There was a time in my life when it seemed as if only people my parents’ age would reminisce about the American performance cars of their youth. It wasn’t until recently that I realized I do the same thing, just with different generations of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. When I was in high school, the New Edge Mustang was blazing down streets one stoplight at a time. My senior year not only marked a milestone in my life, but also the end of the fourth-generation Camaro. GM commemorated the occasion with the 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS 35th Anniversary edition, which happens to be our latest Pick of the Day.
For the final-year Collector Edition of the C4 Corvette, Chevrolet went the subtle route and covered it in Sebring Silver Metallic. When it was time to bring the fourth-gen Camaro to an end, Chevy clearly wanted to make sure everyone knew the 35th Anniversary coupes and convertibles were special models. They chose a flashier color, Bright Rally Red, and made it even more eye-catching by adding unique badges and a distinctive stripes and graphics package, which bookends the convertible’s power-operated black soft top and coordinates with the machined faces of the 17-inch wheels.
The cabin is more reserved but still makes it obvious this isn’t your ordinary Camaro. The two-tone seats are covered in Ebony and Pewter leather; the front buckets get commemorative embroidery on the headrests. Standard equipment includes remote keyless entry; power windows, locks, and mirrors; a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; cruise control; a six-way power driver’s seat; air conditioning; and a 500-watt Monsoon AM/FM/CD audio system.
It may have bowed out of the 35-year battle with the Mustang for pony car supremacy, but at least the Camaro went out on top in terms of outright power. The SS model packed an LS1 5.7-liter V8 that generated 325 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard; a six-speed manual gearbox was available at no extra charge. Other hardware consisted of a power steering cooler, the Performance Ride and Handling package with DeCarbon monotube shocks, and a Zexel Torsen limited-slip differential.
The selling dealer in Clifton Park, New York was wise to keep the mileage on this 35th Anniversary convertible down to just 5,635 and to refrain from modifying it. Even better, they held on to the original window sticker (which shows a total vehicle price of $37,075), both keys and key fobs, and the owner’s manuals as well as other documents.
Whether you want to drive a piece of Chevy history or relive your early-2000s glory days, this Camaro is a well-preserved, low-mileage way to make that happen. As we all know, you can put a price on nostalgia. In this case, that price is $32,999.
Click here to see the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
