Known for their high-powered performance and designs to die for, muscle cars never cease to capture people's imagination. Symbolizing power, an absolute unit of a machine, the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS is widely regarded as one of the most majestic muscle cars of all time. Out of all the muscle manufacturers in the world, Chevrolet has managed to emboss its name as one of the best in the world, and the '69 Chevy Camaro SS was the belle of the ball. Even to this day, it is a muscle car that demands attention and is well sought-after.
But to many, the reasons for that are unclear, except for the simple fact that the Camaro SS is a Chevy. After all, Chevy is synonymous with performance. Just take a look at the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, which was the "King of the Streets," and the Chevrolet Corvette, which is "America's Sports Car."
Let's take a deeper look into the inner workings of the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS to see why it is the ultimate muscle car so the company can safely add another high-performance notch to its belt.
Updated on June 7, 2023: The '69 Chevy Camaro SS is a classic muscle car that deserves to live on, even if only in your heart and mind. That is why we have decided to refresh and update this list instead of letting it get lost with the other articles that have been pushed to the back of the hard drive.
15 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Was The Last Of Its Generation
The entire automobile world was taken by surprise in 1964 when Ford came out with the Mustang. When people and automobile enthusiasts pushed Chevrolet to build a muscle car to take on the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet introduced the Camaro in September 1966. With a rear-wheel design drive and a front engine, the Camaro immediately left an impression. In addition to that, the 1969 Chevy Camaro clearly stood out from the rest of first-generation Camaros with a wider, more "in your face" aggressive looks and, of course, a lot of horsepower.
14 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Is A Step Up From Its Predecessors
The 1969 Camaro SS was an upgrade from its predecessors in every possible way. From its appearance to performance, almost every aspect of the car was upgraded. Chevrolet took the design and the performance to a whole new level. The '69 Camaro SS was well-equipped with high-performance 427 big-block engines aided by a gnarly-looking design. It is widely considered the best muscle car among the first-generation Chevy Camaros. It doesn't stop there. The Camaro SS also featured an anti-theft steering lock and computer-selected suspension springs.
13 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Had A Lot Of "First Of Many"
This classic American muscle, though a part of the first-generation Camaros, came with features that weren't there in any other first-generation Camaros. To begin with, it was the only model to be fitted with headlight washers that came with the RS package. Furthermore, the grille of the RS model had headlights with covers that were vacuum operated. It was also the first model to provide two-tone paint. The 69 Camaro was the only model with Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. However, this can be accredited to the limited availability in previous years. It was also the first model to have variable-ratio steering for better control.
12 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Had An Appearance Like No Other
Arguably one of the best features of the '69 Camaro SS is its unique design. Unlike its predecessor, the entire model was designed with new sheet metal apart from the roof and hood trunk. It was fitted with new door skins as well as new rear quarter panels. Additionally, the grille has a much more defined V with inset headlights. The new design didn't stop there, the rear valance brought out the aggressive yet sporty look of this classic Camaro, and this design was meant only for the 1969 model.
11 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Came With A Lot Of Engine Options
Although the '69 Camaro carried over quite a bit of the previous models' drivetrain, it had many more options. It came equipped with 350cu in a V-8 (5.7-liter) as well as the L35 and L78 396cu Big Block V-8 engines (6.5-liter). The '69 Camaro could be ordered with a V-8 Camaro or six-cylinder baseline with SS upgrade options that included a 350 or 396 V-8. The SS 350 package offered a 350 V-8 engine with 300 horsepower, and the SS-396 with a 325-horsepower engine. Top-tier engine and exterior options are two of the many reasons why the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS stands out.
10 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Was One Of The Fastest Cars Of Its Time
Although the Chevy Camaro SS '69 may not be as known for its speed, it was definitely one of its era's fastest cars. But here's a fun fact, out of all the Camaro SS produced, only 311 of them came with the 96 CID V8 375-HP L89 power plant, and if the Camaro was the best, these were the cream of the crop. The Supercar Annual Magazine recorded a time of 13.0 Seconds for a quarter mile (108.6 Miles Per Hour) for the above-mentioned Chevy Camaro SS 69 model. Pretty impressive, right?
9 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Came With Several Options
Though the performance of the '69 Camaro was of a Super Sport (SS), the RS option was for aesthetics. The best part? You could combine the SS and RS packages. The SS performance package came with a 350 or 396 Big Block V-8 engine, upgraded chassis for impeccable handling, SS badging, and much more. On the other hand, the RS appearance package had a set of backup lights, revamped taillights, and RS badging. The RS appearance package was available in every Camaro SS Muscle Car model. The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS could be customized to anyone's taste.
8 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Came With Optional Four-Wheel Disc Brakes
The option of all-wheel disc brakes with piston calipers was another innovative design that the engineers at Chevy borrowed from the Corvette design to improve the handling of the 1969 Camaro SS. The original idea behind the additional option was to help the company have a better chance at winning the Trans-Am racing series (which it did.) Even though very few cars were ordered with this upgrade because of the added price tag, the proud owners knew they had made a good choice because a muscle car that cannot stop is not much good to you on the track.
7 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Came With Muncie And Hurst
A muscle car was not top-end performance unless it had a Hurst shifter attached to a Muncie four-speed. Of course, that is what many die-hard, old-school muscle car racers from the past say. When in the right hands, the combination can simply put the rivals to bed on the track because they combine to not only create shifting smooth and quick, they are made for hard shifting, such as when slamming through gears when the light turns green.
6 Shock-Absorber Mounts Staggered On The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS
Classic muscle cars in the mid to early 1960s did not have the power that the later versions have, but the ones with any muscle at all always seemed to have a common issue; wheel hop. Car companies that invested time and money on race tracks knew it was a big problem to solve. In 1969 the Camaro SS was one of the first street muscle cars to receive staggered shock-absorbing mounting brackets, which reduced the amount of wheel hop by absorbing the amount of force in different sections of the back end. Simple but effective.
5 Dual Four-Barrel Carbs Came As An Option On The '69 SS Camaro
Perhaps one of the most heart-palpitating things in the car industry is hearing a classic muscle car roar to life with a set of four-barrel carbs sitting on top of a high-performance intake. Most of the time, these are additional options the owner has to put on when upgrading and building their ride. In the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS, this was an option that any buyer could opt for. A dual four-barrel cross-ram intake manifold was an available option that could be ordered and installed at the dealership.
4 Positraction Helped Launch The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Another common problem classic muscle cars had in the '60s, along with wheel hop, was wheel spin. Positraction helped solve that problem by ensuring both rear drive tires turned simultaneously rather than allowing one tire to turn while the other planted. This prevented one tire from burning rubber in one spot, allowing the car to grip and launch with both wheels. This is why so many classic muscle car enthusiasts that race change out the old rear-end gears for ones with positraction technology.
3 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Looks Great In Any Build
We've spoken about the exterior changes, but one of the reasons why the Camaro SS is popular is its ability to look fantastic in any build. You could have a build for a pro drag, pro tour, or even as a day-2 restomod. The Camaro looks great by itself and also when modified. No matter what build, it always screams true American Muscle. This is exactly one of the reasons why the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS is so adored by everyone.
2 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Was The Official Pace Car For Indianapolis 500
The '69 Chevy Camaro was the official Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500. It was chosen as the official pace car twice in three years. It donned a Dover white paint with Hugger Orange stripes. In addition, 3,675 models of the very same Pace Car were made for the public to buy! The base price for the same was roughly $3,405! Here is a fun fact, Chevrolet paid the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS a tribute during the 2011 Indianapolis 500. The legendary Dover white paint and hugger orange stripes covered the Camaro pace car.
1 The 1969 Chevy Camaro SS Is Much Sought-After Even Today
It goes without saying that 1969 was the golden year for Camaros, and the classic Camaro SS production was extended until November 1969. No other model had such an extended production. At the time, it was valued and sold for anywhere between $3,000 - $7,000, roughly about $24,360 - $56,841 today; yet its value has only risen. If you were to buy a classic Chevrolet Camaro SS, depending on the condition of the car and its high-value status, it would cost you anywhere above $50,000, which speaks a lot!
FAQ
Q: What Makes a 1969 Chevy Camaro an RS or SS?
The Chevy Camaro 1969 SS is in relevance to the performance is come with every model and the RS package is for exterior appearance. Both can be combined.
Q: How Much is a 1969 Chevy Camaro SS?
As of today, depending on the condition the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS will cost you anywhere between $85,000 to $221,000.
Q: What engine is in a 1969 Chevy Camaro SS?
The Chevy Camaro came equipped with a 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 engine and the L35 and L78 396 cu in (6.5 L) big-block V8s were made available as well
Q: How much did the Camaro SS cost in 1969?
A Chevy Camaro would have costed anywhere between $3000 - $7000 in 1969.
Q: How much horsepower did a 69 Camaro SS have?
The SS 350 package offered 300 HP
Q: Is the Camaro SS a V8 or V6?
The 1969 Camaro SS is a V8.