327, refers to its Chevrolet small-block V8 engine with a displacement of 327 cubic inches (5.4 litres), a powertrain commonly used in contemporary Camaro models. Retaining the mechanical underpinnings of the Camaro, including the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and a four-speed manual transmission, Frua reinterpreted the car’s body with a distinctly European gran turismo approach. The design featured cleaner surfaces, a more tapered front profile, and a fastback roofline. At the front, quad headlights were set into a bespoke nose, distinct from the Camaro’s original fascia. The overall form was lower, smoother, and proportioned with an emphasis on flow rather than aggression. The CS 327 was first presented at the 55th Paris Motor Show in 1968, where it appeared in a bronze metallic finish with period-correct alloy wheels. The design bore some visual parallels to Frua’s earlier work on the Maserati Mistral and the Monteverdi 375 S, particularly in its treatment of the side profile and rear section. In 1969, the car appeared again at the New York International Auto Show with a new gold paint scheme and updated wheels, suggesting minor refinements to its show presentation. No additional units of the CS 327 Coupé Frua were constructed, and the vehicle remained a one-off design study. While it did not enter series production, it served to demonstrate Frua’s versatility and the adaptability of American chassis platforms for European styling experimentation. As a prototype, it reflected late 1960s trends in cross-continental design exploration, where American performance and Italian aesthetics occasionally intersected under the hand of independent coachbuilders.