13 Camaro Models You’ll Never See in Real Life
The final Chevrolet Camaro rolled off the production line at the end of 2023. Thus, the story of one of America’s most excellent muscle cars ended, leaving us with the 2024 Ford Mustang to fly the flag for American muscle.
Over the years, Chevrolet has produced some brilliant versions of the Camaro, including some scarce, low-volume Camaross. Some of which you may have never seen.
Based solely on their production numbers, this list contains 13 of the rarest Camaros ever produced. The low production numbers also indicate that these are some of the most spectacular Camaros that Chevrolet has ever made.
1993 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car
The Chevrolet Camaro has acted as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 on several occasions, including the 1993 running of the “greatest spectacle in racing.” Of all the pace cars for the great race, the 1993 Camaro is one of the most outlandish, thanks to the crazy graphics and colors that adorn the muscle car.
Chevrolet would produce a limited number of 1993 Camaro Pace Car replicas to sell to the general public. Specced out as a Camaro Z/28, the 1993 Pace Car replicas had two-tone black and white paint, with pink, turquoise, purple, and yellow ribbon decals along the side of the car. The exterior colors found their way inside the Camaro, with those ribbons appearing on the seats. Under the hood is a 265-hp 5.7-liter V8, and in total, Chevrolet produced 645 replicas of its 1993 Camaro Pace Car.
2020 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS 1LE
If you want a rarer, more modern Camaro, look no further than the 2020 Camaro 2SS 1LE. This muscle car monster started as the Camaro 2SS, with a 6.2-liter V8 under the hood producing 455-hp and 455 lb-ft of torque for a top speed of 180 mph.
However, you could add the 1LE performance package to the Camaro 2SS for more performance. This package, which cost around $7,000, added wide and sticky tires, upgraded front brakes, and recalibrated suspension. These upgrades transformed the 2SS into an agile track machine, and in total, Chevrolet sold just 424 units of the 2020 Camaro 2SS 1LE.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car
The tradition of creating Indy 500 Pace Car replicas goes back a long way, and the 1967 Chevy Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car is one of the rarest of the lot. It is such an enigma of a car that there is uncertainty about how many replicas Chevrolet produced, although the number is somewhere between 100 and 300.
Within that 100-300, there were different kinds of 1967 pace cars, including 81 Norwood-built Camaro IPC Special Promotional Vehicles used at the Indy 500 to pace the race, take part in local events, and for loans to celebrities. Chevrolet zone staff and dealers also ordered pace cars, making the 1967 Camaro Pace Car range one of the most intriguing of the Camaro’s whole production run.
1996 Chevrolet Camaro SS SLP Firehawk
Of all the rare Camaros on the planet, the 1996 Chevrolet Camaro SS SLP Firehawk is one of the most dramatic to look at. What looks like a muscle car crossed with a Hot Wheels toy was born from a collaboration between Chevrolet and Street Legal Performance (SLP).
The Firebird Firehawks had a 5.7-liter LT1 V8 engine with 300-hp and 330 lb-ft of torque under the hood. Performance was impressive, with 0-60 mph achieved in just 5.3 seconds. For a muscle car, the Firehawk was very light and agile in the corners, making it a joy to drive. In total, just 41 1996 SLP Firehawks were produced, quickly making it one of the rarest Camaros in the world.
Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 ‘Hurst Sunshine Special’
You can’t get a rarer muscle car than a one-of-one, and that is precisely the case with the 1970 Camaro Z/28 ‘Hurst Sunshine Special.’ This remarkable muscle car was the result of drag racer Dick Jesse taking his Camaro Z28 to Hurst for modifications. Initially, the car was built as a Daytona Yellow-on-Black 1970 ½ Z28 RS.
The tuning company installed a dual-gate automatic shifter and a fabric sunroof on the coupe. Under the hood, the Sunshine Special still had its 350 ci small-block LT V8 engine, producing 390-hp and 370 lb-ft of torque. The car still exists today as part of the Legendary Motorcar Collection in Halton Hills, Ontario.
1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro
Some of the most desirable Chevy Camaros ever produced are those tuned by racer and performance dealer Don Yenko. In 1969, he sold just 201 Yenko Camaros, each with a 450-hp, 460 lb-ft of torque L72 427 ci V8 engine under the hood. Further changes included a four-speed transmission, heavy-duty suspension, and power disc brakes.
The “Yenko 427” badges, the car’s unique striping, and the “sYc” identification helped to identify these gorgeous Camaros. The Yenko Camaros proved so popular that Chevrolet agreed to partially build them, with the Bow Tie installing a front anti-sway bar, wide tires, and a 140 MPH speedometer.
1997 Chevrolet Camaro SS 30th Anniversary LT4
Chevrolet has celebrated various Camaro anniversaries over the years, one of them occurring in 1997. The Camaro SS 30th Anniversary LT4 was another collaboration with SLP, with Chevy and the tuning company creating 100 unique Camaro SS models to celebrate 30 years of the muscle car.
At the heart of these special Camaros was a re-tuned 5.7-liter LT4 V8 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette, producing 330-hp and 340 lb-ft of torque. These anniversary specials were striking, with a white exterior, orange stripes from the hood to the trunk, and an exceptionally bright white interior.
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Indy Pace Car
Given how rare Camaro Pace car replicas are, it’s no surprise that we have included several on this list. In 1982, Chevrolet launched the third-generation Camaro, which also marked the third time that the muscle car would pace the field at the Indianapolis 500.
To mark the occasion, Chevrolet produced 6,360 replicas of the pace car for public sale. Under the hood, a selection of 305 ci V8 engines produced up to 165-hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, differing from the official Pace cars, which had 390 ci V8s powering them. The Pace cars all had two-tone silver and blue metallic paint, an Indy 500 accent package and decals, and a blue cloth interior.
2012 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
The Central Office Production Order (COPO) Camaros are some of the rarest forms of the Chevrolet muscle car, with the most famous dating from the late 1960s. Chevrolet continued to produce these special COPO Camaros in the 2010s. They were built for NHRA Stock Eliminator drag racing and Super Stock classes, meaning they are not street-legal.
However, they are powerful, with either a 7.0-liter 427 ci V8 or a 5.3-liter 327 ci V8 under the hood. Those V9 engines produced between 425-550-hp, and Chevrolet would make just 69 examples of the monster COPO Camaro. There was also the option for a 327 ci V8 engine with a 2.9-liter supercharger, and they are now some of the most collectible Camaros ever produced.
1970 Chevrolet Camaro SS L78/396
In the early 1970s, GM’s corporate racing ban meant you could not buy a Chevrolet Camaro with a 427 or 454 ci V8 engine under the hood. However, the SS option meant you could get the 396 ci L78 V8, producing 375-hp, but only 600 cars ever came with that engine option in 1970.
The following year, the 396 ci Camaro disappeared as an option altogether, and the 1972 model year would become the final in decades in which a Camaro had a mighty big-block V8 under the hood. The 1970s oil crisis and the strict CAFÉ standards from 1973 onwards made the 1970s Camaros even more desirable for muscle car enthusiasts.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
The 1969 Chevy Camaro ZL1 is one of the “holy grails” for Camaro enthusiasts. The initial production run was just 50 units, which was all Chevrolet needed to produce to homologate the Camaro into the NHRA’s Super Stock racing class. Such was the demand for them that Chevrolet built a further 19 ZL1s, distributing them to Chevrolet dealers to bring the total to 69.
Under the hood, these Camaros had a 7.0-liter 427 ci V8 engine producing 430-hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. All of these Camaros were ordered via the COPO system, and with the ZL1 performance package, the V8 was good for 550-hp; Chevrolet listed the lower power figure to avoid scrutiny from GM.
1967 Chevrolet “Pilot Assembly” Camaro
The first Chevrolet Camaros were hand-made “pilot assembly” models produced at Chevrolet’s Norwood, Ohio plant in 1966. That makes them incredibly special, as does the fact that Chevrolet produced just 49 of these Camaros in that first original run.
The vast majority were used to test the muscle car before serious production began, and thanks to their low production volume, they are among the rarest ever produced. Power came from a 3.7-liter inline-six engine, producing 140-hp and 220 lb-ft of torque, and you are fortunate if you ever see a “Pilot Assembly” Camaro on public roads.
1969 Chevrolet Berger Double-COPO Camaro RS
Based on its looks, the 1969 Camaro Berger Double-COPO RS isn’t special. But, if get up close and personal with it, and you will find a massive 427 ci big-block V8 under the hood, producing 425-hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. At the time, this was one of the most powerful Camaros ever created, and only 58 units were ever made.
It wasn’t just the V8 that set them apart. These special Camaros had power front disc brakes and the Sports Car Conversion Package, adding many extra features. These included heavy-duty springs, bigger sway bars, a 140-mph speedometer, and 15×7-inch rally wheels. Their rarity ensures the Double COPO Camaros are some of the most valuable when they come up for auction.
