Age of inflation: 1967 ‘Bumblebee’ Camaro SS going up for auction

By Andrew Hard January 1, 2016

Say what you want about Michael Bay, but the man has good taste in cars. When he’s not bathing our childhood heroes in massive CGI explosions or awkwardly zooming in on female characters, the Transformers director is busy driving his Ferrari 458 Italia, Bentley Continental GT, Lamborghini Aventador, or Porsche 911 Turbo.

Until recently, Bay was the proud owner of a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS, the very same model that played Bumblebee in Transformers: Age of Extinction. The muscle car is due to receive another owner soon, as the car will be sold at the 2016 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona in January.

The one-off was heavily customized for its appearance in the 2014 blockbuster, and features an LS-series Corvette engine (the particular model is not specified), six-speed manual gearbox, custom suspension, a 9-inch Ford rear end, a roll cage, and Wilwood brakes. On the aesthetics side, the SS wears a satin black exterior with yellow accents, three-piece racing wheels, custom LED headlights, bespoke carbon fiber fender flares, and of course, graphics from the Transformers franchise. The car also equips a touchscreen navigation system and leather seats from a late-model Camaro.

Transformers: Age of Extinction was almost universally panned by critics, but according to Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. Another sequel starring Mark Walhberg — the fifth in the franchise — is planned for release sometime in 2017.

DT Cars editor Alexander Kalogianni recently got a chance to take his very own Bumblebee on a trip around the southern United States. His 2016 2LT Camaro may not have saved the planet from hostile aliens or evil robots, but the bright yellow two-door proved a loyal companion just the same. Check out the video from his trip around the bayou here.

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