You can just make out the Camaro core by looking at the windshield and the door. Other than that, it’s an unrecognizable animal. Almost like a Jaguar or a Ford Capri, but not really.
That being said, as things get more expensive and harder to get and I get older and more cynical, I’ve become more of a fan of the ordinary. Dodge made that Hellcat Santa sleigh thing that one Christmas; remember that? It probably had 707 horsepower, and it didn’t even have tires. Neat publicity idea, but that’s one of the reasons they’ve gotten themselves in trouble and had to be bailed out in the past. Will they bring back the Viper? I’m to the point that I don’t even care that much anymore. How about making a truck that’s actually affordable enough that you can drive it to work and still make some money?
I rag on Dodge, not because I dislike them; in fact, it’s quite the opposite, as I’m such a big fan that I’m the most familiar with them. Why do I drive mostly GM stuff? It’s cheaper. GM, however, have not been without their wasteful spending. They likely saved billions over the years by using the cheapest gaskets they could find, but then they go and do something ridiculous like shipping a single Camaro to Italy to have it customized. Wonder how big the oil puddle was on the floor of the ship after its trip across the ocean?
I hated this thing when I first saw it, and although I still don’t understand why it exists, I do appreciate the look a little bit more. General Motors sent a single 1976 Camaro to Italy to be customized by the famous coachbuilder Pietro Frua. In their defence, Chrysler, Ford and many others have also sent vehicles to him over the years for some reason, the main one of which I’m guessing is hoity-toity rich people bragging rights.
Anyways, he modified the back into a hatchback featuring Firebird taillights, lengthened the hood, created a new front facia, and added Hurst T-tops. Inside, it was still a Camaro, and it still performed like one, with a 165hp 350 V8 backed by a four-speed manual. On the show circuit, a company known as “Multi-Passenger Export” claimed they were going to offer the conversion in kit format, marketed as the “Europo Hurst.” It never happened, and this coach-built example is the only unit ever to exist. It sold at auction a couple of years back for just over thirty-grand American, less than a third of what one would assume something like this would go for.
Have a question or comment for Kelly? Post it at lmtimes.ca/kirk
