Trivia: the Camaro has been used as an Indianapolis 500 pace car nine times.
There's something special about owning a classic pace car, and no pace cars are more prestigious than those that have served at the Indianapolis 500. Since 1980, pacing the Indianapolis 500 has largely been a General Motors affair with the Corvette and Camaro standing as the most popular pace cars for America's premier open-wheel racing event.
The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 was the official pace car for the 66th Indianapolis 500 marking the first time the Camaro was given this honor since the iconic white and hugger orange Camaro convertible from 1969. This beautiful, well-preserved Camaro Z28 Pace Car proves that pace car replicas are budget-friendly classics as this one crossed the GAA Classic Cars. auction block today for $9,500.
The use of the '82 Camaro as a pace car that year helped usher in the launch of the all-new third-gen Camaro. At the time, it was only the third time the Camaro paced Indy and it was the first time since the iconic white-and-orange 1969 Camaro Convertible pace car. This particular car is apparently loaded with all the car's available options, and has been in a private collection for "many years" and is in great condition.
Aside from the unique silver and blue color scheme inside and out and the obvious decals, this Camaro Z28 was just like any other available right off the showroom floor. The Camaro Z28 was powered by a 5.0-liter V8, and this car has the optional TBI Crossfire Fire Injection providing 165 horsepower – 20 hp more than the carbureted 5.0-liter V8 available that year. The TBI Camaro was only offered with an automatic transmission.
This '82 Camaro Z28 Pace Car was sold on the opening day of the GAA Classic Cars auction event, and it's only the beginning for this weekend long event in Greensboro, North Carolina. If you missed out at buying this 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Indy 500 Pace Car, there are still two more days of auctions and plenty of classic and collector cars up for grabs, so be sure you're registered to bid to buy your next dream car.
