It has become almost too hard to speak about any Camaro and not mention the fact that this nameplate is currently dead. Chevy built the last one at the end of 2023, and no one knows in what shape it will return to the car world.
The only thing GM had to say about it is that this isn't the final chapter for this nameplate. About a year ago, the brand's global VP, Scott Bell, said they were not ready to announce anything about its successor, and that hasn't changed a bit.
Now, what the future holds for the Chevrolet Camaro is irrelevant to this story, which is about a very special 2002 copy. Made in the last model year of the fourth generation, the muscle car in question is brand-new. It has only 119 miles (192 km) and a single owner since new, who has taken great care of it and has refrained from driving it over the last 22 years.
As if that wasn't enough to grab the attention of collectors, it is a Z28 SS Convertible in the 35th Anniversary Edition configuration. This muscle car has a red paint finish with white decals, a black ragtop, five double-spoke alloys, and a bi-tone interior with special embossing on the headrests. As anyone can assume, it is an all-original example that doesn't feature any modifications.
Photo: Garage Kept Motors
Given the extremely low mileage for a vehicle that is over two decades old, it probably still has that new-car smell. More importantly, it is ready to hit the road again. It has a 5.7-liter V8 motor under the hood mated to an automatic transmission. The engine bay is very clean, just like the rest of this 2002 Camaro. Since it was kept in storage, so is the underbody.
The vendor doesn't mention anything about rust, so the two decades have been mild on it. The muscle car is in peak condition, and all it needs is a new owner to enjoy it. Hopefully, the person whose name will be written on the dotted line after transferring the money will enjoy it constantly and won't just keep it in storage waiting to sell it for profit in a few years.
But how much would you have to pay to make this 2002 Chevy Camaro yours? The answer comes from the Garage Kept Motors listing here, which reveals the magic number to be $41,900. For that kind of money, one could search dealer lots for a new 2024 Camaro LT1, which uses a 6.2L V8 engine rated at 455 hp. Sure, they'd also have to be lucky to land one for a little over $40,000, given that that was the original MSRP of this trim level.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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