The second-generation Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in the spring of 1970, four years after General Motors launched the nameplate in response to the Ford Mustang. Produced until 1981, the second-gen Camaro was a significant departure from its predecessor, being longer, wider, and lower. It also featured brand-new styling inside and out, as well as redesigned engines. Unlike the first-gen model, the second-gen Camaro wasn’t offered as a convertible. The second-generation coupe was the last Camaro created in the golden era of the muscle car, before lower compression and tighter emission controls brought significant drops in horsepower in 1972.
Much like its predecessor, the second-gen Camaro also spawned a number of race cars, especially in Z/28 trim. But while the first-gen Z/28 is famous for winning back-to-back Trans-Am championships in 1968 and 1969, the second-gen model marked the beginning of a less successful era for Chevrolet in the series. It all began with Roger Penske’s decision to leave Chevrolet for American Motors Corporation (AMC) for the 1970 season, taking talented drivers Mark Donohue and Peter Revson with him. With a brand-new car on its hands and no one to run the Trans-Am team, Chevrolet turned to Jim Hall and Chaparral Cars.
Known for his innovative, Chevy-powered Chaparrals that dominated U.S. road racing during the 1960s, Hall built three cars in only six months — one for himself, one for Ed Leslie, and the third as a spare. Although Chevrolet failed to win its third consecutive Trans-Am season, the 1970 "Chaparral" Camaro went into the history books as one of the rarest Camaros ever built. As of this writing, only Hall’s No. 1 car is known to exist, which makes the "Chaparral" Camaro a rare gem among race-spec classic muscle cars.
Restored to period correct perfection by Trans-Am expert Mark Mountanos, the No. 1 car is on sale via The Canepa Collection. Whether it finds a new owner or not, Hall’s white-and-blue Camaro is worthy of a closer look, which is exactly what we will do in the review below.
Continue reading to learn more about the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Trans-Am.
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