1969 Camaro Z/28 RS Was Valued at $21,000 in 2002; What's the Right Price Now?

The Z/28 Special Performance Package was a rowdy engine with assorted underpinnings derived from the racetrack version of the Camaro. Essentially a streetable variant of the 302-cube small-block V8 that was dominating the Sports Car Club of America Trans American Championship – Trans Am - in the late sixties, the Z/28 was sold in high numbers after 1967. In its first year, the nefarious Camaro package (that never saw the print that year) was ordered by 602 well-informed customers.

In ’68 and ’69, Chevrolet openly advertised its wild pony to everyone, and orders poured in like rain during hurricane season. In 1968, 7,200 Z/28 were sold, and in the final year of the first generation, 1969, over 20,300 mean Camaros were released onto the streets to battle the Mustang Boss 302 and the Barracuda Formula S.

The ’69 Z/28 is not exactly a rare car, especially considering the low production numbers of its main competitor, the Little Boss Ford Mustang, which sold only 1,628 copies. Still, an original example of the heavy-hitting Camaro is by no means ordinary, and one in turnkey condition is a downright treasure trove. I’m not making this up; just a week ago, one example sold for a nifty-thrifty ten grand over a quarter-million bucks (buyer’s premium not included).

So, it’s not without reason for a prospect to take precautions when finding one example available for purchase from careful private ownership. In cases like these, a would-be buyer wants to make absolutely certain that what he pays for is what he gets, and bringing an expert to go through the car and certify its authenticity is always a good idea.

Enter Parker Blubaugh, the Chevy guy from Tennessee who has built a reputation for dissecting bowties (particularly Camaros) with neurosurgical precision and telling things as they are. Recently, the YouTuber was commissioned by an interested gearhead to verify a 1969 Camaro Z/28 from Massachusetts. The car was certified by Jerry MacNeish back in 2002, but with over two decades gone by since, it pays to have a second pair of fresh eyes over it.

The owner is a gearhead of crushing proportions – he has two other Chevrolet gems in his garage. Both are more valuable to him than the matching numbers Z/28, which he bought in 2021 from a long-time collector who had had it for 26 years. Unfortunately, the man who purchased the car three years ago had to deal with health issues that prevented him from driving, so he decided to let the car go.

He wanted to make absolutely certain he’d pass it down to someone of equal, if not better, appreciation for the nasty Z/28 so that the car will live on as it has been for the past 55 years. Truth be told, this original drivetrain automobile has had its share of rough moments, but the seller doesn’t know the details for all of them.

The most obvious not-original specs are the front and rear spoilers (period correct, but installed after the car’s first sale), the alternator and distributor (replaced – the original parts are boxed and come with the vehicle), the cowl induction hood (again, not original equipment, but it was an option), and a repair in the passenger side rear quarter.

The odometer reads 37,474 miles (60,308 km), and the transmission shifts well, although there is a slight wobble felt during driving, as the new buyer says. Play the video below to see the entire inspection (and learn a thing or two about how to tell a real-deal 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28). What sets this particular example apart from the rest of the Z/28 bunch is its Rally-Sport package.

Unfortunately, Chevrolet didn’t keep records for combinations of options, so we can’t say how many of the 37,773 RS Camaros assembled in the extended 1969 production year were also Z/28s. Out of a total production run of over 235,000 Camaros, less than 10% were the high-performance variant, so the RS Z/28 is well below that margin.

We don’t know much about the history of this car other than the hand-written ‘Appraisal – Certificate of Authenticity’ from 22 years ago. According to the document, this Camaro was a nice driver and a solid candidate for a full restoration despite its minor flaws noted at the time.

The owner from back then (who had the car for 26 years before selling it in 2021) took the appraiser’s advice and redid the vehicle through and through, from the Hugger Orange with black stripes and vinyl top to the interior and engine bay.

At the dawn of the third millennium, this automobile was valued at $21,000 (about $36,850 in today’s money). The price of this transaction is strictly between the two parties, but according to classic.com, the average price for a 1969 Camaro Z/28 is around $100,000.