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1969 saw major changes for
Chevrolet's pony car and, as many believe, led the manufacturer to its greatest
year ever. The car underwent a major styling change, and all but the hood, roof
and deck lid was replaced with new components. The all new grille was recessed
further into the nose and optional see-through louvered headlamp covers were
available along with large marker lights mounted in the front valence. The back
of the F-body was restyled with new taillights, and hid the gas cap under the license
plate. Another small block was added to the line, the L-48 300 horsepower
350, and yet another 396 big block thrown into the mix... a very rare option that
almost didn't exist, known as the ZL-1, was snatched up by a few lucky
enthusiasts (this will be examined later on.) Gearing now varied from 2.56:1
granny gears all the way to 4.88:1.
The cowl induction hood is such a popular feature on 1st-gen Camaro's, that not
many people know that 1969 was the first year they were offered as an O.E.M.
component. If you see a '67-68 model with a cowl induction hood, it's
aftermarket.
The Camaro was again invited to pace the Indy 500, and unlike in 1967, Chevrolet
prepared a special Pace Car package for the '69 Camaro. Offering a limited
number of Camaro's with the new RPO (Regular Production Order) Z-11 Pace Car
option package, Chevy added a hugger orange striping package to the white Camaro
Convertibles. The RS/SS combined option packages were applied to the Pace Car,
and the interior was special with orange and white hounds tooth upholstery. The
actual car that paced the race used the 375 hp SS396, but the Pace Car models
available to the street could be had with any of the F-body's engines. A total
of 3,675 pace cars were sold to the public, including a few hardtops which are
considered ultra-rare.
225,512 coupes and 17,573 convertibles (243,085 total) were sold in 1969, there
best yet.
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