When I daydream about my ideal classic Muscle Car, this ’69 Chevy Camaro is pretty much what I imagine. Something that embodies the essence of the flavor that made the American Muscle Car famous, but also with the right package to be an enjoyable driver.

This 1969 model Chevrolet Camaro SS 396 Convertible has everything I’d want. It’s not the craziest Camaro, but it’s not the little one either. She’s got a 396 big block under the hood, with an enjoyable 350-375hp. Not too “fast” by today’s standards, but surely enough to smoke the tires and piss off some Prius owners. For me, this sort of car isn’t about speed at this point, though. It’s about cruisin’ around and enjoying life. That’s why I was thrilled to see it had a manual tranny, a proper 4 on the floor. I know many people like automatic Muscle Cars, but I’d never have one without a stick.

So with this Camaro I could enjoy the full muscle car experience. It has the unique style, a nice big-block V8 rumble, enough performance to get in trouble, some wind-in-your-hair excitement, and an enjoyable manual transmission. There are literally no drawbacks as far as I’m concerned.

That daydream is why this Camaro caught my eye at the Greenwich Concours, because one day I hope to have a classic Muscle car just like this. It may be a Camaro, or it may be something else, but this one had everything I’d want, and at the show the dream was real enough to touch.

One day, but till then enjoy the photos!

-Nick Walker