Restoring a classic car is one of the great pleasures of being an automotive enthusiast. The entire process from beginning to end can be incredibly satisfying. From the first moment of discovery, through the tear down and re-building process, and finally looking at all your hard work in the shape of a perfectly restored car, especially a musclecar such as a classic Chevrolet Camaro, it is an accomplishment to be admired and savored.

If that car is something as rare as the very first Chevrolet Camaro to ever roll off the assembly line, it is all that more gratifying. It is also a lesson in history for the builder as well as all those involved in the project. That’s what this story and the video above is about. Finding, researching, and restoring Camaro Number 100001 would prove to be a lengthy process, but as you can see, it was worth all the effort.

We highly recommend you watch the entire 18-minute video, it will not only give you a complete history of the first Camaro produced, but you’ll also get the details about how the car was found decades later and restored. If you don’t have the time right away, or you get impatient, skip forward to just before the 11-minute mark. From that point on, you’ll hear and see how the latest owners found it, and the tale of all their work to get the vehicle restored since they acquired it. Either way, it’s an amazing story.

Best yet, you can see it in real like if you are a real Camaro fanatic. But you’ll need to be at the Carlisle GM Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, June 26-28, 2015. Show organizers have confirmed that the first Camaro ever built will be on display there.