This is one of my favourite NZ racing sedans of the early 1970s; Red Dawson's Kensington Carpets Camaro. Dawson purchased the genuine Z28 in 1971 as a replacement for his long-serving Shelby Mustang. He made a trip to the US with the plan to buy a Trans-Am race car, preferably a factory car. But there was nothing suitable available. So he purchased this Camaro, which was a mostly standard road car.

From there, he bought up a bunch of parts to be shipped home with the car so it could be built to Group 5 regulations, as used at the time for the NZ Saloon Car Championship. One of the nicest features of the Camaro are the genuine Fisher Body punched steel flares, which are the very same type used on the Chaparral and Smokey Yunick factory Trans-Am Camaros in 1970.

Dawson raced the Camaro for four seasons. It was painted this beautiful metallic gold colour, which looked a million bucks. Dawson always had great looking race cars. But metallic gold was a brave colour to paint a race car then, as it is now. Paint touch-ups are a nightmare, and Dawson liked to use the bumper. Its fourth season the gold made way for the less attractive red and white colours of Marlboro, which he then carried across to his DeKon Monza the following season.

The Camaro continued its racing career, being owned for a short time by Don Peddie and Allan Dick, who had Kevin Haig drive it to win the South Island OSCA championship. Even Ken Smith had a steer. Lawrence Bruce was another owner, as was Ross Cameron.

Amazingly, even though the OSCA regulations allowed a lot of freedom, the Camaro was never really cut up. It did have the firewall cut out to move the engine back, but that was about it. Even the factory headliner survived.

Its been owned for many years by Kelvin Towns, who restored the firewall and has begun an overall restoration. Its currently for sale, thought its not being advertised as such.

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