’69 Camaro Lineup Was Out in Full Force at 16th Annual Rods, Rides & Relics
A true cross-section the fan-favorite ’69 Camaro dominated the Sept. 29 pier event in Redondo Beach, California.
Ah, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. The gold standard. The benchmark by which every successive Camaro has been judged. A half-century on, Chevy’s ultimate muscle car seems like more of an idea than a realistic daily driver. A fire-breathing icon from a bygone era when gas was cheap, the miniskirt was in, and there was no replacement for displacement.
So it’s easy to forget that in 1969, the Camaro was a volume car, just like every other model in the Chevy lineup. They built nearly a quarter-million of them in ’69, and while it seems like every car you see today is an SS model, the vast majority sold were staid (if sporty) coupes packing straight-sixes or conservatively-powered small blocks.
That’s why we were thrilled to see such an assortment of ’69 Camaros at the recent 16th annual Rods, Rides & Relics show at the Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach, California. Now, these four cars still represent the well-optioned, spicier Camaro varieties offered for the year, but they still prove that Chevy’s ponycars weren’t all homogenous SS clones back in the day. Oh, and our favorite detail on these cars? They all have the optional hideaway headlights.
Tony Palombo’s ’69 Camaro
Yes, this car is a true restomod, but we decided to feature it first because there’s nary an SS badge to be seen here. Chances are, this coupe began life as a base coupe and was eventually transformed into the fire-breathing monster you see here. In the spirit of the car, this sexy coupe was truly built to the owner’s taste.
Lee Lickhakter’s RS Convertible
The RS was the mid-level trim level that could be optioned on any car. And speaking of option, this droptop’s got ’em. Finished like an inverted Indy 500 pace car (orange with white stripes instead of vise versa), this RS features houndstooth seat inserts, horseshoe shifter, auxiliary gauge pod, and some good-looking chrome wheels. It’s hard to think of a cooler ’69. Well, except for these other cars…
Terry Hartman’s SS Coupe
Now here’s an SS as the Chevy gods intended. Not red or yellow, nary a racing stripe in sight (side stripes don’t count, okay?), and a host of very cool period options. With little distractions here except for a glovebox-mounted 8-Track player, a collection of boss tapes, some dice door locks, and older aftermarket gauges, Terry’s car looks like something the coolest kid in school drove circa 1978. That’s a very good thing, by the way.
Marc “Squid” Magid’s Z/28 Coupe
Forget all the things we said about racing stripes earlier. This Z/28 is the real deal, as in came from the factory this way. And good gravy, it is perfect. If you walked into a Chevy dealership 50 years ago with a sack full of cash and said “give me a loaded Camaro,” this is what you would’ve driven away in. With cars like these, it makes sense why the ’69 Camaro is, was, and always will be the gold standard for Chevy muscle.
Photos for LS1-Tech by Derin Richardson
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