This year marks the 48th year of Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, and a main attraction will be an epic compilation of pristine Camaros from every generation, each with unique stories. As of now, most of the early cars appear to be Z/28s. The later models include a 334-mile IROC-Z from 1989, and fifth and sixth-gen COPOs.
“The Chevrolet Camaro is an iconic American muscle car,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “Not only does it have a loyal base of performance enthusiasts, but it became a global icon when it became the face of ‘Bumblebee’ in the popular ‘Transformers’ film series. Scottsdale will be one of the best events of 2019 to revel in the Camaro’s long performance history and pop culture fame.”
There’s always the one ultimate gem among the others; the hardest to find, the most limited run, lowest mile, and most expensive to buy. It looks like a LeMans Blue 1969 COPO Camaro is that gem. At no reserve price, lot number 1298.1 was found in a barn in the mid-2000s and determined to be a COPO 9561 package car from Don Yenko. It underwent a no-holds-barred restoration with the L72 427 engine built to factory specs and dressed as such; even the A.I.R. pollution controls gear remains. Camaro Hi-Performance certified the car along with the National Corvette Restorers Society.
The Popular Hot Rodding cover car from July 1989 is also up for sale. It is one of only 602 1967 Camaro Z/28s. This particular car sports a date-coded 302ci engine and M21 gearbox. The date-coding didn’t stop there as the carb, started, distributor, and fan also get the number as close as possible. Only 8,950 miles are on the clock of lot #1067.1.
It can be hard to wrap one’s head around how special these cars really are, but it may help to think of them this way: These limited production performance model Camaros were built in response to Ford’s Mustang. What resulted was a horsepower war, the likes of which was only seen during the space-race. The late 60s and early 70s was a time considered to be the heyday of domestic car manufacturing, and the competition between the manufacturers drove innovation and automotive technology forward. It is in part because of these cars, and others like them, that that the auto industry is where it is today. These aren’t just cars, they are tire-roasting and ground-pounding, pieces of history.
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale is taking place at Westworld of Scottsdale from January 12-20. In addition to the auctions, there are symposiums, demonstrations and thrill rides being given throughout each day. The gates open every day at 8:00 a.m. but if you’re not there, you can catch exclusive live coverage by downloading the Motor Trend app or watch the TV broadcast from the 15th– 20th. Check your local listings for times.
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