In Depth: One Of The RAREST Chevrolet Camaros In The WORLD — 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28 Crossram HEMI

Rick George of Rick’s First Generation has always been a collector of Camaros and rare Camaro parts. Rick has collected some really neat and rare Camaros since leaving his first 20-year career in the Navy. So, when it comes down to finding an owner for what is arguably the rarest 1969 Z/28 on the planet, it would figure you would find it in his collection.

From the outside, the car looks like your everyday, ho-hum Cortez Silver Z/28 with a ZL2 hood and the D80 spoiler package. Climb into the interior and the driver is met with black standard buckets, console with gauges, a Hurst shifter, rosewood steering wheel, an in-dash tach, and windup windows. Look under the car and the 3.73 rearend with the JL8, four-wheel disc brake system is ready to go from top speed to no speed without a hitch. GM knew the meaning of “purpose-built cars” in the ’60s.

Once the driver pushes in the clutch, gives the accelerator a few quick pumps, and twists the key, the stigma of being a regular ’69 Z/28 is shattered forever in the din of the throaty, factory chambered exhaust system. Opening the hood reveals it is not a metal cowl-induction hood at all. It is a rare, factory GM, fiberglass crossram hood, which covers the pinnacle of small-block Chevy race engine development for the SCCA Trans-AM racing series. Did we say Chevy, racing, and the ’60s in the same story? Chevy never “officially” had a racing development program in the late ’60s. But, history and the mighty pen have proven otherwise.

valhallakey - 12/28/2015 2:27:53 PM

+2 Boost

Sweet car. Love the reworked squared wheel arches on the 69.

MDarringer - 12/28/2015 9:07:51 PM

-1 Boost

I love the raw vitality of big-engined muscle cars. This needs to go on my bucket list. I've driven a Thunderbolt, a GT500KR, Hemi Dart, Yenko Camaro, a Roadrunner, and a few more, but I did not know this existed. I'm bot Much of a Chevy hound once you get past Corvettes. I will have to research this.