Barnyard Find: 1972 Chevrolet Camaro RS

The 1972 model year was almost the last for the Chevy Camaro, plagued by labor issues that resulted in the fewest number of sales by 30% (and 1971 was far from a record). But cooler heads prevailed, and the second-generation Camaro would survive for another nine years. This 1972 rather ordinary Camaro is a 25-year-old barnyard find that’s said to be a Rally Sport but doesn’t have the traditional split front bumpers. Located now in Fresno, California, this running project is available here on craigslist for $9,500 – and is a tip from Tony Prmo.

Second-gen Camaros were an unlucky lot at first. The 1970 models were several months late getting to market due to issues at Fisher Body; then labor issues were factors in 1971 and 1972, so the second three years of the car sold nowhere near as well as the first three. There was talk of the car being canceled for 1973 as demand was off for the genre and muscle cars in general. Fortunately, that did not happen, and the Camaro was a Chevy staple as recently as 2024.

This bumblebee yellow Camaro sat out in a yard for two-and-one-half decades, so the paint faded and the vinyl roof covering (black?) became non-existent. The odometer reads 12,000 miles, but 112,000 is more likely. The all-original car has a 307-cubic-inch small-block V8 with an automatic transmission (Powerglide or TH-350?). Options may have been few, although a console and a “horseshoe” shaped shifter were included. Baby Moon wheel covers are in place now.

The seller says this car is an RS (for Rally Sport) in the header, which would be somewhat rare at 11,364 copies in 1972. But the front clip looks like that of an ordinary Camaro. Where’s the separate right and left front bumpers accompanied by a body-colored frame around the center grille (urethane?)? No cowl tag info is provided to see if RPO Z22 was ordered. Whether or not it’s an RS, it’s still a cool Camaro that probably deserves to be restored.