---
title: "1976 Chevy Camaro ‘Europo Hurst’ Is the Only One of Its Kind, And It’s Heading to Auction"
description: "Chevy itself commissioned Pietro Frua to redesign the Camaro, envisioning a European muscle car of sorts."
date: "2020-08-15"
modified: "2020-08-15"
authors:
  - name: "Jesus Garcia"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jesus-garcia"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/35745/1976-chevy-camaro-europo-hurst-is-the-only-one-of-its-kind-and-its-heading-to-auction"
categories:
  - "Chevrolet News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Camaro"
  - "Chevrolet"
  - "Coupe"
  - "sports car"
---

# 1976 Chevy Camaro ‘Europo Hurst’ Is the Only One of Its Kind, And It’s Heading to Auction

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/08/Frua-2.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Ever heard of a Frua Camaro? Before now, I certainly hadn't. The car was commissioned by Chevrolet to be designed by Pietro Frua and is the [only one of its kind](<https://www.pietro-frua.de/1976_chevrolet.htm>), built in 1976. Learning about a car you've never heard of can have the same emotional sensation as discovering new music, regardless of the vintage. Considering the unique design, this second-gen, Italian-bodied ride is amongst the rarest Camaros in the world, and soon you can bid on it. [RM Sotheby's](<https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mt20/the-mitosinka-collection/lots/r0029-1976-chevrolet-camaro-europo-hurst-by-frua/919182>) will be auctioning this car in late September—with no reserve.

At first glance, you'd never suspect this was a second-gen Camaro. It has a face like Ford Capri, body lines like a Lamborghini Espada and a fastback that's reminiscent of a DeLorean DMC-12. If you saw this thing at a car show, you'd start walking around it looking for an Italian or French badge only to find a familiar-shaped bow-tie on the front grille with the name "P. Frua" written inside it. This Camaro may be all-American underneath, but the body is imported straight from Italy.

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494520740-fruacamaro1.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494485988-frua3.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494470114-frua6.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494502647-frua7.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

Pietro Frua, a Turin native, was [born in 1913](<https://www.italyonthisday.com/2018/05/pietro-frua-italian-maserati-car-designer.html>). He started his design career at the age of 17 as an appreciate draftsmen with Fiat. Later on, there wasn't a high demand for automotive design during World War II, so Frua found work designing other things like children's toys, electric ovens and motorized scooters. In 1944, Frua purchased a bombed-out warehouse and started his own business, later penning the first car at his studio, the soft-top Fiat 1100C Spider. One of his most significant designs, the Maserati Quattroporte, helped identify the brand as a luxury automaker in 1963 following the 3500 GT and 5000 GT, both of which were also styled by Frua.

Frua collaborated with many manufacturers redesigning AC Cobras, BMWs, a Dodge Challenger, Jaguar E-Types, Renaults and more. According to [*Car Talk*](<https://www.cartalk.com.au/volvo-p1800.html>), his design studio gave us the Volvo P1800 when Pelle Petterson's father got him a job working at Frua Design in the early 1960s. Frua worked until he started cancer treatment in 1982 and died in 1983 at the age of 70.

In a brief article by [*Car and Driver*](<https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15148694/1976-frua-camaro-auto-shows/>) about this Frua Camaro Europo Hurst, it's explained that Chevrolet commissioned Frua to redbody one of its 1976 Camaros. A car was shipped to Italy where Frua lengthened the hood, gave it [sloping](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/35178/heres-where-shooting-brakes-come-from>) hatchback, double front headlights with a custom fascia and large, horizontal taillights that look rather familiar. *Car and Driver* went on to end the article by saying, "It may look a bit homely, but at least it's one of a kind..." Which I think is unfair. The Camaro Europo Hurst has a quality about it where the more you study it, the more you like it.

![Frua Camaro ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494565022-frua5.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494593514-02ec75d505a2dbc35e3f55e6082a13307add6ea4.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494612487-8835b592f54bf1350021fde3e115f27187648b9a.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494638945-b40d9572354eff2acaf81b609c0fced3682d9050.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494660748-dd827f4a41982175bce7255f0883a6ae3193d319.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

![1976 Frua Camaro](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597494677922-f7581a3b82a868ac388177aa76b4d0dc4811fbbd.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's Auction*

The Camaro Europo Hurst is part of The Mitosinka Collection [event hosted by RM Sotheby's](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32498/pristine-1993-toyota-supra-turbo-sells-for-122500-at-rm-sothebys-amelia-island-auction>), an online-only auction scheduled to take place Sept. 23-25. The car has no reserve, and being a one-of-one means it is difficult to gauge [how much it will sell for](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/35729/some-turkey-loved-this-1800-mile-volkswagen-golf-r32-so-much-they-spent-62000-on-it>). My guess, though, is that it won't be cheap. It just depends on how badly someone wants an Italian second-gen Camaro in their garage.

*Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jesus_behind_the_wheel>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/JBehindtheWheel>)