This year, the reincarnated 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will once again hit the Brickyard, serving as pace car for the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500. Unsurprisingly, Chevy is celebrating its return to the greatest spectacle in racing by selling a (very) limited-edition pace-car replica built on the high-performance Camaro SS. What may be a little surprising, however, is the color Chevrolet chose to accent the 2010 replica’s front grille and engine cover: Inferno Orange.
But what initially seems like an odd choice makes perfect sense once you eyeball the very first Camaro pace-car replica that Chevy sold to the public: The 1969 model, which featured a shocking orange houndstooth interior and similarly colored full-body racing stripes.
Combined with the car’s Dover White exterior, it made for an eye-catching package that’s become a true collector’s item, thanks to a unique set of circumstances.
The Camaro was introduced for the 1967 model year as a competitor for the successful Ford Mustang, and by 1969 the car was ready for it first refresh. But instead of a minor facelift, the ’69 Camaro received distinctly more aggressive sheet metal, an updated interior and plenty of “go fast” upgrades. However, Chevy’s plan to introduce the second-generation Camaro in 1970 made the 1969 version a one-year wonder.
And it was plenty wonderful, especially in its pace-car configuration: That Camaro was available with a range of big V8s, with most pace-car replicas holstering a 350-cubic-inch mill that made 300 hp. A bigger, more powerful V8, pushing 375 horses out of its 396 cubic inches, was available as well. Holstering the 396, the Camaro could hustle from 0-60 mph in less than 7 seconds and reach a top speed of more than 125 mph.
The 1969 pace-car replicas also benefited from all the goodies available on the RS and SS Camaros of the time, including a new cowl-induction hood with a functional air intake, rear spoiler, custom rally wheels, bright exhaust tips and even hidden headlamps.
Now, even though the first Camaro pace car’s body style was only available for the 1969 model year, that “year” stretched well beyond 12 months due to delays in the introduction of the 1970 version. As a result, more than 243,000 1969 Camaros were built—but only 3,675 of them were pace-car replicas, split among both coupes and convertibles.
With that kind of rarity, here’s another non-surprise: While the 1969 Camaro pace car originally boasted an MSRP beginning a bit over $3,000, the same car can now go for well north of $50,000 at auction.
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