Why The Chevy Camaro Emblem Looks Like A French Flag

Red, white, and blue are three colors that mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For people in 29 different countries, it represents the three colors on their flag. For Americans, it might remind them of the Star-Spangled Banner — or one of their nation’s most beloved muscle cars.

Last year, we had to bid adieu to the Chevrolet Camaro once again. During its nine-year production span, the car’s sixth generation came in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the 2.0-liter Ecotec inline-4 to the aerodynamically absurd (and apparently easy-to-steal) ZL1. Off the road, it battled with its pony car rival, the Ford Mustang, across NASCAR and V8 Supercars. It even made a surprise appearance with Garage 56 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Sadly, production concluded in 2024, and Chevrolet entered yet another era without the Camaro, with the possibilities of a revival looking increasingly bleak.  Only time will tell if we ever see a seventh generation, but if or when it returns, we’ll be able to know by one simple emblem. Similar to how every Mustang features a galloping horse on their trunk lid, each Camaro — barring the fifth generation — features a badge with red, white, and blue stripes. At first glance, it might look like the French flag, but what does the emblem actually signify?

When drawing up the first edition of Chevy’s next muscle car, the folks at GM were on a run with cars that started with C, including the yacht-like Caprice, the mid-size Chevelle, and of course, the iconic Corvette. The Bow Tie Brand kept that trend going with its brand new pony car, settling something akin to the French word for friend, or comrade — camarade. And the Camaro was born in 1967. 

At the time, Chevrolet also had a trend of giving each of its models a specific badge to adorn it. The Corvette had the twin-flag emblem, and each Impala featured the antelope galloping on the side of the coupe. Ultimately, the Camaro would get the same treatment, with the “tri-bar” badge appearing on the car first appearing in the 1970s. 

With the Camaro being designed in Detroit and built all across America, it’s no shocker that, according to GM Authority, the emblem on the side represents the Star-Spangled Banner. But with the three red, white, and blue lines together, you can see why so many first saw it as “Le Tricolore.”