Original owner shows off his unrestored 1972 Camaro SS396 after 53 years and 71,000 miles at MCACN.
When 17-year-old Bill Finley ordered his brand-new 1972 Chevrolet Camaro SS396, he couldn’t have imagined that more than half a century later, it would become one of the rarest muscle cars of its era—and that it would make its show debut over 50 years later.
Finley, now in his 70s, brought his cherished big-block Camaro to its first-ever car show at the 2024 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Illinois. The appearance marked a long-awaited moment for both the owner and his meticulously maintained classic.
Only 970 SS396 Camaros were produced in 1972 before a lengthy United Auto Workers strike shut down GM’s Norwood, Ohio, assembly plant, making the model an ultra-rare piece of muscle car history. Of those, far fewer remain in one-owner condition with the original drivetrain and factory options intact.
Finley’s car is powered by its original 402-cubic-inch V8—still marketed as a “396” for name recognition—and a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic transmission. Finished in its original trim and boasting a long list of factory options, including air conditioning and a Positraction rear axle, the Camaro has logged just over 71,000 miles. That averages out to a modest 1,344 miles per year.
“I’ve always loved this car, and I never wanted to let it go,” Finley said. “But I never got around to showing it off—until now.”
The Camaro underwent a professional restoration to bring it back to show quality, and despite its age, it still sports its original engine. Notably, Finley skipped the tachometer when ordering the car but splurged on extras totaling more than $1,500—over half the car’s $2,879 base price at the time.
The MCACN debut was made possible by classic car content creator Lou Costabile, who featured the car on his YouTube channel, marking the first time the car has ever been captured on film for public viewing.
With just 6,562 SS Camaros built that year, and the big-block version representing only a fraction, Finley’s survivor is not just a rare machine—it’s a time capsule, and one that finally had its moment in the spotlight.
