[Indy48]

Fullly documented and authentic! first; let me say I love cars! I love them since I was 10 years old. Now that goes back farther than I'd like to say let's just say it was just after the first moon landing… so what I'm writing here is in no way intended to discredit or disrespect actual Indianapolis Pace Car replica owners.

Many people don't know that the actual "Pace Car" used in the race of the year of that "Pace Car" is in the Indianapolis 500 museum or it's in a very wealthy person's car collection. For example: the 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car was actually wrecked into the press box area at the Indy 500. It is not at the Indy 500 museum but is in a separate museum Stephen Cage's Muscle car Museum" so this is an example of an actual "real" Pace Car that was used to pace the 1971 field at the race in 1971 not being present at the Indianapolis 500 museum. Very few "original on the track Pace Cars" are not sitting in the Indianapolis 500 museum.

However, manufacturers found a marketing niche to sell a "Pace Car Replica" to the general public. For example, in 1967 there were two identically prepared 396 cu in. "actual Pace Cars" produced for the actual race to Pace the race and one in reserve in case the original Pace Car had a mechanical breakdown. This is the customary way "original Pace Cars" are used in Indianapolis.

Back in the "old days" auto manufacturers would make a certain number of "Pace Car Replicas." As they were looking to service a niche market of buyers looking for a "Pace Car" that resembled the one used in the race that year. The first year for the Camaro was its inaugural year of 1967. Chevrolet used two identically prepared 396 cu in. "Pace Cars" for the race as well as approximately 40 identically prepared 1967 Camaro's used to promote the race which were driven around the Indianapolis area two months before the race was to begin.

Chevrolet also produced an additional 645 "Pace Car replicas " to be sold as new vehicles at dealerships nationwide however, 145 67' "Pace Car replicas" were used as VIP cars to be driven to various events around Indianapolis to be a rolling advertisement for the upcoming race. Some Chevrolet dealers are reported to have taken white 1967 Camaro's and added the pace car graphics to them, making them appear as actual "Pace Cars." That's why it's so important to have documentation going back to the original purchaser so you can document if you actually have a 1967 Camaro Pace Car. Thats why it's so important to have documentation going back to the original purchaser so you can document if you actually have a 1967 Camaro Pace Car. The original window sticker, Protecto-Plate, Invoice or build sheet from the top of the gas tank are important documents to have to prove you have a real 1967 Pace Car because of their limited production.

1969 Camaro Pace Cars are at least in my opinion the most iconic pace car ever produced. There were 3675 actual pace car replicas produced. Of this number, approximately 50 of those vehicles were actually used in Indianapolis to again "promote the race" however, this Pace Car is probably the most cloned "Pace Car" in existence. This is because of the huge popularity of the 1969 Camaro RS/SS Convertible Pace Cars. This was also a unique year because the "F" bodied cars were built in two plants, Norwood, Ohio, and Van Nuys, California. All Canadian 1969 Pace Cars were produced at the Norwood plant.

However, in 1969 there was also a hardtop "Pace Car" replica. All of these vehicles were built at the Norwood Ohio plant. The 1969 Pace Car factory replicas carry the body tag code Z-11 while the coupes carried the "Z10" code on the body tag. But that wasnt all... The car also had to have the correct paint and interior codes as well on that tag. This is why again documentation is so important. General Motors did not put an engine code into their VIN's until 1972. The body tag does not indicate the factory engine installed in the vehicle from the factory. This is why so many of the 1967 and 1969 Camaro Pace Cars were cloned.

But, times in the automotive world have changed. While Pace Cars are still produced each year for the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Brickyard 500, it is not as common to find the manufacturer making replicas as they once did. But there has been a tradition in Indianapolis for decades of "Pace Car Replicas" traveling around the Indianapolis area in April and May before that year's race to promote the race itself. These cars have been used as basically a "rolling advertisement" not only for the manufacturer but also for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

That's where we get to the change of today…

While occasionally a manufacturer will still produce a "Pace Car Replica" The 2011 Camaro convertible " which was a tribute car to the 1969 Camaro RS/SS "Pace Car" was the last "Pace Car Replica" to be sold to the general public. Since then, there have been only two official "Pace Cars" produced each year. One going to the winner of the race while the other one is placed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. But the tradition of "Festival Cars" or "Parade Cars" are still produced in order to continue the tradition of using a similar looking vehicle by the same manufacturer driven around the Indianapolis area to promote the race. While this is not always been the case in terms of the same "vehicle" used as a "Festival Car" as the actual Pace Car", in 2015 the Camaro was the "Festival Car" while the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette was the "Official Pace Car" typically the same model vehicle that is the "Pace Car" also is the "Festival Car."

The closest a typical retail buyer can now get to buying an "Indycar" used in Indianapolis during events and parades is now a quote "Festival" or "Parade Car." The advantages to owning one of these vehicles is the fact that you know it is not a "replica." The vehicle itself was actually used AT Indianapolis and was used in different events promoting the race, including the Indianapolis 500 parade held the Saturday before the race. So what you're getting, is an actual vehicle used in Indianapolis versus buying a replica brand-new at a dealership.

In some cases, these "Festival/Parade cars" are used on the Indianapolis motor Speedway track as well, only adding to the mystique and intrinsic value of the car. You know for example that if you buy one it was most likely on the Indianapolis motor Speedway track itself. This is very different than "replica Pace Cars". In addition; these "Festival/Parade Cars" are made with the same detail logos as the official pace car is and they are made in extremely low numbers. The last "Official 2011 Indy Pace Car Replica Camaro" had a production run of only 50 vehicles. "Festival/Parade Cars" are also produced in extremely low numbers. For example: The all new 2016 Gen 6 Camaro 2SS "Indy Festival/Parade Cars" had a total production run of only 54 units. As in prior years, each car is individually numbered. "Festival/Parade Cars" is the retail buyers only opportunity to purchase a vehicle with the "Pace Car logos" as well as The added bonus of knowing that these vehicles were actually used at Indianapolis and we're on the motor speedway track itself. This makes for a very likely highly collectible vehicle down the road. This summer I was blessed to obtain one of these very rare vehicles and drive it all the way home from Indiana to the state of Oregon. I'm putting together a YouTube video called "The Drive of A Lifetime" which should be coming out sometime in October/November 2016.

Most people have never seen one and those that have are unlikely to see a second one. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the forums here on this site! I thought there may be a few people who might be interested a little bit in my car. In January 2016, Chevrolet began the process of building pre-production 2016 Camaro Convertibles that were to go to Indianapolis for the 2016 Indy 500. All of these vehicles were produced before retail 2016 Camaro convertible production began.

As with the two white VERY EARLY PRODUCTION 2017 Fiftieth Anniversary Pace Cars Which for all. intents and purposes were strictly used for track duty the day of the race, and like all of official "Pace Cars" One of them goes to the Indianapolis 500 museum and many times the other is offered to the winner of the race.

Things have changed however from the way a retail customer can get an IndyCar made by a manufacturer. It is rare today to see actual "Pace Car replicas" brought out for production to the general public, and in all actuality that's not such a bad thing, because what you now get, at least in my opinion as an Oregon licensed automobile appraiser thats specialized in 60s and 70s muscle cars, The purchasing of the current "parade/festival" cars has made obtaining one extremely desirable and rare because of their low production numbers and fact that they were used at Indianapolis before the race.
All were brought to Indianapolis. So you're guaranteed to get a vehicle that was actually "there." Instead of getting a "replica" built in a factory that resembles the car that was at Indianapolis but simply was sent from the factory to your local dealership.


All of these cars have actual heritage of the car being at Indianapolis and were many (including mine) was used as parade vehicles for the Indy 500 parade the day before the race was held. My car, #48 of the production run of 54 was used as well as well in promotional shots for Chevrolet driving around the IMS track.

I'm including pictures of the vehicle as well as documentation. All of these vehicles were produced by General Motors at the new Lansing river plant with production started in late January 2016 and the complete builds completed in February of 2016. My car is a "week seven build" which means it was completed the third week of February 2016. All 54 of these vehicles were built together, and were pre-production vehicles They were the first 2016 Camaro convertibles to come off the new assembly line at the n Lansing Grand River Plant. Each car is individually numbered and comes with its own custom license plate identifying it's build number which was legal for use in the state of Indiana through June 30, 2016 . After all 54 cars were produced, they were shipped by truck to General Motors headquarters in Detroit Michigan as shown on the "Certificate of Origin" or "MSO." (As shown) from General Motors corporate offficd in Detroit (as shown on the MSO photo) they were then shipped by truck down to Indianapolis to be used by the drivers of the race, VIPs with a connection to the race, and people associated with the Indianapolis 500 race for 2016.

After the race, General Motors sold these vehicles as "new" factory used vehicles to be sold to the general public. Most of them were sold through dealers in Indiana, but some have been found in Illinois, Ohio. Iowa and Michigan.

I picked my car up July 22, 2016 from Mike Anderson Chevrolet in Merrillville, Indiana and drove it westward to the state of Oregon. It's a dream I've had all my life, to buy a very special car and drive it cross-country home. I can tell you truthfully I wouldn't have done it any other way. It was worth every single mile.

I'm including with the pictures one of the rarest documents you'll never find, the "MSO" or otherwise known as "Certificate Of Origin" for this vehicle. This is a document very rarely seen because the dealership takes this document and sends it immediately to the Department of Motor Vehicles office in the state where the vehicle will be registered in. Think of it as a cars birth certificate, it's made by the factory when the car is produced indicating to the motor vehicle department it is safe for use on US roadways and as well as the emissions standards that the car complies with. and the name of the selling dealer shipped that purchased the vehicle is listed on the certificate of origin. In this case, the "low name of dealer, distributor" is "General Motors." This is because all 2016 Festival/Parade Cars were built for the factory for promotional use for the 2016 Indy 500.

Once the race was over, these vehicles were sold by dealerships within the Indiana area, with the vast amount of them being sold near Indianapolis. The car I was blessed to buy is car number 48. It was purchased in Merrillville Indiana, a south eastern suburb of Chicago Illinois. After the race, Chevrolet sold these vehicles with between 2,000 and 5000 miles on them, depending upon how many events each car had to do while in Indianapolis.

Chevrolet then made them available for sale through Chevrolet dealers "in the I( unless the driver that had it originally in Indianapolis did not want to purchase the vehicle themselves ) I was one of the few people that were blessed enough to get one.

I see so many great stories of people purchasing vehicles here on this site. I thought perhaps, with all of the interesting stories on this site perhaps the story of my car might be of interest to some of you.

There were advertisements of these vehicles being called "Festival Cars" or "Parade Cars." I hope this story as well as the pictures provided help to perhaps inspire someone who has a dream of getting a special car someday and driving it all the way home. I can tell you from my once-in-a-lifetime experience, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I waited 36 years for my Indy Car, and to be quite honest it was worth the wait!