Rare 1st Gen Firebirds/Camaros you Probably Don't Know (Photos)
For years, the Firebird and Camaro were competing with one another for pony car supremacy. The early, first-generation days were legendary in their own right. We''re here today to unearth some of those lesser-known and rare models from that classic era which may have escaped popular attention.
1. 1969 TransAm Pontiac Firebird Convertible
Trans Am was a special package enhancement for the Pontiac Firebird. Geared towards racing enthusiasts, the "Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package" added muscle and attitude onto an already beefy vehicle. The result is a pretty over-the-top machine and a rare one at that. Only 689 hardtop TransAm Pontiacs were made for the '69 model year. The convertible version, however, is much rarer. Only eight of these 1969 TransAm Pontiac Firebird convertibles were ever made. As it happens, they've become one of the most sought after Firebirds in history.
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2. Silver Cortez Hemi-Z
This Z/28 Camaro is possibly one of its kind. The high-performance Z/28 Camaro from 1969 is a sought-after monster in its own right, but this one is given legendary status by a rare factory cross ram hood and all-aluminum Hemi 302 crossram engine-- thought to be the only surviving of its kind in existence. This muscle titan from Camaro was designed in an attempt to outdo Ford's powerful 302 engine engineering.
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3. 1969 ZL1 Camaro
The 1969 ZL1 Camaro was certainly ahead of its time. The COPO 9560 ZL1 engine was the most impressive American production engine of its time. The vehicle was the result of a special custom order, combining a Camaro with an engine that far outshot even other muscle cars of the time. Although the car, with its almost fully aluminum engine and racecar-like performance, still holds up as a remarkable piece of engineering, the price tag was too much to make a larger production line feasible. Only 69 were made, and of those, only a few are still in excellent condition.
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4. 1967 Ram Air 400 Firebird
The larger the engine, the better the muscle car, or so the saying goes. The first year of the Firebird is generally underrated compared to its better-known and loved Camaro equivalent. However, amped up with Pontiac's Ram Air 400 cubic inch engine, the rarity and power are taken up a considerable notch. The Ram Air's impressive low-end torque and RPM range make it a bright mark on the Pontiac legacy. The Ram Air Firebirds were pricier and rarer than their small-block counterparts; only 65 of the Ram Air configuration Firebirds were produced in the Firebird's first year.
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5. 1969 Camaro COPO 427
Chevrolet offered a system to dealers called COPO, or "Central Office Production Order", which allowed dealers to create customized vehicles. The COPO 427 was a power-oriented take on the 1969 Camaro. The COPO 427 pictured above is painted in Burnished Brown, giving it the added significance of having the model's rarest factory color.
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6. Grumpy's Toy
Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins was a professional dragracer who commissioned a special-built '67 Camaro to drive in. With it, he made his impressive mark in the 1967 NHRA Super Stock Class championship. It should be noticed that, while the 1967 Camaro is one of the most memorable, a total of 17 competition vehicles would bear the name. The car would go on to be the namesake of Jenkins' authorized biography, "Grumpy's Toys."
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7. 1968 Camaro Z/28 Convertible
The 1968 Camaro Z/28 is a vintage classic, but it's not terribly rare, at least not like the '68 Z/28's convertible model. Only one of them was ever made. Chevrolet's general manager at the time, Peter Estes, was obsessed with convertibles and wouldn't drive anything else. A custom Z/28 was hand-built to satisfy this whim. Although it would be sold by Chevrolet after several months, Peter Estes reportedly drove it every day for the months he owned it. Notably, the positive Z/28 experience was integral in convincing Estes to keep the Z/28 line around into 1969.
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