By JASON KIM
Staff Writer

At first, cars didn't seem to be a logical replacement for the horse. Many at first refused to give up their beloved animals for a machine. Shouts of "Get a horse!" were prevalent when these early automobiles got stuck in mud before roads existed or when they broke down in front of a five-and-dime store. However, with increasing competition from all parts of the globe, technological advances, and the creation of highway, byways, and freeways, automobiles have become more dependable, powerful, and cheaper over the years. In the process, they've become intertwined with our lives.

During the evolution of the automobile, cars have become (for many people) much more than a means for getting from point A to point B.

For example, some consider them an investment. Consider a mintcondition 1959 Mercedes 300 SL "Gullwing" that once had a sticker price of $5,000; it can be had now for a paltry $300,000. Others drive cars for the sheer pleasure of it (a Porsche 911 Turbo immediately springs to mind).

Then there are the rest of us, the average Joes or Janes, with our more moderately priced vehicles, who love them just because. Maybe it is because we grow attached to our cars while we spend time driving in them on the way up to Bates. Maybe we just like the way a car looks. The fact remains that they have become an integrated part of our lives and affect us in many different ways.

I started this column for those of us who appreciate automobiles, and for those who want to learn more about them. Many of the automobiles that will be discussed in this column will be those of Batesies. Some of the autos that I have seen on campus definitely say a great deal about the people who drive them, and it will be interesting to see what their owners have to say. Every student or professor's car has a history behind it, a little something, and even if it is a Ford Taurus or Toyota Camry or some other everyday car, it still remains different and unique, in some manner, from the rest. What makes them so special? Let's find out...

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

Owner: Molly Baldwin '98

At first, no one at General Motors seemed to care about the Ford Mustang. Introduced in May 1964, the four-seater sports coupe ventured into 100,000 homes. By the first year, half a million units were on the road.

GM suddenly and painfully realized the potential of this particular vehicle segment, and ensuingly, went on a quest to produce a worthy competitor to the Mustang.

As a result, on Sept. 29, 1966, GM introduced the Camaro for the 1967 model year. With the aid of an old French dictionary, GM defined the word Camaro as "friend" or "companion." Indeed, the Camaro has become a companion to millions of people worldwide in its thirty-second year of production, covering four generations of Camaros.

What distinguished the Camaro from the Mustang in those days (some may even say now) was its swoopy and curvaceous lines.

Whereas the Mustang was rather boxy in shape and, plain looking, the Camaro's smooth facade, long hood, and aggressive stance made it, as a GM executive put it, "look like it was doing 60 while standing still." The choice of engines helped out a bit too. The base engine was a 230 cubic inch (in laymen's terms, 3.8 litres) straight six, the next step up was the 327 cubic inch (5.4 litres) V-8, which pumped out an exhilarating 210 HP, and the cream of the crop included in the special Super Sport package (SS) was the 350 cubic inch (5.7 litres) small block V-8. Also topping off the list in 1967 was the Z-28 package, made specifically for racing. Additionally, buyers could choose from either a convertible or a coupe.

The following years saw the production of more and more Camaros, which went to people who realized the performance, and quite frankly, the damn good looks of the Chevys. As its popularity increased, many more options started to appear on Camaros, among them the popular Rally Sport package (RS), new sheet metal, and a 396 cubic inch (6.5 litres) big block V-8 (here's a little tidbit, the 396 was actually a 402, but Chevy decided to stay with the familiar 396 theme). In 1967 and 1969, the committee for the Indianapolis 500 chose the Camaro Convertible SS 396 as the official Pace Car.

Baldwin's Camaro is quite similar to the one driven as the Indianapolis Pace Car in 1969, the only difference (excluding modern additions) being that her Chevy has a two-speed automatic tranny, and the straight six, good for 140 HP. With a base price of only $2,621 (the 327 V8 tacked on $106 and the convertible top $214), roughly 225,000 people made the Camaro their choice of automobile in 1969, with one, in LeMans Blue, ending up in Baldwin's hands in June 1996.

A father and son team in Maryland rebuilt her Camaro together, with the father eventually giving the car to his son, Jim, with one catch - that it had to remain authentic and original. Jim complied, sort of, which is why you may notice the slightly untruthful 327 badge on the side (it's actually a 250). Upon getting a job which rendered the convertible impractical, Jim decided to sell it, making Baldwin its proud owner.

Everything on Baldwin's car is original - all the numbers match, despite the fact that it was completely rebuilt five years ago from the ground up. She plans to keep it that way. She states, "I'm a purist, what can I say?"

The only thing Baldwin said that could possibly change is the engine. "I wish for a 454 big block all the time," she said, referring to the sometimes cranky I-6.

However, Baldwin deemed it necessary to add some modern items to the mix, which include an AM/FM cassette player, three-point seat belts (original equipment included lap belts), a new brake system, and a racing- inspired roll bar (for those times when you're afraid of rolling over going 80 MPH on Rt. 136 on the way to Bean's). I almost forgot to mention the new top, which came courtesy of a knife gouge and tear during an attempted burglary while it was parked off-campus (tips can be forwarded to LPD).

There are roughly 34,500 miles on the odometer of the rebuilt engine. Baldwin put about 24,000 miles on it since the summer 1996.

"I drive a lot," she said quite enthusiastically, and it's no wonder why. For being almost 30 years old, her Camaro still drives incredibly well, even with the original suspension working away tirelessly underneath. Local roads seem to faze the car a tad, but a trip down I-95 seems almost heavenly. Granted, the Camaro doesn't provide the necksnapping acceleration that it once did, but the experience of driving one more than makes up for that.

It's been almost two years since she bought the car, and she still loves it as much as the first day she saw it. However, her future plans might necessitate the sale of the car.

"I want to keep it, but I'd take the money if I was offered enough," said Baldwin in a somewhat solemn voice. However, in the meantime, she plans to keep it just the way it is, except perhaps for a change of the engine displacement badgings.

Unfortunately, the sales of muscle cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro have dwindled in the past decade. Though these sports cars have gotten faster, sportier, and safer over the years, the populace doesn't seem to adore them the way they used to 20 or 30 years ago. Maybe it's because the population is growing older, or because insurance companies continually attach huge premiums to these beasts.

But if it's the price that may concern you, I know a beautiful '69 Camaro that might need a new home soon.