1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396

Hugger Orange RS/SS Sport Coupe

Camaro was introduced in 1967 to attack the Mustang success. The first-generation Camaro lasted until this 1969 model year when it paced the '69 Indianapolis 500 for a second time.

For 1969, Camaro had all-new sheet metal except the hood and trunk lid giving the car a substantially sportier look. The grille was redesigned with a heavy "V" cant and deeply inset headlights. New door skins, rear quarter panels, and rear valance panel also gave the car a much lower, wider, more aggressive look. The wheel wells were flattened with sculptured feature lines flowing off towards the rear of the car and rear-slanting air slots ahead of the rear wheel. The front had a full width chrome bumper integrated with the body color grille surround and round parking lights positioned on either side of the license plate. At the rear were wider taillight bezels with triple segment lenses. The interior was updated with square gauges and an optional tachometer. Camaro had two important packages available on any model - the RS was an appearance package that included hidden headlights with the partially see-through headlight covers, revised taillights with back-up lights under the rear bumper and exterior bright trim while the SS performance package provided the big block V8 engine and chassis upgrades for better handling, non-functional hood air inlets, special striping, and SS badging.

The styling, considered by many Camaro enthusiasts as the ultimate muscle car look and arguably the most popular, would serve for the 1969 model year only. The combination of sexy styling and pavement-pounding big block power proved tremendously popular and makes the '69 unique. GM executives obviously agreed with this passion as this design eventually became the inspiration for the new retro fifth-generation Camaro allowing one of the most memorable rivalries in automotive history, the decades-long competition between Chevrolet's Camaro and the Ford Mustang, to continue.

'69 Camaro advertisements assured everyone 'Camaro isn't called "The Hugger" for nothing. Its wide stance and nimble wheelbase make for a cat-quick maneuverability'.

This stunning Camaro SS was built in the Norwood, Ohio plant and comes wearing the classic Code 72 Chevy Camaro Hugger Orange with optional Black Vinyl roof and Black Interior. This is a very desirable Camaro combination of the RS and SS packages. The Rally Sport (RS) option includes special black painted grille with concealed/hide-away headlights and built-in headlight washer jets, 'hockey-stick' black fender striping, simulated rear fender louvers, front and rear wheel opening moldings, steering wheel and rear spoiler panel, bright accented taillights, back-up lights, bumper guards and bright roof drip moldings. This Camaro also has power steering, and power brakes.

Inside this cool coupe you'll find the correct Black interior that has to be one of the most stylish cockpits of the muscle era. The factory console is fitted with a chrome ball Hurst 4-speed shifter and 4-pack accessory gauges for Battery, Temperature, Oil and Fuel. The dash which nicely flows into the door panels frames the 140mph speedometer, 6,000rpm tachometer, clock and AM/FM Radio. This Camaro presents extremely well inside and out in factory-correct style.

The SS was "The One with a Name like the Hiss of a Snake" meaning big power. As one might expect, lifting the hood reveals a big block engine whose tags proclaim the big block 396 Chevrolet with the Turbo-Jet 350 HP branded air cleaner. This Chevy Orange asphalt tearing performance package sits in an impressive engine bay that is clean and well detailed. The hood is like no other muscle car of the era, a beautiful design with the chrome four-port non-functional air intakes on each side of the hood. The Hugger Orange theme continues with Firestone Wide Oval tires mounted on standard race-looking orange steel wheels, with the small Chevy chrome caps covering the lug nuts, which adds to the ready-for-track look.

Without a doubt, the 1969 Camaro SS is a muscle car in its purest and most attractive form. Chevrolet knew this and unabashedly taunted Ford in print advertisements with such sayings as "a word or two to the competition: you lose".