1969 Chevrolet Camaro Hardtop Sport Coupe

Chevrolet unveiled the Camaro to the press at Detroit's Statler-Hilton hotel in September of 1966. It was intended to compete directly with the wildly popular Mustang when a reporter asked the GM product managers, 'What's a Camaro?' The GM spokesman responded that it was, 'A small vicious animal that eats Mustangs.'

The new Camaro was available in a variety of configurations ranging from mild six-cylinder engines to thunderous big blocks. The 1969 model received a slight but distinctive body refresh and total production was 243,085 units, 20,302 equipped with the Z/28 option. (The 1969 model year was very long as engineering problems delayed the 1970 Camaro launch.)

The Z/28 option was conceived specifically to compete in the immensely popular SSCA Trans Am road racing circuit as all the domestic manufacturers were fielding entries in the battle for podium finishes and bragging rights. And the Z/28's high revving, 11:1 compression, solid lifter 302 CID mill was right in its element. This first-generation Camaro, produced until 1969, inspired the current retro-styled Camaro design.

The owner bought this car after looking at 16 others with his father. He drove it while in High School and began a frame-off restoration in 1998 that took 12 years to compete. Built in February 1969, it has been certified as an authentic Z/28 and includes optional equipment such as the special ducted hood and X-33 style trim.