Evaluation: From the Horton Museum collection. One of 311 L89 Camaros built in 1969. Tidy but not spotless engine. Represented as matching numbers. Good paint and chrome. Light pitting on the door handles and there is a small scratch on the passenger’s door. Very good interior. Fantastic colors and equipment. Older restored and in long-term museum display.
Bottom Line: Essentially an L78 engine with lighter aluminum heads, the L89 engine option is a rear goodie found on Corvettes, Chevelles, and even at least one El Camino. The L89 appeared on the 1968 Camaro with 272 sold, and just 311 were built with it in 1969.
When it comes to first gen Camaro values the L89s are up there in value, and surprisingly there were two of them on offer in Houston, both out of the Horton Museum. Neither had the most thorough documentation, nor were they in the best condition, but the other car, a Garnet Red automatic (Lot S134) boasted some period mods by drag racer Dick Harrell. It therefore sold for slightly more at $165,000. This Fathom Green car was an $80K no-sale at Kissimmee in 2015 and has appeared on eBay several times over the years. If these L89s were perfect they probably would have sold closer to 200 grand. But they’re not, and the results in Houston are hard to argue with.
