572 Original Miles! 1997 Chevrolet Camaro SS/Z28 30th Anniversary
With 1997 marking the 30th Anniversary of the Camaro, Chevrolet chose to celebrate this milestone by releasing a special edition, which is their usual practice on such occasions. This is one of those cars, and it is probably as close as you are ever likely to get to owning a factory-fresh example today. With a genuine 572 miles showing on its odometer, it is in as-new condition. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tommy T-Tops for spotting this fantastic car for us. It is located in Germantown, Wisconsin, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN on this classic has been set at $40,000.
The Camaro presents as well as you might expect for a low-mileage classic that has spent its life in climate-controlled storage. All of the 30th Anniversary Camaros came finished in Arctic White, with distinctive Hugger Orange graphics. There is no evidence of any deterioration in either of these areas, with the car looking like it should be parked in a showroom. This impression is further reinforced when you get a look at the underside. It is absolutely perfect, with no signs of chips, marks, or corrosion. The white 17″ wheels appear to be perfect, while the same is true of the tinted glass and the T-Top. The Camaro has received some enhancements from SLP, and amongst these are a fully functioning ram-air hood.
When I saw the “SLP” decals on this Camaro, I had my fingers crossed that this was one of the 108 cars to have received the special 330hp LT4 version of the mighty 5.7-liter V8. That isn’t the case, but this car does feature the LT1 under the hood. A 6-speed manual transmission backs this, and with the SLP enhancements to the intake and exhaust, it should be producing a healthy 305hp. Power steering and 4-wheel power disc brakes with ABS are also part of the package. If you slipped behind the wheel of this Camaro, you would know for sure that the Malaise Era was a distant memory. This classic should be capable of demolishing the ¼ mile in 13.9 seconds. Let it off the leash, and you would find 165mph beckoning. This definitely brings back memories of the muscle car era, but with far more refinement, better handling, and greater comfort. With such low mileage, the Camaro is a long way from being worn out. The big concern is whether the car has been appropriately maintained throughout its life or whether it will need some work before it could be considered to be roadworthy.
There’s probably not a lot of point in discussing the condition of the Camaro’s interior because it is as perfect as you might expect in a car of this type. It has been so carefully preserved that even the original floor mats remain in their plastic covers. For a vehicle produced in 1997, it does come loaded with a lot of equipment. As well as white leather upholstery, the owner gets dual airbags, air conditioning, power windows, keyless power locks, a power driver’s seat, power mirrors, a leather-wrapped tilt wheel, cruise, a rear defogger, and a premium AM/FM radio cassette player. This 1990s stereo features one of the decade’s great accessories, which is a 12-disc CD stacker.
This 1997 Camaro 30th Anniversary is an amazingly preserved vehicle, but cars in this price bracket usually feature the LT4 V8 under the hood. This one doesn’t, but it could well be the lowest mileage example in existence today. There lies the rub. If it had an average odometer reading, I would expect it to be valued somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000 in its current condition. That means that at the BIN price, somewhere around 25% of its intrinsic value rests on the odometer reading. It also means that every accumulated mile has the potential to negatively impact the car’s value. I want to think that someone will return this classic to the road, but something tells me that a museum or a dealership display might be somewhere in the very near future for this classic. What do you think?
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Comments
Not very exciting car even when new (one year prior to LS engine). But to each his own.
You must enjoy skydiving on acid with an acid with a live alligator on your back if this isn’t exciting.
Very edgy comment.
I’d like to take a tour of this garage. Nice looking stuff in there.
I toured JAY LENOs collection about 15 years ago in So Cal.
He had 3 storage buildings full of cars and motorcycles at the Burbank airport…..talk about nice stuff!!!
Yeah definitely. Wonder if all the cars in the garage are as pristine as this one.
Sorry, but 305hp will not knock down a 13.9 quarter or run up to 165mph. Especially being stock and running through stock cat with single exhaust.
accelerations: 0- 60 mph 5.5© s; 0- 100 km/h 5.8© s (simulation ©automobile-catalog.com); 1/4 mile drag time (402 m) 13.9© s (simulation ©automobile-catalog.com)
This isn’t gospel, but it’s a start. I don’t think it’s a stretch.
I agree. 1995 LT-1 300 HP produces similar numbers in the Corvette. 100’s of variables to consider, but it is possible.
Yeah, it will. My 315HP Cutlass Supreme (FWD) was good for a 13.8 in the 1320′ and 172mph on the top end. And that’s with a 4T65E-HD handling shifting duties.
How did you get 315 go out of a FWD Cutlass? The 3.4L LQ1 is strong but there’s no aftermarket for it and produces 200 WHP at BEST! Do tell….
Its 310hp. And i have its twin. 21k miles and 6 speed and I went 13.7 at 102. Its 100% stock on normal street tires.
How about a 245 hp ‘87 GN running sub 14’s out of the box?
I have a Z28 LS1 version convertible. Love the car, hate the engine.
I still love the car. Will be my grandson’s car in the future.
Wish I had the LT1 version.
I think the most interesting thing about these fourth gen Camaros are their bang for the buck factor. These will turn high thirteens and can go quicker from there,, a later LS powered one will really go like snot. Probably why I’m not digging this one as much. It’s for show and tell with those super low miles.
Isnt the LS2 the most powerful motor they made in that gen Camaro? What year did that come out and whats the most hp it made?
Hagerty has these at just under 30K for a #1 Concours quality example, so this is a wishful ask.
Hey, it has white seating, like my ’99 Z/28 had. I haven’t seen another one of those since then.
I have the same car.6 speed dual 3 inch exhaust w/headers.everytime i think i might sell it i take it for a ride.it excites me enough to keep it.a blast to drive,sounds awsome and turns heads,just saying😁
I always thought these were an attractive car and a nice nod to the Z11/Z10 pace cars. For those nay sayers I dare you to drive one of these and say it’s ho hum and doesn’t put a smile on your face. Is the LS1 better? Yes… Is the a LT1 a turd? No… The LT is still a fine engine with plenty of potential, you just have to take care of the crappy distributor/water pump design. The LS2 came after the 4th gens were done. Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the high for SS LT1 was 310 hp, 330 hp for LT4, then 345hp for the LS1. With the 6 speed these just lope along on freeway just sippin gas. We averaged 26 mpg in my brothers ’01 SS when we went to the Woodward dream cruise and it has a 427 stroker LS built prior to LS7 and a 4.10 12 bolt rear. Its a fun ride at roughly 650 hp. With all the 5th and 6th gens camaros you see these days I can see collectability going up on these. You don’t see many around any more, at least not around here.The 3rd gens are already on the rise. I’m 10 minutes give or take from this beautiful 30th anniversary car and would love to see it and it’s garage mates!
Love to hear about the red chevelle in the corner