Chevrolet rolled out the Camaro “pony car” in 1967 to do battle with the popular Ford Mustang. It quickly established itself as the #2 player in that market space which would quickly become crowded. The Camaro came with an inline-6 as standard, but how many of them had a column-shifted manual transmission and the Rally Sport option with the hideaway headlights? We’re thinking those numbers might not be huge and this Camaro is one of them. Located in Elizabeth, Colorado, this interesting survivor is available here on craigslist for $26,500. Thanks to Tony Primo for another great tip!
Though about half that of the Ford output, the 1967 Camaro would garner sales of nearly 221,000 copies in its first year. 53,000 of them were basic Camaro coupes with the six-banger engine. The code for that is 12337. Yet the cowl tag says that this car was built as a 12437 which means a V8. We’re guessing there is a mistake somewhere as surely no one would replace a V8 with an I-6 and the seller says this car is numbers matching. Very odd.
What’s also strange is that the 3-speed manual transmission doesn’t have the shifter on the floor. It’s on the steering column like almost every car in the early 1950s. And this Camaro is one of nearly 65,000 to have the Z22 Rally Sport option. So, when the original owner bought this car new, he/she must have been looking for a unique combination of attributes. The seller is only the vehicle’s second owner.
The Camaro looks quite nice until you open the trunk and find loads of surface rust on the floor. We’re told that it may be more than that and the front floor pans have corrosion, too. So, I’d want to put this car on a lift for a good look-see before pulling the trigger. The interior, however, looks mostly nice (except the door panels), and the machine is said to run and drive, but just “fair”. That may be because 122,000 miles have been covered over the years. Is this unusual combination one that you would buy and not modify?
Weird combo indeed. Just out of curiosity, would this have been a customer-driven build, or just a car that was shipped to a dealer on spec?
Haven’t bought a new car in 40 years so it’s been a while (other than the build-your-own apps).
I worked at the Chevy dealer the first one we got was 3 on the tree. you didn’t have the choice that is the first one you got .
Wow, I love straight 6’s and grew up with 3 on the tree but ìf you running buckets what’s the point, that said I would love to own this car and fix only those things that would need it.
I had a buddy in high school (1980) who had a ‘67 base stripper Camaro with a 3 on the tree and the 275 hp 327 V8. It was pretty worn out and rusty, but it hauled ass once it got going. The first gear was really tall. He eventually put a Hurst floor shifter in it. It had to be rare with that V8 and a 3-speed column shift.
Hey Toad, is that you in that beautiful Car? Jeez, what a waste of machinery!
Beautiful Car, needs a V-8
I disagree this car having the 6cyl and the factory anti theft transmission is what sets it apart from all the other ones out there. You can still put a header and decent exhaust and it will sound better than this fart can import cars.
Sounds like a “Loss Leader” ad car..
May-be! Or a customer ordered it like that. We’ll probably never know what occurred, but no doubt it’s in nice condition.
I didn’t think the headlight doors came onto the option sheet until 1968.
I can’t know; but I think this was a parts-pile rebuild. Perhaps a Nova supplied a new steering column and shift linkage…maybe transmission, also.
Someone who’s more knowledgeable about Bowtie lore could research the VIN and find out how it was originally built.
Column shift was standard on Camaro 1966 until sometime into the 1970s.
1966 Camaro ?
RS with the hide-away headlights WAS an available option on any 1967 Camaro, with any drivetrain (from the base six all the way up to the Z28 302, and the 325 HP and 375 HP 396 big block cars)
1967 Camaro RS came with electric headlight doors, then in 1968 they switched to vaccum operated.
I’d love to have an unmolested first generation Camaro like this, and at first I thought the price was about right…until I saw the multiple areas of rust needing attention and the door panels….guess I’ll pass on this. Clearly the seller is trying to make out like a bandit.
Spent a lot of time in a 67,my sister’s with a 283 on the floor.Man it was quick but she went through some clutches.I did see a 3 on the tree version once with an old lady behind the wheel.It had gold or blue interior that looked bran new.Maybe an SS but not a RS.Always liked these CAMAROS.
I doubt many people would leave it in its current iteration. If it were me, I’d order it with a V8, floor shift, console maybe, right sideview mirror(!) and probably forgo the RS package to compensate the price. I’m not sure why somebody would prefer a column shift manual, but there’s an ass for every seat.
Great looking car on the outside, looks like an old city bus on the inside.
Too much rust and too little engine for the asking price, IMO.
Great looking car on the outside, looks like an old city bus on the inside.
Too much rust and too little engine for the asking price, IMO.
Nice driver quality, but that $$ is a bit much for the options it has. With the current market…the $$ isn’t there….at least not yet. Cut the price in half in half fix the issues…not restore and enjoy.
Perhaps in the future…you’ll get you $$ back when you pass it on. The market can do crazy things..lol
Just like Sixone said….”there’s an ass for every seat” 😉
I can see ordering the straight six with the RS package just to get the hide-away lights; in my mind they should have been standard as the front of the car is vastly improved appearance wise.
But a three-on-the-tree? That only makes sense if the person ordering it was older, well-used to a column-shift, and didn’t think to spring for the floor shift or an automatic.
Seller says it’s numbers matching, but the numbers don’t match, so something is off. No way of telling from a handful of pics, but I’d lean toward the “someone built this up out of pieces at some point” and I seriously doubt the current owner is only number 2.
Actually, the column-shift (in general) isn’t bad to drive – just different muscle-memory. With a six and three speeds, you’re not gonna get fast takeoffs, anyway. The six with torque gives the driver the option to be lazy on shifting, lugging it in town.
The surprising thing is that there’s bucket-seats in there (yeah, a Camaro, I know) but a column shift. The column shift typically was to clear the transmission hump for a three-place bench seat.
I didn’t know the headlight doors were available from the start. I was nine years old when these came out, too young to dream of having one…and they were mostly iron oxide by the time I got my license. Saw a number of 1968-9 SSs in my world, with the covered headlights; but none of the earlier models with base paint.
My mom had a friend in the 70’s, she had 69 base Camaro with 307 and column 3 speed. I found it odd with the column shift but oh well, it was wasn’t my car. Years later I found that GM had column shift standard on everything except Vettes. In comparison, Ford never put column shifts in the Mustang. Smart!
It was cost, really. Back in the day, column-shift was seen as a bit upgrade from three-on-the-floor.
AMC’s option-package was telling. You could not get a manual column shift on a Gremlin, even though the Hornet (identical forward of the B-post) had it. You got a floor shift, and not a nice one. External linkage and given to wear.
What stopped that tendency was the development of four-speeds, mostly in subcompacts and performance packages, and cheaper automatics. By the mid-1970s, an automatic was standard in midsize and fullsize cars; and if you had a manual option it was a four-speed. The column-shift setup was slated to die with models that already had it. The Maverick and Nova had it, but the Citation and Fairmont did not.
My friend had a column shift 3spd 65 mustang back in the early 80s with a 289 and that sucks had some ooomph for a stock drivetrain! All I remember was it was a rust bucket 🪣 but he put a lot of bondo on that thing and I was surprised it could haul ass for that driveline combination lol 😝
***sucka
Column shift 65 Mustang? One of none, I would say. No one would change a floor shift to a column shift, and I have never heard of, much less seen a column shifter from the factory, because none left the factory with one. While similar year Falcons share some mechanical parts, I doubt that the column and linkages would interchange to make a swap. But back to this car, I hope it is restored to original. In the ever growing sea of modified Camaro’s, it’s nice to see these oddballs. All it needs is the bench seat!
Had a 67 R/S SS combo with a 327/350 hp L79 code (not original) with a Muncie Rock Crusher and .411 gears. Quickest car I ever owned until my recent C8 purchase.
This was definitely a loss leader, the young street racer sees an ad for an RS Camaro w/manual shift they’re going to go look. They’ll hate it but buy the 327 or the 396 sitting on either side of it
When the rare combination of features were first mentioned, I was definitely intrigued. Then I saw that ugly engine compartment and trunk floor. As much as I would normally like to keep an attractive 1st Gen Camaro as original as possible, I would replace that 6 with a date-correct 283 or 327 because of the cowl tag issue and deal with that rust in the trunk.
My 1967 Camaro (I was second owner) came with a six and column shift. Loved it at least until I installed a mild 327 and turbo 400😋
When I sold it in ‘76 the rear window at the lower corners was rusted thru but not showing around trim. 9 years old and rusted badly, what a shame
I had a 68 RS with 6 cyl and three on the tree during high school in the 70’s that I bought for $700. May not have been a street racer but it was cool and fun to drive. I would buy this one and fix what it needs then drive around town like my old 16 year old self. I have found nothing makes you feel young again like looking through old eyes at a scene you’re very familiar with from your youth. I’ve taken the seat of old Camaros and they do it for me every time. Thanks for the flashback!
Building and buying cars was a little different back then. Being able to have anything anyway you wanted created some unique vehicles. Maybe you wanted the style of an RS but had a strict budget so everything else was skipped over. Column shift 3-speed was a first gen thing. It moved to the floor in ’70 but stayed on the column for automatic cars without console. This is a cool and interesting car seeing as how few have survived in this configuration.
I worked at the Chevy dealer back then our first 67 was 6 cyl 3 on the tree no choice on the order that is what you got for the show car
They also made Novas with 4 cylinder engines. Before they had to emissions certify every drivetrain manufactures offered just about any engine and transmission that would fit to satisfy a customer. I remember seeing 6 cylinders with 4 on the floor.
Actually, the 12437 was only he trim tag information. “Sport Coupe, Standard Interior. That’s all!! After that, the VIN tag would show other options, but it was not very detailed.
For the record, there was never a a tag that read 12337 for a 1967 Camaro.
Cowl tag code not matching the actual final product build is more common than you would think.
The 3 on a tree makes it easier to move from 1 side to the other, tho is it not more expensive & less precise(with more/longer linkage) than a floor shift?
This has to be the ONLY 1st gen RS with a 6 cyl & no power steering!
I wonder if we will ever see a ’69 RS here for sale or even not for sale with the 230 or 250 6 cyl.
In early 1979 I bought a 1967 Camaro convertible off of a used car lot. It had a three-on-the-tree paired to a 210HP 327 two-barrel. The car was all stock, with the exception of dual exhausts connected to glasspacks. It had a black interior, and black top, and in a nod to flippers these days, the used car dealer had it’s original gold paint covered in poorly applied black paint, and also installed some Craigers’s with raised white letter tires. It looked great, from a dozen feet, and I cherished it, but it was no speedster off the line as that first gear was really tall, and getting from 1st to 2nd was never a speed-shift.