Most Camaro fans know the IROC-Z and Z28, but have you ever heard of a Carralo? This unusual third-generation Camaro got a makeover from Knudsen Automotive, the specialty builder behind the Pontiac Tojan. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone. This 1989 Chevrolet Carralo is for sale here on craigslist for $18,500 in Henrietta, Texas.
Knudsen Automotive was founded by Russell Knudsen, who built specialty cars rather than running a major automaker. And no, he wasn’t Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen, the well-known executive who served as president of General Motors from 1967 to 1968 before moving to Ford. Russell’s work included the Pontiac Tojan, based on the Firebird, and the Carralo, which started with a Camaro. Both followed the same basic idea: take a familiar American performance car and give it a much more exotic appearance.
The Carralo was more than a Camaro with a spoiler bolted on. Its custom fiberglass bodywork, reshaped front end, side skirts, and distinctive rear spoiler gave the F-body a low-slung, exotic-car look. The front-end treatment changes the face of the car, while the body kit carries the custom look down the sides and around the rear. Love the styling or not, it certainly stood apart from the IROC-Zs and Z28s most people associate with the era.
The idea was to make the car look like something exotic without abandoning its Camaro roots. Underneath the custom bodywork, the Carralo retained the basic GM mechanicals, so it wasn’t a ground-up exotic with an entirely different drivetrain. Carralos could be equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 or a fuel-injected 5.7-liter 350, depending on configuration. The seller says this example has the 5.7-liter V8 and an automatic transmission.
The listing shows 55,000 miles and describes the car as being in excellent condition. The seller also claims the mileage is original, though that hasn’t been independently verified. A 2009 report in Sports Car Market described the Carralo as one of 100 cars licensed by GM and confirmed that just two were built for 1989. The seller says another 90 followed in 1990 before production ended. That second figure isn’t independently confirmed here, but the 1989 production claim makes this a particularly obscure branch of Camaro history. Thanks to Tony Primo for tipping us off to this unusual Camaro. Had you ever heard of a Carralo before, and what do you think of Knudsen’s take on the F-body?
If I had to call this anything, it would be “Unnecessary”.
“Ever seen one”? Sorry to say I just did. SMH
There are any a number of these after market custom cars and one thing they can’t disguise is the roof and C pillars. It kind of spoils it for me.