This week’s Throwback video features a funky 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 commercial. This spot has a variety of aspects that make it funky, starting with the fact that the video stars Jean Claude Killy as the driver of the ’69 Z28.
Don’t know who Jean Claude Killy is? Neither did I. He was a champion French alpine skier back in the late 1960s as well as spending a few years taking a shot at being a racecar driver in a Porsche 911. He seems like an odd choice, but perhaps they were trying to show someone who would know handling talking about the great-handling Camaro Z28.
The next fun feature of this 1969 Camaro commercial is the reminder that in 1969, GM was working a unique angle to promote their performance cars. They called it the Sport Shop at your local Chevy dealership, and in addition to the 1969 Camaro, the Chevy Sport Shop had other classic heavy hitters, including the Corvette, the Chevelle and the Impala.
The sound is an important aspect of this classic Camaro commercial so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
