1970 Chevrolet Camaro 396 SS

• Manufactured in 1970 as one of some 600 Camaro 396 SS Coupes produced that year
• Bought in 1991 by ex-pat English actor Nicholas Ball who found fame as private detective Hazell in the 1970s
• A daily driver whilst living in Los Angeles, the car was restored and re-trimmed in Connolly leather in the 1990s
• UK-registered to Mr Ball in 2000, from whom our vendor purchased the car in 2010
• In 2011, American car specialists, AC Motors of Walsall, were retained to rebuild the engine and automatic gearbox
• Dyno readings show the 6.5-litre V8 produced around 450bhp and total works are receipted at some £14,000
• Presented to auction with 9,387 miles (atoc) on the odometer with less than a 1,000 miles on the rebuilt engine.

The “Super Hugger” second-generation Camaro was all new for 1970, refined in performance and boasting increased comfort. Having gained from experience with the first generation on the race track, the front subframe was redesigned to improve the structural integrity of the car, and Chevrolet engineers made advances to the steering, braking and balance of the new model. Whilst the car retained the original, 108-inch first-generation wheelbase, it received a wider track, and was slightly longer, wider and lower overall. So successful was the Camaro for Chevrolet that the second-generation model enjoyed a 12-year run.

According to the accompanying paperwork, this early Camaro 396 SS was manufactured at Chevrolet's Van Nuys plant in California in 1970 and is believed to be one of some 600 models produced in the first year of production. The 396 cubic inch V8 engine equated to some 6.5 litres and was mated to an automatic gearbox with sport kick-down. Fitted with the ‘Desert Spec’ option (larger radiator and more powerful air-conditioning unit), it was despatched to Las Vegas and subsequently registered in Los Angles.

Unlike so many classic American cars for sale in the UK, this Camaro has enjoyed thirty years of British ownership which started in 1991 with its purchase by TV actor Nicholas Ball. Born in Leamington Spa, he found fame as private detective James Hazell, a character co-created by football legend Terry Venables, in the eponymous TV series Hazell in the late 1970s. Mr Ball had relocated to Los Angeles when he bought the car as a daily driver and had it restored, adding "American Racing" alloy wheels and re-trimming the interior in Connolly leather. When Mr Ball moved back to the UK, the car followed and was registered in his name on 22nd February 2000.With regular acting roles on Footballers Wives, EastEnders and Heartbeat, the car was little used and was purchased directly by our vendor, a long standing customer of Silverstone Auctions, from Mr Ball in 2010.

Our fastidious vendor decided the Camaro needed to hold its own amongst the other exotica in his collection and in 2011 retained the services of American muscle car specialists, AC Motors of Walsall, to rebuild and tune the engine together with auxiliary works and a rebuild of the automatic gearbox, receipted at £9,702. Dyno readings showed the engine now produced 451bhp and a new stainless-steel exhaust was fitted, with deletion of the front boxes to ensure easy passage over speed bumps. In 2012, Harris Coachworks of Bedfordshire carried out further works focusing on the bodywork with additional attention to the electrics and the fitting of a replacement radiator, the total coming to £3,506. Our vendor has conceded that the car now needs a new home having covered less than 1,000 miles in the past ten years with the rebuilt engine and gearbox barely run in. It is of course,  MOT and road tax exempt. Presented to auction with a history file containing many receipts, the owner's manual and a UK V5C, the odometer was reading 9,387 miles at the time of cataloguing.

A rare opportunity to own an American muscle car that has seen extensive expenditure over thirty years of British ownership with an interesting history.