Widely regarded as the greatest ‘Pony Car’ that Chevrolet ever produced, the Z/28 Camaro was GM’s sales code for ‘Camaro Special Performance Package’. To purists in both the 1960s and today, the Z/28 is THE specification to have your Camaro in. The combination of front disc brakes, heavy duty four-speed Muncie manual transmission, uprated suspension and chassis and lighter-weight solid-lifter 302 cubic inch small block V8 made the Z/28 a formidably fast road car, and an even more formidable force in the legendary SCCA Trans-Am championship. With teams like Penske-Sunoco piloted by the likes of Mark Donohue, the Z/28s would go onto win an incredible 21 out of 36 races they entered in Trans-Am from 1967-’69.
To GM, the Z/28's life mission was to humiliate Ford's Mustang on the road and in Trans-Am – and it succeeded, comprehensively beating the Boss Mustang 302 both on-track and off the forecourt.
Visually the road-spec Z/28 was instantly recognisable by its two wide "skunk" stripes down the hood and trunk lid, and when one arrived for a ‘stock’ drag race on the highways or ‘strips across America… their opposition were toast!
In its five decades of production, numerous versions of the renowned Chevrolet Camaro have come and gone, but none is rarer than the 1968 Camaro Z/28. So rarefied is the ’68 car that there is just one single convertible Z/28 ever made. Today, according to the US Z/28 register, only 359 of these rare Pony Cars have been located.
The car we have for sale is special in many ways, but its mileage and originality are two remarkable features. With less than 23,000 miles from new on the clock, fully matching numbers and having spent almost all its life lived in the UK, it really does stand out as a car with special history.
Built in April 1968 at the Norwood, Ohio plant, it was subsequently imported into the UK in 1974 with 15,900 miles by Camaro legend, Stuart Graham (of Fabergé Camaro fame), and his brother Chris. In 1976 the mileage was 19,269. The car was then taken off the road in 1977 with just under 21,200 miles showing. It remained off the road until 1986, when it was bought by an ex-Rolls Royce coachbuilder who underwent a bare metal re-paint in its original ‘British Green’ colour to the highest of standards – the only reason being that it had suffered some ‘micro-blistering’ while garaged. Today the car is still in exceptionally original condition inside and out – with the entire interior as it left the factory. 2022 even saw the car invited to show in the Hampton Court Concours de Elegance – demonstrating the recognition these important cars are not getting outside of the USA.
A very rare opportunity to acquire one of the most iconic American cars in automotive history, in truly original condition. Sometimes these American icons escape their home country early in life and live as rare gems in foreign lands such as the UK – to us that only adds to its rich and interesting history.