It's rare that a one-off Camaro comes up for sale, but the Camaro Cherokee show car will be going across the block. The 1967 Camaro Cherokee RS/SS Convertible General Motors Styling Car will be auctioned at the 22nd Dana Mecum Original Spring Classic Auction, May 13-17, 2009, in Indianapolis, Ind.

A styling exercise for GM design chief Bill Mitchell, the ’67 Camaro Cherokee was pulled off the Norwood, Ohio, assembly line and sent to Mitchell's famed GM Design Center where subtle exterior modifications transformed the car into a fashion icon.  A ducktail spoiler was integrated into the rear end while Corvette-style split bumpers were fitted to the front and back.  Sheet metal modifications were finished in the car's original Aztec Gold Metallic, which served as a base for a gorgeous Candy Apple Metalflake Red trimmed with Gold pinstriping.

"The fact that this Camaro Cherokee even exists today for all of us to enjoy is truly incredible, as corporate liability issues and racing bans at General Motors had long dictated that it was doomed to the scrap heap even before it was completed," said Dana Mecum.  "It truly is a rare piece of automotive history whose excellent condition and originality represent the cornerstone of its value."
 
Distinguishing itself from counterparts, the Cherokee's most distinct characteristic was - and still is - a hand-crafted fiberglass hood scoop, the upper element of which is formed from Plexiglas to reveal eight polished ram tubes that feed a set of four 48mm Weber downdraft cars atop an aluminum Moon Can-Am intake.
 
The noteworthy Mark IV big block is an "unstamped" pre-production L78 unit rated at 375 horsepower - the official factory figure before the addition of the Weber/Moon induction system.  The original red interior has been replaced with a custom black one that still adorns the car today; the original custom console and a tilting Corvette steering wheel also complement the interior.
 
Additional technical specifications include:
* Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic transmission
* 12-bolt Positraction rear end
* J52 front power disc brakes
* Koni front and AC Delco rear air shocks
* Power steering
* Custom fiberglass hood
* Hood-mounted tachometer
* Driving lights
      
Featured as a "Camaro for the street" in a 1967 issue of Hot Rod magazine, the Cherokee served Pace Car duties at Road America Can-Am under the helm of Sir Stirling Moss.  The car caught the eye of Mitchell's friend Augie Pabst, who owned the car for several years before trading it to Vilter Chevrolet-Buick in Oconomowoc, Wisc.  The Cherokee then transferred hands to Dan Frank of the Custom Top Show until 1987 and was later sold to Brooksfield's Edward Maurer, where it drew the attention of collector and current owner Terry Lietzau, a 30-plus-year muscle car enthusiast.