Classic DREAMCARS Mount Dora, Fla. (352) 385-1945 www.classicdreamcars.com

 

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1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS/RS SPORTS COUPE

CHEVROLET BUILT 12,496 CAMARO SUPER SPORTS IN 1968 (THERE IS NO BREAKOUT PRINTED BETWEEN COUPE'S AND CONVERTIBLES) BUT, ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE WERE THE COMBINATION OF BOTH RALLY SPORT AND SUPER SPORT. ORDERING THIS OPTION GAVE YOU, NOT ONLY THE LATE FACTORY ADDED SPECIAL CHROME STACK HOOD (PREVIOUSLY ONLY OFFERED WITH THE 396 ENGINE) BUT, THE ADDED BONUS OF BLACK ACCENTED GRILLE AND SS BADGING PLUS, HOOD INSULATION, SPECIAL TIRES, SPORT SUSPENSION, BRIGHT ENGINE ACCENTS AND, THE 350 CUBIC INCH 295 H.P. V8 W/ 4V CARB WITH DUAL EXHAUST. NOTE: "SS" BADGES TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER THE "RS" BADGING ON ALL FACTORY 'COMBO' MODELS. OUR CAR WAS AND IS FINISHED IN MATADOR RED ('RR') WITH PARCHMENT ('730') DELUXE 'BADGED' BUCKET SEATS AND A DASH MOUNTED 'CHICKEN' GRAB-BAR. THIS CAR IS ALSO OPTIONED WITH R.W.L. TIRES MOUNTED ON RALLY WHEELS WITH 'TOP HAT' HUBCAPS AND GLAMOUR RINGS, AM PUSHBUTTON RADIO, POWER STEERING, POWER FRONT DISC BRAKES, SPECIAL INSTRUMENT GAUGES / CONSOLE, 4-SPEED M-20 TRANSMISSION, CONTOURED MATS, STRIPE DELETE, POSITRACTION PLUS, IT HAS THE RALLY SPORT PACKAGE, AS WELL. THIS ADDITIONAL OPTION ALLOWED YOU TO HAVE ALL THE FEATURES OF THE SUPER SPORT, AS WELL AS, THE VACUUM OPERATED 'HIDDEN' HEADLIGHTS. THE RS MODEL ALSO FEATURED SPECIAL GOODIES LIKE "THIN LINE STRATO" BUCKET SEATS, SPECIAL GRILLE, BELOW BUMPER PARKING/ DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LIGHTS, RS NAMEPLATE, BRIGHT MOLDINGS AND BACK-UP LIGHTS UNDER THE BUMPER. WE WERE TOLD THIS CAR WAS RESTORED BY D AND R CLASSIC AUTOMOTIVE IN ILLINOIS. IT WOULD BE BEST DESCRIBED AS A MATCHING NUMBER (COLOR / MOTOR / TRANSMISSION*), FRAME-UP RESTORATION. DRIVES OUT SUPER STRONG DUE TO A NEW CARB.... JUST ADDED: THE CORRECT RARE, SS FACTORY STEERING WHEEL W/ HARD-TO-FIND "SS" HORN BUTTON, & NEW CORRECT CHROME VALVE COVERS, NEW BUMPER GUARDS, RUBBER MATS AND EVEN MORE. ADJUSTED TO SELL WAY BELOW N.A.D.A. COLLECTIBLE PRICE GUIDE VALUE $47,900

*BUILD DATE: '01A'=JAN 1st WK., TRIM TAG: '6812437NOR'= NORWOOD BUILT CAMARO COUPE. 'TRM 730, PAINT RR'= CUSTOM PARCHMENT INTERIOR WITH MATADOR RED TOP & BOTTOM. TRANSMISSION: '3925660'= M20. BLOCK DATE CODED 'L1367'=DEC 13 1967. CAST CODE '3914678' 350/295. 'VIN# + V1215MS' = MOTOR BORN DEC.15TH 350/295 W/ 4-SPD.

 

THE STORY:

By 1968, Dustin Hoffman, the direction-less "Graduate", was already 'doing' Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Robinson), Sally Field had flown the coup as "The Flying Nun", and "Laugh In" already had a year under it's belt as the Most Watched, Rapid-Fire Hour of Comedy on T.V. Martin Luther King would be assassinated in Memphis, TN. while supporting striking local Sanitation Workers. With that violence, there would be riots, torchings and destruction of Ghetto's all across America. The Democrats', Hubert Humphrey, would loose the election after Television Network's covered Police violence at the Chicago Convention. George Wallace would steal votes, the 'Crats should have garnished, with his attempted Third Party takeover of Southern States. For the First Time in History, Color TV out sold Black and White (six million to 5.5 million). The Smothers Brothers would embarrass themselves by trying to be 'hip' on the "Smothers Brothers TV Comedy Hour", conversely "The Mod Squad's 3 ultra-groovy Hipsters would abandon their anti-establishment ways to work for "The Man" as undercover Police Officers, "Hawaii-Five-O" was popular.... though short on 'gimmicks' (like the other TV shows) it was, long on storyline, "Adam 12" would get a trunk load of laughs while the crazy duo drove around in their Plymouth Police Cruiser. Other Top TV Shows were: "Gunsmoke","Bonanza", 'Gomer Pyle USMC", and 'Family Affair". The Most Exciting Cop Movie to come along (to date) was released in 1968 : "Bullit" starring Steve McQueen, while Stanley Kubrick released "Rosemary's Baby" with Mia Farrow spawning the Son of Satan. Who could beat this box office smash? Why another Great Car Chase Movie; "The French Connection" with Gene Hackman. Then there was John Wayne's "Green Beret" for pro-war pundants. You weren't part of the "In" Crowd unless you went to see "2001:Space Odessey", or, for laughs,...."Planet Of The Apes". Those days you couldn't turn on your AM car radio without hearing Simon and Garfunkels "Scarborough Faire" or, the equally airplayed "Mrs. Robinson". The Beatles crashed the airwaves with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band", while groups like The Lemon Pipers did their best to combat The British Invasion with hits like "Green Tambourine". Meanwhile, James Brown sang his "Say It loud- I'm Black & Proud". ...and who could possibly forget Richard Harris singing "MacArthurs Park"?.....especially when you couldn't avoid hearing it..... over and over again on Top 40 radio. This would be the year Elvis Presley would stage a major reincarnation with his "1968 Comeback Tour". Some say.....his best effort ever. Garbed in Black Leather singing as if he really meant it. Elvis fans ignited when he opened his show with a sneer, saying "If you're here looking for trouble....you came to the right place". This was the year of unbridled self-indulgence.

After a successful Debut Year of selling over 200,000 Camaro's in 1967, 1968 would be a year of Refinement and Evolutionary change. Chevrolet picked the French word "Camaro" for good reason. The companies name, "Chevrolet", was also French and "Camaro" meant "comrade", friend", "buddy" or "pal". Seemed fitting for a car that was received so well. Chevrolet tried to keep external changes to a minimum (after all, why mess with a good thing?) but, the "wind wings" (aka: smokers ashtray) had to go. "Astro Ventilation" and Fresh Air Outlets under the dash were added....while the Feds mandated Side Marker Lights on all models. The VIN Plate would be moved from the door jamb to the top of the dash. Rectangular Turn Signals replaced the Round Ones and, the famous "Houndstooth" Cloth Upholstery was introduced for the very first time. Interior colors would be reduced from eight to 6, while you could still choose between "Standard" or "Deluxe" Interiors. Camaro's would also get rectangular mirror's instead of round ones. Rally Wheel caps would go to the "Top Hat Turbine" Style instead of Flat caps. Chevrolet would finally deal with "axle hop" by instituting Staggered Shocks on the rear of all Camaro's....While the Performance Motor Models also got Multi-Leaf Springs. Camaro was linked in advertising for the first time to Chevrolet's Performance Image. One campaign touted the Camaro directly with the Corvette by stating ".... Closest Thing to a Corvette yet". They also nicknamed the car "The Hugger", for the very first time (not a 1969 exclusive), claiming.... "It hugs the road with the best of them". Mark Donahue won 8 S.C.C.A. Races, back to back, in 1968 and finished the year by winning The Manufacturers Title in the Trans Am Series. He also took the Continental Divide Race in Seattle (followed closely by an AMX). The Camaro's Second Home was on the dragstrip where it won B/Stock class driven by Ben Wenzel. Ben won the Nationals and pocketed an amazing $4,000 for his trouble. One can quickly see, after 235,151 units sold why this First Generation Camaro is still America's Number One, Most Popular Collector Car.

 

** SEE CAMAROREGISTRY.COM OR WWW.CAMAROS.ORG FOR MORE INFO.