Mark Osborne
Global Director of Motorsport
LOT 150
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Hardtop Trans Am Racer Chassis no. 124377N16390
Estimate: US$425,000 - US$525,000
Lot 150
Ex-Alan Green Chevrolet, Jerry Grant, NorPac A/S Championship-winning, Mark Donohue tested, multi-season period Trans Am contestant
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Hardtop Trans Am Racer
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Hardtop Trans Am Racer
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Hardtop Trans Am Racer
Chassis no. 124377N16390
Chassis no. 124377N16390
302ci Traco-Chevrolet OHV V8 Engine
2 Holley Carburetors, Cross-Ram Intake
458bhp at 7,200rpm
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
Independent Front Suspension, Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Disc Brakes
*A well-known car campaigned by the legendary Alan Green Chevrolet
*The 6th Z/28 built, and the 2nd delivered to the Pacific Northwest
*Converted to a racer when new, always titled
*Raced in period by Jerry Grant and tested by the great Mark Donahue
*An active participant in the Historic Trans Am Group
*Widely eligible for global historic racing events
THE TRANS-AM CAMARO Z/28
In 1966, Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop created the production-based Trans-American Sedan Championship, a new class which he hoped would draw lucrative manufacturer support and capitalize on the myriad new pony cars hitting the market. Trans-Am featured two categories, an up to 2-liter class and the over 2-liter class. With a displacement limit of 305 cubic inches, it was the perfect category for the pony cars that the Big Three were eager to promote in competition.
Big name drivers and teams showed up to play. Jochen Rindt drove an Alfa Romeo to victory in the first ever Trans Am race at Sebring, and as the over 2-liter category took off, Dan Gurney, Sam Posey, Parnelli Jones, and the great Mark Donahue all counted among the impressive roster of drivers that would steer Trans Am cars in the series' golden era. Soon, manufacturers were dumping huge sums of money into teams, whether directly (Ford) or funneled out the back door (General Motors) to ensure their cars crossed the line first in front of the hordes of rabid fans. Trans-Am was indeed the realization of "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday"
While the small-capacity class was hotly contested, the thumping V8 pony cars stole the show. Manufacturers enlisted the best teams in motorsport – Penske Racing, Shelby American, Bud Moore, Holman-Moody, Smokey Yunick, and many others – to run cars. In the Pacific Northwest, Alan Green was the big name on track. Through his Seattle-based dealership, Alan Green Chevrolet, the team was best known for their fleet of Bill Thomas Cheetah racers.
In 1967, Chevrolet finally released their Mustang competitor, the Camaro. While Ford had a leg up on developing the Mustang (via Carroll Shelby and others), the Camaro was formidable straight out of the box. To homologate the car for Trans Am, Chevy offered the Z/28 package, with a heavy-duty 12-bolt rear axle, front disc brakes, 15-inch wheels, and beefy suspension. To meet the 305ci limit for Trans Am, engineers mated the 283 crank with the 350 block, resulting in the 302. Conservatively rated at 290 horsepower, the trick heads, solid lifters, and other bits gave the high-revving engine an actual output of at least 350 hp – with plenty more on tap for race versions. Just 602 would be built for the '67 model year.
THE CAR OFFERED
This unique Camaro Z/28 is reported to be the 6th ever Z/28 built of 602, and one of the first two delivered to the Pacific Northwest. While the car was technically destined for a private buyer, dealer Alan Green Chevrolet intercepted the order and commandeered it for his race team. Initially, the car was hastily prepared to mild showroom-stock specs, and entered in the 1967 Sebring race weekend, where it ran well with Gary Gove at the helm and in the team's classic white-and-green livery, until a water pump failure on lap 67 of the Trans Am race ended his day.
From Sebring, this Z/28 is said to have been shipped to Bill Ellis Racing, best known for their NASCAR preparation, to complete the transformation into a full-blown Trans Am car. Experts familiar with this car have noted the 1960s NASCAR influence is apparent in the design of the roll cage and the suspension set-up, making it particularly unique among other Trans Am cars. At the end of a tough '67 season, the Alan Green Camaro came home for the final at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washington. Before the race, Green enlisted fellow Camaro driver and Penske-man Mark Donahue to test the car. Donahue, a talented racer and engineer, reported it to be an excellent car, only held back by a lack of power. Ahead of the 1968 season, Alan Green got their hands on one of Chevrolet's secretive new cross-ram intake manifolds, unleashing a slew of proverbial ponies.
Struggles continued for 1968, speaking less to this car's ability and more to the depth of competition in Trans Am, even with the versatile Indy racer and longtime Alan Green collaborator Jerry Grant at the wheel. By 1970 Alan Green Chevrolet had closed, and the Camaro was sold via SeaFirst Bank to Max Dudley, who raced it in SCCA A-Sedan class, taking home a deserved regional championship in 1971.
In current ownership, the Camaro has been restored in its fantastic original Alan Green Chevrolet colors of off-white with green stripes and lettering, and "lucky" number 7 on the door. It remains in authentic Trans Am specifications, with a Traco-Chevrolet 302, complete with the now incredibly rare cross ram intake. Reported to make 458bhp at a screaming 7,200 rpm, it is said to be a fresh build, with just 2 races on it. Spare wheels and a spare axle are included. In the hands of its current owner, it is an active competitor in the well-supported Historic Trans Am group, running at historic festivals around the country. Additionally, it is accompanied by a generous file containing, other things, the wonderful historical images laid out over these pages, and we highly recommend viewing the file. Beautifully prepared and restored, it presents a rare opportunity to acquire a genuine historic T/A car with period history, with broad eligibility for many events, including the Monterey Historics and Goodwood Revival.
Ronald C. Miller - July 1967 SCCA Regional, Kent, Washington
Ronald C. Miller - July 1967 SCCA Regional, Kent, Washington
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
Dave Friedman - 1967 Sebring 4 Hours
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