For Sale: The Camaro-Powered Geo Tracker Concept GM Should’ve Put Into Production
Released in 1989, the Geo Tracker excelled at a great many things, but performance wasn’t one of them. The exception is the Dirt Tracker concept, which made its debut in 1991 with a V6 stuffed between its flared fenders. It’s still around, and it’s headed to auction this month.
The concept’s history is murky. It’s one of several Tracker-based concepts that General Motors built in the 1990s, but precisely when it left the corporate nest is unclear. Auction house Barrett-Jackson notes that it’s currently part of the Corvette-heavy David M. Ressler collection.
Power comes from a 3.4-liter V6 of unknown provenance, though it’s not terribly far-fetched to speculate that we’re looking at an early version of the L32 engine that later powered the fourth generation of the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird. It’s a tight fit—we wouldn’t want to be the ones tasked with changing the Dirt Tracker’s valve cover gaskets—but it’s a fit nonetheless. Barrett-Jackson claims that the engine is bolted to a three-speed automatic transmission, and it looks like the four-wheel-drive system is retained. We don’t see the transfer case lever, however.
For context, a stock 1991 Tracker came with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder rated at 80 horsepower and 94 pound-feet of torque.
Visually, it’s impossible to mistake the Dirt Tracker for a run-of-the-mill Tracker. It’s finished in a head-turning shade of yellow with “Official Pace Truck” and “Dirt Tracker” decals (what it paced, we have no idea); it wears concept-specific bumpers on both ends; and it rides on meaty all-terrain tires. The cabin features front sport seats with harnesses, auxiliary gauges on the center console, and a full roll cage that goes through the dashboard’s outer vents.
The odometer displays 1,365 miles, which is extremely low for a 1991 Tracker—many of these racked up more miles in a week’s worth of being hitched to the back of an RV. It doesn’t look like the concept has been sitting in a warehouse since the Cold War ended, though. The various exterior scratches, the dents on the skid plates, and the wear on the seat bolsters suggest this Dirt Tracker has been put through its paces.
This isn’t the first time the Dirt Tracker has crossed the auction block: Barrett-Jackson sold it in 2009, though there’s no word on how much it went for. If you got outbid 15 years ago, head out to Scottsdale, Arizona on Thursday, October 10 for a second chance. The concept is being sold without a reserve, meaning the highest bidder will take it home. However, the catch is that it’s not street-legal and it will be sold with a “scrap” title.
Alternatively, you can build your own overpowered, short-wheelbase off-roader by rummaging through the classifieds for a cheap Tracker and a Camaro V6. If you need a template, Cars & Bids listed a 1996 model powered by a 323-horsepower V6 from a 2015 Camaro in July 2021.
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