Team Camaro Trivia: Do You Know These Top 13 Rare Camaros?

Team Camaro Trivia: Do You Know These 13 Rare Camaros?

When you’re a solid Team Camaro member, it’s safe to say you know these beauties like the back of your hand, including the rarest of the rare Camaros ever produced. Let’s explore the 13 rarest and most iconic Camaros.

If you’re a steadfast Team Camaro member, you’re already familiar with the Camaro’s proud history as one of the supreme muscle cars in American automobile history — if not of all time.

So, let’s start off with a fun fact.

Did you know that the base price of the first Camaro was $2,572? Compare that with the 2017 Camaro price tag of $25,700 (and that’s with no options). Quite a jump!

Now try to imagine what the best of the best Camaros go for; to give you an idea, the 1968 Camaro Z/28 Penske Trans Am Racer sold for a whopping $990,000 in 2016. Long story short, if you get your hands on a rare one, a Camaro can be one heck of an investment.

Below are our picks for the top 13 rare, old Camaros. Feel free to disagree with the order we put them in, but regardless of the number, they all offer a unique view of the Camaro specialties.

(Not to mention the fact that they also provide snapshots of the evolution of one of the United States’ most iconic cars.)13. The 1982 Camaro Z28 Indy Pace Car
1982 was the first year of the newly redesigned third generation body style, which literally set the pace for the sports car industry as the Indianapolis 500’s Pace Car. The Z28 was the first car with fuel injection, and included sport mirrors, a rear spoiler and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Chevrolet produced 6,360 replicas of the Pace Car with a 5.7L cross-fire injection engine.

12. The 1961 Camaro ZL1
For decades, the ZL1 was one the the fastest cars GM ever sold, with some saying the engines produced in excess of 500hp.

This 1961 gem of a muscle car sold for $715,000 at Worldwide Houston in 2015, and that price tag came despite the fact that muscle car values were still slowly climbing back up after the hit they took from the 2008 financial crisis.

Since so few of these cars were produced, they are easily one of the most sought after, widely collectible Camaros ever made. ZL1 examples rarely come up for sale, and this particular one brought serious bidding to the table, exceeding expectations and becoming one of the most expensive Camaros in the world.

11. 1978 Camaro Z28 (Canadian Model)
In 1978, Camaro had a contemporary makeover that included body-color and front and rear fascias made from molded urethane.

Customers loved the look and bought 54,907 that year, with 5,907 of those purchased in Canada. The rare Canadian models featured a three-speed automatic transmission and 170 horsepower, 5.7L small-block V-8 engine.

10. The 1977 Camaro Z28
In 1977, the Z28 came out from a two-year hiatus. Camaro released the ’77 Camaro Z28, which emphasized handling and incorporated striking blacked-out trim as well as a unique, scoop-inspired intake hood graphic.

The car had a 5.7L small-block V-8 engine rated at 185 horsepower. It also had 280 lb-ft of torque, and featured a unique suspension that included special shocks, stiffer springs, and stabilizer bars that were larger in diameter. Chevrolet sold 14,349 Z28 models in 1977, and it was the first official time Camaro outsold the Mustang.

9. The 1974 Camaro Z28
The 1974 Z28 was the first Camaro with a sloping front-end design, along with wraparound taillights. This model also complied with the time period’s recently-instituted federal bumper standards ― the aluminum front and rear bumper extended the car’s length by 7 inches.

The Camaro Z28 had a 245-hp version type of the 5.7L small-block V-8 engine. It also sported front and rear spoilers, and the distinct hood graphic that left no question that the car was a Camaro.

8. The 1970 Camaro Z28 “Hurst Sunshine Special”
|The 1970 Camaro Z28 was the start of Camaro’s second generation. It was noted for high performance, boasting a 360-hp LT-1 engine.

This standout version was called the Hurst Sunshine Special, and it was one of only three cars with a prototype power-sliding sunroof. (The sunroof never made it to production.)

Of the three cars built, this is the only one still in existence, and it’s part of Rick Hendrick’s Collection.

7. The 2014 Camaro Z28
Prized by GM as the most track-capable Camaro ever, the 2014 Z28 returned the fifth-generation Camaro to its original roots.The new Z28 was a track-oriented special with 505-hp 7.0-liter engine, trick shocks, and huge tires.

Sold for $650,000 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2014 (charity sale), the first built 2014 Z28 only had a MSRP of about $75,000. However, since first is always better, this car’s bragging rights helped to garner quite a bit more cash than anticipated prior to the sale (PLUS, all the proceeds went to charity).

6. The 1969 Yenko Camaro
The Yenko was a Central Office Production Order (COPO), or special order performance model, requested by Don Yenko, a car dealer based in Canonsburg, PA. At Yenko’s urging, Chevy produced a batch of roughly 200 cars with an iron-block 427 engine.

Of the 200 Yenko Camaros made, only 30 were equipped with a three-speed, Turbo 400 automatic transmission.

5. The 1969 Cortez Camaro ZL1
One of the Camaro specialties, the 1969 Cortez Silver Camaro ZL1 was number 66 of only 69 made. It was built through the COPO special-order system, and featured an impressive, all-aluminum 427 big-block engine.

Illinois Chevy dealer Fred Gibb ordered the first 50 cars, because the NHRA required a minimum of 50 production vehicles for Super Stock class eligibility. Along with the rare big-block engine, this example is 1 out of only 12 with the renowned Muncie M22 “Rock Crusher.”

The 1969 Camaro ZL1 ranks as the most valuable production Camaro. Among muscle car collectors, it’s also considered a “blue chip” model.

4. The 1967 Camaro Z28
The purpose of the 1967 Camaro Z28 was to forward the new Camaro for the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Trans-Am road-racing series. The Z28 package sported a special chassis and suspension.

It also had a one-of-a-kind, 302-cubic-inch version of the small-block V-8 engine. This engine met the requirements needed to meet class rules, which limited the engine displacement to 305 cubic inches. Chevrolet only built 602 cars.

3. The 1967 Camaro “Grumpy’s Toy”
This is the 396-powered Camaro that legend Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins drove through the NHRA’s Super Stock class, winning the 1967 championship.

This Camaro set the stage for Jenkins’ influential participation in Pro Stock, which made its debut in 1970. In tandem with Vince Piggins, Chevrolet’s Racing Director, Jenkins’ accomplishments established the Camaro’s racing credibility.

This was most likely the first Camaro built with the L78-code 396 engine. It rated at 375 hp and is a true piece of racing history.

2. The 1968 Camaro Z28 Penske Trans Am Racer
In 1967, Roger Penske was at the beginning of his notable career as both businessman and race team owner.

By teaming up with driver Mark Donohue, the pair took American road racing by storm. The Penske team experimented and came up with this model for the SCCA’s Trans-Am series, which featured a lightweight body.

This particular car, which was driven by Donohue for a second place finish at the Daytona 24 Hours in 1968, sold for $990,000 at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island in 2016..

1. Team Camaro’s Rarest, the 1967 Camaro – VIN #100001
As we stated before, first is always best, and our number one pick reinforces it. Not only is this the first generation Camaro, it is the VERY FIRST Camaro, making it the rarest (and coolest).

VIN #100001 is the first of 49 “pilot assembly” vehicles that were hand-built at the Norwood, Ohio plant in 1966, used for evaluation before regular production began.

The 1967 Camaro was fitted with a three-speed manual transmission and a 3.7L inline-six engine. Chevrolet used this car to introduce the Camaro to the public in August 1966, and the car went on sale soon after.

This particular car appeared in several promotional spots and public relations photos and it eventually sold through an Oklahoma Chevrolet dealer. In 2009, Cory Lawson purchased the Camaro and fully restored it with assistance from the GM Heritage Collection.

 

Team Camaro: Be a Fan For Life
Of course, no true enthusiast ever tires of seeing a Camaro, but these 13 cars are easily the best of the best. If you get the chance to see any of them in person, it’s guaranteed to be a memorable occasion.

Did this list get your juices flowing? Stop by our site not only to learn more about the greatness of the beloved Camaro, but to also get access to any part you could ever need while restoring these classic cars. Contact us today!