Meet the man who owns 11 Camaros

Leonard Stevenson’s 1992 Chevrolet Camaro Not just one in a million. That’s one in six million.

More specifically, it is final 6.3 million. That’s the total number of vehicles produced at GM’s Van Nuys, Calif., assembly plant between 1947 and 1992, the year Leonard’s bright red Z28 “Heritage” rolled off the assembly line in August. Some 32 years later, Leonard still owns the car, but the odometer shows it has only been driven a total of 125 miles.

It was because of this story about a 1992 Camaro for sale that Leonard contacted me via email. I then had lunch with him and I was able to get his side of the story. This is a very unique story. Owns 11 Camaros, 7 of which he purchased new, 6 of which he still owns, and 3 that he saw being produced on the assembly line. Needless to say, he takes the car-buying experience very seriously.

When asked what drew him to the Camaro in the first place, Leonard has said in the past: “It was a fraction of the price of a Corvette.” His first new car was actually a 1979 Nova , equipped with a 305ci V8 engine and a four-speed manual transmission. But just two years later, he bought himself a 1981 Camaro Z28, marking the beginning of a Camaro collection that spans over 40 years to this day.

last but not least

The crown jewel of Leonard’s collection is undoubtedly his “final third generation” Z28. With feats of networking and logistics, Leonard worked his way up the ranks at General Motors over the course of several months in 1992, eventually completing production of the third-generation Camaro. His persistence paid off. Through a series of phone calls, each with notes, he reached a senior leader at the Van Nuys plant and began his quest to own the last car to roll off the line.

On August 26 and 27, 1992, Leonard’s wildest dreams came true as he followed his new car down the assembly line. An estimated 2,000 GM employees signed parts of the car’s interior, some on the floor, some in the engine bay and some behind the dashboard, but none on the visible interior or exterior of the car. Hanging from the car’s rear bumper was a handwritten sign that read, “Hasta La Vista, Baby” — a perfect phrase to capture the moment (fittingly taken from the film, which was released a year ago movie “Terminator 2”).

Leonard has since owned several other special 1992 Camaros, including his two most recent purchases (both blue): a 2023 ZL1 1LE and a 2024 SS 1LE. I was able to get up close and personal with the 2024 version, which has accumulated over 600 miles. That’s high mileage by Leonard’s standards. Each Camaro has its own papers and memorabilia that are kept safe. Some of Leonard’s stories are documented on this site, but I wanted to dig deeper.

Question and answer session

• What made you interested in owning a Camaro as a kid?

I have several friends who own Camaros of various years and they have always been my favorite. I ordered my first car when I was in college (1978). I price the Nova and Camaro. Due to a limited college budget, I couldn’t afford a Camaro, so I ordered a 1979 Nova, 305 ci, four speed, Positraction, bucket seats, console, tilt wheel, and air conditioning. I believe I paid $6,507.00. In 1981, I graduated from college and started working, so I purchased a 1981 Z28.

• How many Camaros do you own?

eleven. 1969 Z28, 1981 Z28, 1982 Z28 Pace Cars, 1984 Z28, 1991 Z28, 1992 Z28, 1994 Z28, 1999 SS, 2002 SS, 2023 ZL1 1LE, 2024 SS 1LE.

• What other collector cars do you own/own?

Completely the opposite end of the spectrum. 1928 Ford Model A pickup truck and 1929 Ford Model A business coupe. I still have those two. I also have a ’29 Ford convertible, ’30 Ford Town Sedan, and a ’31 Ford Vicky. These were project cars that I sold before moving back to North Dakota.

• An article published shortly after you purchased the ’92 stated that you planned to drive “no more than 500 miles per year.” Obviously, you didn’t meet this prediction! Do you buy a different car every day since you don’t drive much at all?

I never bought a Camaro as a daily driver because I have a company car that I use as a daily driver. I think the importance of this car started to dawn on me and I realized there was only one “last third generation”, the last Van Nuys car, etc. I don’t want to damage the car, nor do I want it to be damaged by people in the parking lot or parking lot. A car show, so I put it under the hood in the garage. Every month for the past 32 years since I purchased the car, I have been contacted by someone with questions or discussions about the car.

• Have you ever been back to “The Plant” shopping mall where the Van Nuys Assembly Plant once stood?

I haven’t been back to the Van Nuys area since watching the car being built. The local UAW still meets monthly, and I have had contact with them. I would like to attend one of their conferences in the near future.

• What is your car maintenance/startup/service/routine?

For the first 10 years or so, I was very diligent about the startup process. Then other hobbies and life happened and I couldn’t keep up. The Multec injectors failed, as all injectors do after a while, so I replaced them in the early 2000s. I will need to remove the tank at some point and replace the fuel pump as it has failed. I was in no rush to do so as I had no intention of driving. The engine runs great and the car is more of a showpiece/museum piece at this point.

• Do you also wish GM would allow you to record video during both of your factory tours?

Yes! Video would be great because of the historical documentation available. The third-generation Camaro has attracted a lot of collector interest recently, with people restoring them. These videos are a huge asset to them. I’ve only been to the Van Nuys factory once to see my ’92 being built. Then I was in Ste. Watched my ’94 being built at the factory in Therese, Quebec, and recently watched my ’23 ZL1 1LE being built at the factory in Lansing, Michigan.

• Do you get a lot of offers to buy a Camaro? I’m sure you won’t sell it!

I’ve been asked multiple times if I had a lot of offers to buy, but there was really only one person that I thought was really interested. I’m often asked how much I think this car is worth, but it’s a hard question to answer. I think as people get more interested in the third generation Camaro, the value continues to increase. I did consider selling the car at one point and listing it on eBay with a very high reserve.

• What are your future plans for the car, in terms of demos/displays/events, if any?

There are currently no plans. I’m not a car show guy, but it’s nice to talk to and show people who are interested in cars.

• Does the car retain any “dealer plastic”, window stickers, pre-delivery items, etc.?

There aren’t any factory plastics or stickers on the car, but I kept every piece of plastic, window stickers, tags, etc. on the car. I feel it is one of the best documented cars ever built.

• You might not know this, but what happened to the final 2024 Camaro? Have you tried purchasing it?

The last 2024 Camaro is a white ZL1 1LE. It is retained by General Motors. I did email my contact at GM and told him I was interested in owning the car. I think GM has decided to keep this one…at least for a while.

• Likewise, would you be interested in a future Camaro with an EV powertrain?

No, I don’t think so. Maybe I’m too old-fashioned, but I have little interest in electric cars, especially when they try to convince us that they are good for the environment. I might be interested in a hybrid Camaro.

• Do you allow visitors to view your specialty car collection in North Dakota?

Yes. I welcome anyone interested in my car. I’m very good at determining the level of interest a person is showing. If they’re a real Autobot they’ll get the long story, but if they’re not a real Autobot then I’ll give them the short version. You can tell quickly if you’ve lost your audience.

At the end of the visit, I had Leonard sign the Camaro page of my 1986 Chevrolet full range brochure. After all, if he’s asking for 2,000 UAW employees’ signatures, I have a reason to ask for his signatures.

Thanks Leonard for the warm reception and conversation!