1982 Chevrolet Camaro

1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Indy 500 Pace Car Edition — Cross-Fire Injection, T-Tops, Numbers-Matching Drivetrain

The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Indy 500 Pace Car Edition sits at one of the more interesting crossroads in American automotive history. This was the first full model year for the third-generation Camaro, a car that Chevrolet had been developing under enormous pressure to modernize the platform after a decade on the second-gen body. The result was a car that Motor Trend named Car of the Year for 1982 — a significant achievement for a pony car at a time when the segment was struggling under tightening emissions regulations and fuel economy mandates.

What makes this particular 1982 Camaro Z28 even more significant is the Indy 500 Pace Car designation. Chevrolet was selected to pace the 66th running of the Indianapolis 500, held on May 30, 1982, and the Z28 was the car chosen for the job. To commemorate that honor, Chevrolet produced a limited number of Pace Car replica editions for public sale. These cars were built with a specific two-tone silver and blue exterior color scheme, matching Pace Car decals, and an Indianapolis Speedway license plate — all of which are present and accounted for on this example. The interior carried the Indianapolis 500 badge on the dash, and the headrests were embroidered with the Z28 logo in the factory's distinctive multi-color thread pattern.

Under the hood, this car carries the engine that defined the Z28 in 1982 and generated a good deal of discussion at the time: the Cross-Fire Injection 5.0-liter V8. This was Chevrolet's first serious attempt at throttle-body fuel injection on a performance V8, using two throttle body injectors mounted in a cross-ram configuration on a tuned intake manifold. The system was technically ambitious for its era, and it was exclusive to the Z28 and the Corvette that year. It is a historically significant engine, and this car wears its Cross-Fire Injection badging on both the exterior and under the hood as it left the factory.

Pace Car editions from 1982 are increasingly difficult to find with their original decals intact, their Indy license plate still on the car, and the correct silver-over-blue two-tone paint scheme all accounted for. This one has it all.

Key details
Exterior: Blue/silver
Interior: Silver/Blue
Transmission: Automatic Transmission
VIN / chassis: 1G1AP877XCL142949

Offered by Skyway Classics, 10420 Portal Crossing, Bradenton, FL 34212. Taxes, title and fees not included.

Photos courtesy of Skyway Classics.