By Brian Earnest

If Mike Naddif’s 1969 Camaro Indy Pace car didn’t come equipped with an amazing “yard find” background, the car would still be pretty awesome and Naddif would probably love it just as much.

But the fact that the rare big-block ’69 Camaro pacer has a remarkable reincarnation tale to tell makes a cool car even cooler.

“It’s hard to imagine that this car sat outside for 15, 17 years, and it’s in this kind of condition!,” says Naddif, a resident of Andover, Mass. “And it’s a convertible! … The car has got an incredible history.”

According to the story Naddif got, the original owner bought the car for his wife in Washington state back in 1970. “He wanted a ‘70 [Camaro] with the new body style, but those were in short supply,” Naddif says. “So the sales person showed him a ’69 sitting in the back lot and nobody wanted it because it was considered an ugly car. It had sat at the dealership for nine months. So the fellow walked in with his wife looking for a ‘70 and wound up buying the ‘69 … His wife drove it for a while and then realized a big-block was more temperamental than she wanted to deal with. The guy took it out in the back yard and just parked it. He didn’t want it anymore. That was probably 1985 or ’86. The car only had 15- or 16,000 miles on it.”

Fast-forward to the early 2000s and a Camaro lover named Tim Ciri caught wind of the idle Camaro, although he apparently was very skeptical. Eventually he showed up at the rural location where the Camaro was said to be parked, and sure enough, he found the car buried to its belly in the Washington dirt. He wound up striking a deal with the owner of the car, who had simply ignored it for a decade and a half, seemingly only noticing it when he ran into it with his lawn mower.

Amazingly, the car turned over and ran the same day it was dragged out of the yard. It was amazingly complete, had not rusted out, and still carried its numbers-matching drive train. It is believed only 34 — or possibly fewer — 396-equipped ’69 Pace Cars were built, making them among the most collected Camaros on the globe.

Ciri couldn’t believe his luck, and originally planned to keep the car in “barn find” condition, with the exception of the car’s ratty interior. One thing led to another, however, and the Camaro wound up getting a complete restoration.

“He started to just do a body-on restoration and realized that the integrity of the car was so great and the platform was so solid he continued on and did a total rotisserie restoration on it,” Naddif said. “It took him 3 years. All he did and all I did was send original components out to be rebuilt …The car was so original, it didn’t need anything. It still has it’s original spare in the trunk!”

A Star is born at Indy

After making a hit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 1967 Indy 500 race, Chevy was invited to bring the ’69 Camaro back for a repeat performance. This time the company decided to take better advantage of sales promotion opportunities by releasing the Z11 pace car replica option package for the model 12467 ragtop.

The genuine Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars were 375-hp SS 396 convertibles with “Hugger” orange racing stripes, rear spoilers and black and orange hound’s-tooth upholstery. About 100 were built to pace the race and transport dignitaries and members of the press around Indianapolis.

Chevrolet then released the Indy Pace Car replica option and sold 3,674 copycat cars to the general public. The Z11 was actually just a $37 striping package for convertibles only. But other extras, such as the $296 Super Sport option and the special interior, were also required. Buyers could order the pace car treatment on either RS/SS 350 or RS/SS 396 ragtops. The 350-powered versions are much more common. They had 300 hp.

To qualify as a collectible muscle car, a pace car replica has to have the big-block, which came in four variations. These were the L35 ($63) with 325 hp, the L34 ($184) with 350 hp, the L78 ($316) with 375 hp and the L89 ($711) with aluminum heads and 375 hp. It isn’t hard to guess which is rarest and most valuable.

The 375-hp ragtops were good for 7-second 0-to-60 acceleration and could do the quarter-mile in just about 15 seconds, so they have some real muscle to go with their good looks.

Camaro club members have also documented the availability of a Z10 Indy Sport Coupe package in 1969. This car was offered only in Chevrolet’s Southwest Sales Zone, which included the states of Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and (for some reason) Wisconsin.

The Z10 option was similar to the Z11 package, but there were some differences such as black or ivory interior choices (standard, custom or houndstooth), an optional wood grained steering wheel or ComforTilt steering wheel and a vinyl top. Pace car door decals that read “Chevrolet Camaro OFFICIAL PACE CAR, 53rd ANNUAL INDIANAPOLIS 500 MILE RACE MAY 30, 1969” were available with the Z11 option, but not mandatory. The decals were shipped inside the trunk of the cars for installation at the dealership level, if the customer desired the lettering. Pace cars were produced at both the Norwood, Ohio and Van Nuys, Calif., assembly plants. The cars built in Ohio had “Z11” stamped on the Fisher Body cowl tag and the California built cars did not. The Indy coupes were all built at Norwood and about 200-300 may have been put together.

Finding treasure in the desert

Naddif is one of those horsepower junkies that would be a lot of fun to hang around with. He’s had a lot of pretty sweet cars over the years, and today bombs around in his Dodge Hellcat or Prowler when the spirit moves him. In 2015, he was in the market for a 1967 Corvette with 427 power when he headed to Barrett-Jackson’s annual Scottsale auction. He didn’t wind up with the Corvette that day — although he has bought one since! — but he did happen across the ’69 Camaro that Ciri had decided to part with.

“It was snooping around for a Corvette and this came around and just fell in love and had to have it … I had heard of the car and knew about it. Friends of mine, Camaro friends, had told me about it. I found out it was a complete numbers-matching car 98 percent date coded … Jerry MacNeish — he’s the consummate Camaro that everybody goes to — he certified the car as being date coded and matching numbers and authentic. Well, I had intentions of buying the ‘427 Corvette, but this came along I said, ‘I gotta have it.’”

Nadfif was able to watch a bunch of Youtube.com videos chronicling the revival of the “yard find” Camaro, and was able to speak with the original owner, who verified the car’s unlikely back story. “The car was buried up to the floor pans and buried in about a foot of mud — and they are still original floor pans. It doesn’t seem possible. It’s still the same original front unibody frame. You can see where the car was pitted and blasted and then painted, but it all looks good. I just can’t believe that it spent that much time sitting outdoors … I probably have about 200 pictures of the car from before it was restored and during the restoration. I talked to the original fellow that had it in the field that it had been in field so many years … He said he hit it so many times with his lawn mower that he put about a 4-foot crease in the side of the car … He just didn’t care; a big-block, 20,000-mile, numbers-matching pace car that he just didn’t care about [laughs].”

Though it had been re-done once, the car was still in need of some TLC after he picked it up at auction, according to Naddif. He wound up doing some interior work and rebuilding the 396 V-8. “The Interior needed some updating. We were kind of faced with a decision, so a friend of mine and I tackled it and we wound up putting NOS components in the interior. We pulled the engine and had it restored. It was running a little warm, and it turns out one of the cooling ports had never been clear when they cast the block originally at the factory. We [drilled] out one of the ports so it would cool itself a little more.

“It [also] had a bent wheel and I was lucky to pick up another one date-coded for that manufacturing date… The Camaro Doc [Dan O’Carroll] Did a lot of good work for me. The ‘69s Camaros are kind of his specialty. He’s the ’69 Camaro guru.”

One of the final touches that Naddif added was getting a signature on the glove box door from the winner of the ’69 Indy 500. “I sent the door out to Mario Andretti, and he signed it,” Naddif notes. “So that’s pretty cool.”

It’s no surprise that Naddif treats the sparkling white Camaro gently these days. He keeps it in Vermont and drives it regularly for exercise on warm summer days. It shows up occasionally at shows and cruise nights, where Naddif says it is always a center of attention. “I like it a lot, it’s something that I don’t need to sell so I’ll just tuck it away and drive it occasionally,” he says. “It’s such a nice car. You slam the doors on and they are still so tight. You just can’t believe spent it spent so much time out doors in a field and the integrity of the car didn’t fail at all.

“It’s the favorite of the cars that I own. It’s just gorgeous and a great car to drive.”

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Hickory Corners, Mich. – In celebration of the 102nd running of the famed Indy 500 the Gilmore Car Museum near Kalamazoo, Michigan announced a specialexhibit honoring auto racing icon A.J. Foyt, opening on April 14. 

“A.J. Foyt: A Legendary Exhibition,” which originally debuted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum last year, will arrive at the Gilmore Car Museum with a twist­­­—it will feature West Michigan’s connections to the race and the iconic driver.

“We are proud to honor this incredible racing legend with ties to our local community,” stated Christopher Shires, Executive Director of the Gilmore Car Museum, “with an exhibit celebrating one of the most diverse and successful careers in auto racing history.” 

Kalamazoo-based Jim Gilmore Enterprises sponsored the team in 1977 when Foyt became the first driver to ever win the Indianapolis 500 four times.

Jim Gilmore, Jr., the nephew of Museum founders Donald and Genevieve Gilmore, was once Mayor of Kalamazoo and owner of several TV / radio stations and automotive dealerships throughout the country. Local residents will surely recall seeing the signature orange #14 Indy race car hanging from the ceiling of Gilmore’s downtown Cadillac dealership.

Gilmore sponsored his first Indy race team in 1967 with Gordon Johncock, from nearby Hastings, MI behind the wheel. A 1968 Gerhardt-Offy driven by Johncock for the Gilmore Broadcasting Team will be part of the exhibition.

A.J. Foyt joined the Gilmore team in 1973. With a total of 67 career victories he became INDY CAR Racing’s most acclaimed driver. He is also the only person to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (with co-driver Dan Gurney) and of course, was the first driver to ever win the Indy 500 four times. That feat has been matched only two other times: Al Unser won his fourth Indy 500 in 1987, ten years after Foyt made history, and Rick Mears did so as well in 1991.

“A.J. Foyt is perhaps the most iconic and well-known driver in the 108-year history of the Brickyard,” explained Gilmore Car Museum Executive Director Christopher Shires.

Several cars that Foyt drove in competition, from his early dirt tracks days to the pinnacle of auto racing, the Indy 500, will be on display. Foyt’s Indianapolis 500 winning cars; the Bowes Seal Fast Special of 1961, the Sheraton-Thompson Specials from 1964 & 1967, and the Gilmore-Foyt Coyote that ran in 1977 are part of the exhibit. 

It may surprise many that the Indy 500 – known as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – had strong West Michigan ties since the beginning. The inaugural Indy 500 in 1911 was won by Ray Harroun who still has family in the Kalamazoo area. In 1915, company namesake Louis Chevrolet ran the brick paved Indianapolis 500 race in the Blood Brother’s Cornelian racecar built in nearby Allegan. Today, that car is owned by the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed of Lincoln, NE which has graciously loaned it to the Gilmore Car Museum.

Still, the most legendary West Michigan connection is certainly the iconic A.J. Foyt and the record breaking Gilmore / Foyt Race team.

“A.J. Foyt: A Legendary Exhibition,” will premier to the public at the Museum on Saturday, April 14 and will run through September 2018.

The Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s Largest Auto Museum—is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, just minutes from Kalamazoo, MI.It displays nearly 400 vehicles year-round, presents several special events and cars shows, and offers ever-changing special exhibits throughout the season. Visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org to learn more and plan your visit.

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Los Angeles, California – Julien’s Auctions’FROM THE COLLECTION OF RICHARD PETTY auction to take place May 12th at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and online. The NASCAR Hall of Famer and the most decorated driver in NASCAR history, “The King’s” spectacular collection of race-winning cars, trophies, racing suits, memorabilia and more will stand atop the auction podium in this grand prix auction event of the season for motorsports fans and collectors.

In celebration of this auction event, Petty will make a special appearance with one of his historic cars—his 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix with his hallmark No. 43 that Petty drove during his 1992 Fan Appreciation Tour before he retired from racing at the end of the year—and other highlighted items, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on March 2nd at 2:30pm PST.

Highlights of the auction include: the dayglo red and Petty Blue 1974 Dodge Charger that Petty rode to victory in 31 races including his fifth Daytona 500 win; a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven in 1979 when Petty won his seventh Championship title a 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix that Petty drove during his Fan Appreciation Farewell Tour; his 1981 Daytona Win Trophy, the last of his seven Daytona 500 wins; a 2017 Ford Tribute Mustang No. 43 (total production of 43) and titled to Richard Petty; a 1967 Darlington Win Trophy for winning his first Southern 500, a victory that was part of Petty’s astonishing 10 in a row winning streak that year; a 2018 Ford F150 and a 2018 Ford Mustang both built professionally in Petty’s Garage; a 2009 Budweiser Dodge driven by Kasey Khane who won at Sonoma in 2009; a 2008 Victory Motorcycle made by Polaris, driven during the Kyle Petty Charity Ride; Petty worn STP signed leather racing jacket; a Bobby Labonte signed Cherrios racing suit; a Marathon racing suit bearing Terry Labonte���s name; a vintage Lee and Richard Petty oil tank and pump used during the late ’60s. The auction will also offer memorabilia and personal items including race programs, license plates, posters, trading cards, plaques, clothing and more.

JULIEN’S AUCTIONS PUBLIC EXHIBITION & LIVE AUCTION LOCATION
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino 
3667 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109-8900

JULIEN’S AUCTIONS LAS VEGAS PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Tuesday, May 8th-Saturday May 12th, 2018
Daily: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. PST
Free to the public

LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION
Saturday, May 12th, 2018
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF RICHARD PETTY
Session I: 1:00 p.m. PST

For information, visit JuliensLive.com to bid live online, or by calling (310) 836-1818.

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INDIANAPOLIS, PRNewswire — The Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) announced that the Marmon Wasp will join other automotive icons on the HVA’s National Historic Vehicle Register. The first Indy 500 winner is currently being measured and documented by the HVA using the guidelines set by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Heritage Documentation and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER). Once complete, the material will permanently reside in the Library of Congress, joining such iconic cars as the Shelby Cobra Daytona prototype, the first Meyers Manx dune buggy and one of the last surviving Futurliners. This is being done to preserve an important chapter in America’s automotive heritage.

“The yellow #32 Marmon Wasp is arguably one of the best known race cars in America,” said Mark Gessler, President of the Historic Vehicle Association. “The 1911 race was the inauguration of a single, large-scale event designed to attract widespread attention from both American and European racing teams and manufacturers. It proved to be a successful event, immediately establishing itself both as the premier motorsports competition in the nation, and one of the most prestigious in the world.”

5 facts about the Marmon Wasp

5. Luxury Performance –
Initially avoiding the trend set by Ford for low-priced, high-volume cars, Marmon focused squarely on the high-end market with an eye on speed. Early marketing included hiring Helen Keller as a spokeswoman, fielding cars in races around the country — where Ray Harroun won over 41 races in 1910, and sending a 1916 Model 34 across country in six days breaking the previous record held by Cannon Ball Baker. Their production cars gained a reputation as reliable and fast upscale automobiles. Marmon, like its luxury competitors, couldn’t survive the Great Depression, however. Despite introducing a lower-cost car in the late 1920s, the company built its last automobile – the 16-cylinder Series 16 — in 1933. 

4. Factory Hot Rod –
Ray Harroun, an engineer for the Marmon Motor Car Company, designed the six-cylinder Marmon Wasp from stock Marmon engine components, adding two cylinders to the production Model 32 engine on which it was based. The Marmon, originally dubbed “Yellow Jacket” by the media and later shortened to “Wasp,” was built with a cowled cockpit and a long pointed tail to reduce air drag, and adorned with a yellow and black paint scheme. The car also featured another important innovation – the rear view mirror. Ray Harroun was the first driver to race without a riding mechanic to watch for cars from behind and it is believed that the Marmon was the first car equipped with this piece of equipment.

3. Must Drive 75: The 1911 International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race Grid
Out of the 46 1911 Indy 500 entries, only 40 were able to achieve the 75 mph along the quarter-mile straight required in order to qualify. Cars started based on their entry date (also their car number), rather than qualifying time. Joining Harroun for the historic rolling start were racing legends such as Ralph de Palma in a Simplex, Bob Burman in a Benz and runnerup Ralph Mulford in a Lozier.

2. One and Done –
Ray Harroun and the Marmon Wasp started in row 6 in the 28th position. Harroun completed the 500-mile race in 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds with an average speed of 74.49 mph. Harroun, preferring his engineering career over that of a motorsports celebrity risking life and limb never raced again. Marmon likewise retired from official competition, content with the boost in sales provided by the 1911 victory. 

1. Birth of a legend –
The inaugural Indy 500 made an indelible mark on international motor racing and the event quickly became one of the premier motorsports competitions in the world. Except for a few off years due to WWI and WWII, the race has been run continuously since 1911. This year marked the 100th running of what has become the largest single-day motorsports spectator event in the world.

Click here for more Marmon Wasp Photos: HVA Marmon Wasp Photos

About the Historic Vehicle Association

The HVA is dedicated to preserving and sharing America’s automotive heritage. For information visit: historicvehicle.org

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The third annual Arizona Concours d’Elegance will lead the nation’s celebration of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016 with a showing of significant Indy race-cars from the past, a display of historic artifacts and a very special public event, all of which preview the 100th running of America’s greatest motorsports spectacle. 

The Arizona Concours, which takes place Sunday, January 24, 2016, at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix as the start up for Arizona Classic Car Week, will feature a number of historic race cars from the Hall of Fame Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the actual Borg-Warner Trophy with the portraits of revered Indy winners sculpted on its surface. 

The Indy 500 tribute on Saturday, January 23 will have a panel of winning drivers that will lead a discussion about racing at Indy and their own victories in the annual 500-mile competition. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to meet the drivers, and an autograph session is planned following the seminar.

Among the drivers slated to appear are Tom Sneva, the 1983 Indy 500 winner, and Arie Luyendyk, a two-time Indy victor who won in 1990 and 1997. The moderator of the panel will be another famed race driver, Lyn St. James, who competed seven times in the Indy 500.

The Indy drivers’ event will be held at the Arizona Biltmore from noon to 1:30 pm, along with two other informative discussions:

– The Phoenix Automotive Press Association auction-week preview, 10 to 11:30 am, featuring representatives from the major collector car auctions that take place during Arizona Classic Car Week.

– A seminar on automotive design, 2 to 3:30 pm, featuring two of the world’s leading designers: Andrea Zagato, the third generation of his family to lead Carrozzeria Zagato of Italy, and J Mays, the former head of global design for Ford Motor Company. 

Tickets for the three events on Saturday, January 23, are priced at $60, which allow the bearer to attend any or all of the discussions. See the website for the Arizona Concours d’Elegance, www.ArizonaConcours.com, to purchase tickets; seating is limited and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The celebration of the Indy 500 takes on special relevance next year because on May 29, 2016, Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the 100th running of the 500. The speedway opened in 1909 and held the inaugural 500-mile race in 1911, which then took place every year except during wartime.

The Indy 500 tribute also has special significance for Arizona since the Verizon IndyCar Series organizers announced in October that IndyCar racing would return to Phoenix International Raceway in 2016, with the inaugural Phoenix Grand Prix scheduled for April 2.

The Arizona Concours d’Elegance, which brings more than 90 automobiles to the historic Arizona Biltmore Resort on Sunday, January 24, benefits Make-A-Wish® Arizona, the founding chapter of the national foundation that grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Tickets for the Arizona Concours d’Elegance are priced at $80 in advance or $100 at the door. The Arizona Concours is a boutique automotive event and tickets are strictly limited, so guests are urged to purchase them as soon as possible; the January 2015 event was a sellout.

For tickets and information about the Concours and the three Saturday seminars, see the event website at ArizonaConcours.com.

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