The Original No. 1 1967 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car will be up for auction as a "Main Attraction" at the Indy 2022 Mecum Auction held May 13-21, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is LOT F135.1
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0522-502577/1967-chevrolet-camaro-rsss-pace-car-edition-convertible/Here is the write up:
HIGHLIGHTS
The original 1967 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car driven by Mauri Rose 3 time Indy 500 winner
A.J. Foyt turned down this car as a prize for winning the race and it was used as a USAC pace car for the 1967 season
The reason for A.J. Foyt turning down the car at Indy was because it was not equipped with air conditioning or a power top
Highly original unrestored condition
Original paint, interior, drivetrain installed by GM Engineering division, exhaust, and door decals
One of two pace cars built at the Norwood factory as an L78 396/375 HP/4-speed and converted by Chevrolet Engineering to a L35 396/325 HP/Automatic for Pace Car duties
Documented with the original Protect-O-Plate showing L78 engine and Chevrolet Build Order No. 98168 detailing the L35/Automatic conversion prior to the race
The original title issued 1967 to Chevrolet Motor Division is still with the car
After the 1967 season, the car was sold to Dan Young Chevrolet (the dealership that prepared the 1967 pace cars and festival cars) with 12,000 miles
The car was displayed in the showroom of Dan Young Chevrolet and the Indianapolis Speedway Museum for many years
Balanced and Blueprinted 396 CI big-block V-8 engine capable of 375 HP
Engine block and heads stamped by GM Engineering Division
M40 automatic transmission
Special passenger grab handles and convertible boot snaps
Rear bumper flag holders and pace car flags
Ermine White paint with Bright Blue interior and White soft top
Blue nose stripe and pin striping
Rally wheels with Redline tires
Original flags and poles from the 1967 Indy 500 race
Original GM Engineering paperwork stating the different modifications done to the car
Magnafluxed and x-rayed components
Balanced and Blue printed
Red carpet invitational 50th Anniversary in 2017 Muscle car and Corvette Nationals
Cover of the Official Chevrolet Indy Pace car book
Five page article in The Complete Book of Chevrolet
Original pictures from race day 1967
Please note that this car is still on the original historic title. Should the new owner wish to drive the car on public roads, he or she must title the car in his or her name, which will require the surrender of the original historic title
Though Chevrolet has held the contract to provide pace cars for the Indianapolis 500 since 2002, the marque’s cars actually paced the Brickyard 12 times prior to that, starting in 1948, with a 6-cylinder Fleetmaster. The builder returned in 1955 with a V-8-powered Bel Air convertible, but it took another 12 years before a Bowtie would once again pace the field. In 1967, Chevrolet pulled out all the stops and built a pair of 1967 Camaro RS/SS convertibles to pace the history-making race, offering several other parade cars for the event as well. In addition, the venerable company also built and sold approximately 100 pace car edition vehicles to the general public. Amazingly, this 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Indy 500 Pace Car is one of the two original vehicles built for on-track pace car duties.
As has been the case with most cars built to pace the Indianapolis 500, Chevrolet took great pains to make sure that the car would operate correctly, safely and without any errors. In other words, these pace cars were prepped to perfection. In the case of this particular machine, the preparation was taken to the extreme. This 1967 Camaro RS/SS was specially built by GM Engineering to perform its tasks without fail.
Originally built as an L78 396/375 HP 4-speed, this Camaro was one of two pace cars built at the Norwood factory and converted by GM Engineering for pace car duties. The original plan called for three cars, but just two were built: this car and an identical backup unit in case something happened to the main car.
This car was repowered with an L35 396/325 HP V-8, M40 Turbo 400 automatic and a 3.31-geared 12-bolt Positraction rear end. This made for a more docile, easier-to-drive powertrain in that stressful driving scenario, one that still had more than enough power to perform its assigned duties. All of the suspension parts used in the build were magnafluxed and X-rayed to ensure they were flawless before installation. The engine was also balanced and blueprinted to ensure its reliability.
Other additions performed by GM Engineering include the installation of special passenger grab handles and convertible boot snaps, rear bumper flag holders and pace car flags from the 1967 Indy 500 race, which remain with the car. A hood lock was also installed to thwart any would-be tampering.
This 1967 Camaro RS/SS Pace Car Convertible was driven by three-time Indy 500 winner Mauri Rose to pace that year's Indy 500, with Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman riding shotgun. Everything went according to plan, except for the rain. The race was red-flagged after 18 laps and resumed the next day at lap 19, again with Rose at the wheel. A.J. Foyt took the checkered flag.
Nevertheless, all of the prep work paid off, as the car performed flawlessly under Rose's experienced hand, and Chevrolet received a fantastic opportunity to introduce its all-new Camaro to a worldwide television audience. In the days before the internet, this telecast was a top-tier promotional platform. As it turned out, the rain gave Chevrolet a second day to promote its new pony car.
Interestingly, this car was intended to be presented to the winner of the 1967 Indy 500, A.J. Foyt, who won the race driving a Ford-powered Coyote. As it turned out, Foyt actually declined to accept the car. The official reason was because it was not equipped with air conditioning or a power top. The more likely reason was that he didn't want to upset his sponsor, Ford Motor Company, by accepting the new competitor to Ford’s Mustang. Jim Clark, the 1965 Indy 500 winner, driving a Ford-powered and sponsored Lotus, similarly declined the Plymouth Sport Fury convertible he was presented after his own win. After the conclusion of the race, this Camaro was repurposed and used as a USAC pace car for the 1967 season.
Once the 1967 season was completed, so was this pace car's tour of duty. After its retirement, the Camaro was sold by Chevrolet Motor Division to Dan Young Chevrolet, which was the dealership that prepared the 1967 pace cars and festival cars. At the time, the Camaro had 12,000 original miles. The car was displayed in the showroom of Dan Young Chevrolet and the Indianapolis Speedway Museum for many years.
The paperwork this car has leaves no doubt as to its provenance. In addition to the Protect-O-Plate showing the original as-built L78 engine and original GM Engineering paperwork documenting the work performed on the car, including Chevrolet Build Order No. 98168, which detailed the L35/M40 conversion prior to the race, this car also comes with its original title, issued in 1967 to Chevrolet Motor Division. This car is sold on a bill of sale.
This Indy Pace Car Camaro has been recognized in the collector car community numerous times, including for a red carpet invitational display of its 50th anniversary at the 2017 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, by serving as a cover image on “The Official Chevrolet Indy Pace Car Book, 1948-1990” by D.M. Crispino and John R. Hooper, and as the subject of a five-page article in “The Complete Book of Chevrolet” and in original pictures from race day in 1967.
The pace car remains in highly original, unrestored condition. It still wears its original Ermine White paint with bright blue interior and white soft top, blue nose stripe and pin striping, the original interior, door panels and Chevrolet Engineering-installed drivetrain and exhaust system. The block and heads feature non-production GM Engineering stampings. The Camaro also features Rally wheels with redline tires.
With a car such as this, the buyer is purchasing not only an extremely desirable collector car, but also a well-known piece of automotive history. This is the very car that the legendary three-time Indy winner Mauri Rose drove to pace the 1967 Indianapolis 500. This is the car that the editions offered to the public were built from. This is the 1967 Camaro RS/SS Convertible Pace Car.
Show Posts