Here’s something I’d like to see manufacturers bring back to showrooms: factory race cars built in limited quantities. This is a rare 1LE edition of the Chevrolet Camaro, effectively offering track day assassins a turn-key racer that made serious improvements to the chassis and braking departments. Sure, any muscle car can be tuned for more power, but to get truly scientific you have start shaving pounds and making tweaks where not everyone can see them. This 1991 Camaro Z28 is one of a small batch of cars ordered with the 1LE package, and with just over 37,000 miles on the clock, it’s safe to say it hasn’t seen much use, on the track or otherwise. Find it here on eBay with bids to $21,000 and no reserve.
This 1LE is noted as being one of 478 built in 1991, placing it in rare company as one of the more elusive editions of that year’s Camaro. Like other manufacturers that built cars for road racing and the SCCA crowd, the emphasis here was not on increasing sheer horsepower; no, the improvements went much deeper than that. As the seller notes, the 1LE package got you four-wheel disc brakes with special heavy-duty front disc brake package (12-inch full-size rotors and Corvette calipers), an aluminum driveshaft, performance exhaust with dual converters, special shocks, stiffer springs and struts, thicker anti-roll bars, engine oil cooler, and a baffled fuel tank. These parts were the sort of things you’d add anyway if you were to convert your Camaro to a track day special.
This also meant it was a fairly bare-bones car on the luxuries side, with no air conditioning available and an otherwise spartan cabin. Leather certainly wasn’t in the cards, so the 1LE is not a car worth looking at if you prefer your Camaros to have all the comforts of home in addition to respectable out-of-the-box performance. This particular car was a no sale earlier this year on Bring A Trailer, with the reserve unmet at $23,000. The jury is out as to whether third-generation Camaros have appreciated to this level, but a 1LE is certainly as worthy of a specimen for future appreciation as any other model. Still, not everyone will love the gray cloth cabin and A/C delete, and track day fiends may be looking for a manual gearbox over the automatic seen here.
Still, it’s a well-preserved Z28 with the added bonus of the rare 1LE package, if you want to look at it another way. I suspect the seller is hoping to see $25,000 out of this car, and with just two bids taking us up to $21K, perhaps there’s a chance he’ll see it. The Camaro originally resided in Nevada and is said to be rust free underneath, and the only deviation from factory condition is a Dynomax stainless steel muffler. The 1LE with a manual transmission is the one to have, in my opinion, but I’m sure there’s more than one third-gen collector who would like to add this rare model to their collection. Would you pay $25K for it?
$25k is clean e92 M3 territory. That gets you 414 horsepower and a much better track car, in every way. This is a car for someone who wants to go to Radwood. If it didn’t bring $25k on BAT it isn’t worth $25K.
there is no way you can buy a NICE, low mile, E92 M3 for $25k.
Did I say nice? Clean as in never wrecked, no rust or major issues. Where did I mention mileage? If you’re going to track anything, why would you do it to something nice?
Here’s one I’d say is nice.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-BMW-M3-d390#listing=281382492
But there are plenty with close to that mileage/condition, but whatever. You know better…
I don’t know why people bother with the reserve on BaT if they really want to sell it, because that will set the top of the market every time. The real value is 21-23k.
I think there’s a little while left to go before they sell for more than 23k. They’re cool but they appeal to a limited audience due to the lack of options. And nice 1991-92 editions are not all that rare. By then, the secret was out on the option package and a lot of people bought them and salted them away to pay for their kids’ college. Actually, 37,000 miles is rather high for one of these.
the 1LE was available with any interior, this particular one has the more expensive (not base) optional cloth interior.
Surprised Chevy didn’t ditch the back seat, passenger door mirror & radio. & the power assist on the steering & brakes.
Why does the dual exhaust take such a crazy route?
This car with an automatic is for someone who just bought it for there badge.
You could get the saleen mustang above cheaper and it would blow this heap off the road in every way.
Just another chevy that has been sitting around thinking its worth $30! Cheap plastic / cloth / lost in the shuffle of time! NOT that special!!
Meh.
You’re comparing two cars that are 11 years apart. Technology continually advances and the Saleen should be a better car. It’s also in the era where you had to put a supercharger on a Ford to make it quick. Both cars for their times were respectable. If you wanna play that game you could continually jump forward 10 years and the 2012 SS Camaro would hose the 2002 Saleen. Even though the more correct comparison would be a ZL1 1LE. The current offerings from Chevy or Ford would beat that. All in all, both cars are neat for what they are, just a matter of what you like.
Great car, other than the lack of A/C and that too tall rear wing. Much prefer the blade spoiler, which is probably what these were raced with back in the day. Love the crank windows and no T-tops. Photo of the options sticker showing 1LE would be a big plus. I had a ’89 Pontiac GTA, very similar but with more (weight adding) options.
SOLD for $21,000.
Rarer yet is the 1LE with the R7U code, then you have something. But for it’s day and time this is still a pretty cool car. Continue to drive and enjoy it on sunny nice days and share in many convo’s with people at show and shines educating them on what the 1LE meant in it’s day.
BTW the link for the ad for the E92 M3 shows a car that says it’s priced $6,500 below market for some reason and it has 20K more miles then the compared to 1LE just saying, apples to apples
Go ahead. Buy a POS BMW. Bend over when you get it fixed. It is gonna hurt. We fix these POS German cars all day long. Parts outrageous. Working on them worse. This Camaro looks better than any new GM heap of crap.