BAY CITY, Mich. -- Chevy celebrates 50 years of the COPO Camaro legacy with a special edition that pays homage to the original 1969 COPO. A bonafide throwback, it features a metallic blue exterior, reminiscent of the inaugural Laguna blue, an orange engine block, chrome valve covers and a black, high-rise intake manifold. Unveiled at SEMA, this model highlights new and time-honored pieces of Chevy's large performance catalog.
The COPO program got it's start in the late 60's when Fred Gibb, a Chevy dealer in Illinois utilized the company's special order program to build the first-recognized, performance Camaro. His goal was to produce a car with more competitive edge in Stock Eliminator drag racing, which he accomplished by installing the ZL1 427 engine.
Getting the project approved by Chevrolet came with a large amount of red tape. In order to make the engine eligible for NHRA competition, at least 50 models of the car were required to be offered for sale to the public. While this may not seem like a large obstacle, the suped-up muscle car was twice the cost of a standard Camaro-making it a hard sell for the general public. To Gibb's shock, he sold 13 models, and the other 37 were redistributed to other dealers.
Since then, the COPO has become a yearly release tradition and has continued to preface the ever-growing hype around specially-built performance vehicles. The 2019 COPO Camaro features a distinct, model-specific front end design and revised version of the supercharged LSX-based 350 engine that includes a 2.65L Magnuson supercharger.
In keeping with tradition, only 69 2019 COPO Camaro race cars will be built. Want one of your own? You can register to buy here: https://bit.ly/2yXVIl1
What do you think of the 2019 COPO Camaro? Is it on your dream car list or are you unimpressed? Comment and let us know!
Hank Graff Chevy is located at 3636 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI 48706 and we are here to help our community grow to become an even better place to call home! For more information on Hank Graff Chevrolet, or for any questions call us at (989) 684-4411 or visit our website: www.GraffBayCity.com.
