Engine: 350- or 396-ci OHV V-8
Horsepower: 300, 325, 350, 375, depending upon engine option
0-60 mph: 6.8 seconds (375 horsepower)
Top speed: 130 miles per hour
Price New: Approximately $4,000, depending upon engine choice and options
Value Now: Super-clean, 350-powered examples with an auto trans run around $50,000
Nineteen-sixty-nine was a peak year for the Camaro. It was the last, and some would say best, of the first-generation design. It was also the only year for the all-aluminum-powered ZL-1 model. To top it all off, Chevy bucked up the cash to have it pace the Indy 500. To mark the occasion, the company sold a commemorative Pace Car edition. Most were convertibles, a few were coupes and all were white with orange/red detailing and interiors, the latter incorporating a hound's-tooth vinyl motif. The Indy Pace car stripe kit came in the trunk, so it was your choice to install it. Not all the Camaro powertrains were available, but the several 350 small-block and 396 big-block V-8s were, with your choice of four-speed manual or Turbo 400 automatic, so little else was required.
Behind the Wheel:
Collector Car Ads has one for sale for $35,000. Collector car auctions, like Barrett-Jackson, that trade in muscle cars, usually have several for sale each year.
Photo courtesy of Chevrolet
« PREV
