With only 69 units produced, the 1969 Camaro ZL1 is a rare sight on the auction scene. But at the Mecum Kissimee Auction on January 5-14, a matching pair will cross the block as a single lot. Here’s the backstory on these two special Camaros.
Sporting a production-line racing engine, more or less, and an astronomical sticker price of more than $7,200 in 1969-era dollars, the ZL1 is easily one of the most outrageous Camaros ever offered by Chevrolet. Only 69 were produced and around 50 examples are said to exist today, according to first-gen Camaro experts. So when two highly authentic ZL1 Camaros are set to cross the auction block in a single lot, that’s an event worth noting.
Finished in Chevrolet paint code 51, Dusk Blue, ZL1 no. 18 (above) is an extensively documented example that, unlike many of its kind, is still equipped with its original, numbers-matching engine assembly. The bare-bones exterior trim and poverty hub caps are representative of these rare Camaros, which bore the official designation COPO (Corporate Office Production Order) 9560. Technically, the ZL1 moniker is the engine code for the all-aluminum 427 CID big-block V8, which was also offered in a handful of Corvettes—from three to seven cars, experts say.
The Hugger Orange example in the pair is ZL1 no. 30, which is also quite well-documented and like its Dusk Blue stablemate, it too still has has its original engine. Raced on the drag strip in the Super Stock category for several years and never street-driven in its original life, it has only 361 miles showing on the odometer. Of the 69 examples produced by Chevrolet, 15 were finished in Hugger Orange and 10 in Dusk Blue, while all were equipped with F41 heavy-duty suspension, 12-bolt Positraction rear axle with 4.10:1 gears, and ZL2 cowl-induction hood.
Much like the exteriors, the cockpits of the ZL1 Camaros were all business as well, with a pair of bucket seats, black carpeting, a plain dash, and little else. While both cars in the auction pair happen to be equipped with the Muncie four-speed manual gearbox, a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission was also available. The stick-shift cars carried the order code COPO 9560AA; the automatics COPO 9560BA. While the first 50 cars ordered by Fred Gibb Chevrolet in La Harpe, Illinois were similar in basic equipment, the final 19 cars in the model run, ordered by other dealers, sported a few more variations in colors and options.
Of course, the ZL1 Camaro’s reason for being, and the reason for the outrageous $7,200 list price ($4,200 over base price) was the magnificent all-aluminum big-block V8, below. Essentially an all-aluminum version of the L88 427 CID V8 offered in the Corvette, the ZL1 used a cylinder block originally developed for racing in the Can-Am series but with a few adaptations for road use, including a wet-sump oil system and provisions for a mechanical fuel pump. While the engine was arbitrarily rated at 430 hp, it was reportedly capable of an easy 500 hp in showroom tune. For more details on these two extraordinary Camaros, which carry a pre-auction estimate of $1.25 million to $1.75 million for the pair, visit Mecum.com. Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
I don’t follow the strategy. I’d assume there are more people who could buy one than two.
As with many collector cars, no one is actually going to drive these, so there’s no great need to have one person make the purchase. A couple of dentists get together and investment group is formed. A storage facility is located, and the cars sit for a number of years until the value increases. Trailer them to a few prestigious shows to troll for the interested, and build up a list of potential buyers. With only fifty in existence, owning two cars controls more of the market. Both are numbers matching, and that’s an even smaller niche.
At $1.25 million or more for the pair, I’d prefer a baker’s dozen of Challenger Demons. Unfortunately, I don’t have fifty years to watch them appreciate.
And with the Badday Polyglas are like a dog on lino.
The ZL1 which was built to race, The orange one with years of drag race history will be overbored with everything very tired. Even presuming fully rebuilt.
The only two examples here in Oz were both owned by Bob Jane, auto for drag racing and a manual to race as a Touring car. The VERY [it was raced as a Sports Sedan and mid engined] extensively rebuilt manual car uses the engine from the long lost [crashed and scrapped] auto car. The original lost in England after use in Frank Gardners English Camaro.
To me they will be way too expensive to actually use so is far cheaper to build a clone, or simply build up a small block car
THANKS STEVE, I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A ZL1 FAN! THEY WERE BAD IN THEIR DAY!
One of GM’s biggest mistakes was trying to recoup the design costs of the aluminum 427 all at one time. If they had of kept the extra engine cost at $400 like originally quoted, they could have sold a few thousand of them. Seems like it has always been a problem at GM, they get a model that is popular, then they pull the plug too soon.
While these were unique, I figure you could assemble an aluminum engine 69 now for less than $50,000 and still be able to drive it and enjoy it other than having to just look at it sitting in a showroom somewhere.