Lucas Bell 
Back in 1988, Chevrolet was sick of watching their cross-town rivals dominate the SCCA Showroom Stock class and the Canadian Players Challenge series. The General’s answer to the dominant Ford Mustang of the time was the Camaro Z/28 1LE, a secret model made specifically for racing teams and drivers. Now, you have a chance to purchase this ultra-rare track-ready example from 1991 on eBay.
When Chevrolet first introduced the Z/28 1LE, the company only allowed racing teams or licensed racing drivers to purchase the hardcore track car. This changed in 1991, but the cars didn’t become any less potent. Buyers would start by deleting the A/C option from their Z/28 Camaros during ordering, before adding the G92 Rear Axle Performance Package. This sneaky combination would then initialize the 1LE RPO code, which brought with it a host of upgraded parts.
The Camaro Z/28 1LE would receive an upgraded suspension with new control arms and gas-filled shocks, new, larger brakes borrowed from the Corvette, a 3.42 posi-rear LSD, an aluminum driveshaft, and a baffled gas tank to prevent fueling issues on track. All of the power options were then deleted from the car, as were the signature fog lights and T-top roof. The end result was a lighter, more tightened up Camaro that was ready to do battle against the Mustang on North America’s greatest circuits.
Chevrolet only produced 478 units of the Camaro Z/28 1LE for the 1991 model year, and this car in particular is just one of 289 manual-transmission equipped cars. As it is a five-speed car, this Camaro Z/28 1LE features the 305 cubic-inch LB9 V8 engine, which produces 230 hp and 300 ft-lb of torque. It also wears Ultra Blue Metallic paint, which is quite rare among 1LE models. The car does feature some modifications like an SLP exhaust and a K&N air filter, though the buyer claims to have most of the original equipment and is including it in the sale. Where it may lose some points for its lack of originality, this car does only show 38,310 miles on its odometer.
The auction has a starting price of $21,499, though the opening bid has yet to be set at this point. Should you be in the market for one of the coolest third-gen Camaros out there, check out the full auction page here.
