Lot 273: Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

GM was caught unprepared by Ford's 1964½ introduction of the Mustang. With the Corvette and Corvair Monza the General bracketed the market niche exploited by the Mustang but discovered it had left a huge gap between them which Ford exploited with unprecedented success. In mid-'64 GM launched a crash program to create its own personal car. Code-named Panther, it became Camaro just before its launch in September 1966 as a '67 model. Unlike the Mustang, which was based largely on Fairlane components, Chevrolet's Camaro was an all-new product constructed around a unit body with a front subframe for better ride. The Mustang's impending domination of Trans-Am threw GM's marketers into a tizzy and opened taps of money, all flowing into Camaro race development. Vince Piggins, the one-man performance team within GM during the AMA ban years, knew where the enthusiasts were and quickly put the right heavy duty pieces into GM's parts book and onto the Camaro's options list. Piggins neatly the 302 cubic inch Z/28 engine that met the SCCA 5 liter displacement limit by putting a 283 crank in the then-current 327 block. The 1967 Trans-Am Championship was again won by Ford, but Roger Penske's Camaro Z/28 driven by Mark Donohue took the last two races. For 1968 Chevy developed a cross-ram manifold as a dealer- or customer-installed heavy duty option which increased both horsepower and torque by 25. Penske and Donohue captured the Trans-Am, by now dominated by manufacturers, in both 1968 and 1969. The Trans-Am series' success carried over to retail sales. In 1968 nearly as many Camaro Z/28s (7,199) were sold as Corvette coupes (9,936) and the early Z/28s have become some of the most appreciated and sought cars by collectors who appreciate their power, balance and handling. This 1968 Camaro Z/28 is a particularly attractive car in Fathom Green with white stripes and black vinyl interior. Powered by the 302 cubic inch, 290hp engine required by SCCA Trans-Am regulations to meet the production requirements for homologation, it has a close ratio 4-speed transmission, 4.10 Positraction axle, T3 headlights, Hurst shifter, rally wheels, sport steering wheel, pushbutton AM radio, disc front brakes, rear antenna and special interior group. It comes with its original order form, window sticker, Protect-o-Plate and an assortment of paper which authenticate its origins and original configuration as the way it is presented today. Many cars can claim similar documentation, but none have the intriguing story of Reggie Jackson's '68 Z/28. A series of Cash Receipts preserved in its documentation notebook tell the story of the car's sale by Ritchie's Chevrolet in Homer City, Pennsylvania to Edward Blazavich of Indiana, Pennsylvania for $3,346.58 on July 22, 1968 and the subsequent payments to Gladys H. Blazavich from Ronald Blazavich in various increments until August 1970. Ronald's payment receipts totaled $2,084,52 which suggests some forebearance or non-cash compensation, but it is impossible not to see this paper trail as Ronald paying his parents back for the Z/28. The car has been restored to generally high standards but its best feature is, in Reggie Jackson's words, its tissue, the paperwork and documentation which goes with it and is  as he learned after the 1988 fire in his Berkeley warehouse  an irreplaceable component of its story, history and appeal.