COPO. To the uninitiated, a meaningless word that might have been the name of a nightclub popular in the mid 20th century, or perhaps a tropical drink served in a pineapple with a paper umbrella.
To those in the know, however, it is one of the most sacred acronyms in the world of muscle cars.
Short for Central Office Production Order, COPO was a program Chevrolet ran in the 1960s that enabled custom vehicles to be special ordered direct from the factory. It was originally intended to address the needs of taxi companies, rental car outfits, and police forces that often required unique liveries and heavy-duty components added to their cars.
Throughout the decade, thousands of staid sedans were produced under the COPO program for such customers. That is until 1968, when some enterprising, performance minded individuals saw another possible use for COPO.
Chevrolet Performance dealer Fred Gibb and Chevy race driver Dick Harrell had grown weary of watching Dodges and Fords eat the lunch of their beloved Bowties on the dragstrips and racetracks of America due to a cubic capacity edict that General Motors had put into place some years before. Citing safety reasons, the top GM brass had decided that no engine larger than 400 cubic inches could be put in any vehicle smaller than a full-size, with the lone exception being the Corvette.
This meant that performance cars from the various divisions of GM could not make use of anything larger or more powerful than the 396, an engine that was no match for the 426s, 427s, 428s and 429s that the opposition could freely put into whatever sized car they wished.
Could the COPO program be utilized to get around this problem by custom outfitting a smaller car with a big block motor? Gibb and Harrell thought so and contacted the head of the COPO program at Chevy, Vince Piggins, who agreed to give the idea a go. The result was sixty-nine examples of the 1969 Camaro COPO ZL1, a no-frills, 427 cubic-inch powered beast that was one of the fastest muscle cars of the era. Once this came to pass, other dealers began ordering COPO Camaros of their own, and additional performance vehicles in the Chevy lineup became targeted for COPO treatment.
One such car that came about in the wake of the ZL1 was the 1969 Chevy Chevelle COPO L72, and in this installment of Rare Rides, we’re gonna focus on the history and mechanicals of this scarce and snarling beast.
The 1969 Chevy Chevelle COPO L72. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
The car that the COPO evolved from was the second generation of the popular mid-sized Chevelle, released in 1967 as a ’68 model. Available in two-door coupe, two-door sedan, two-door convertible, four-door sedan, four-door hardtop and four-door wagon configurations, the ’68 Chevelle sported all new, cutting edge styling with long hood/short deck proportions and a semi-fastback rear treatment. It was an aggressive-looking car with far more attractive and cohesive lines than the boxy-looking, prior model.
Trims included the entry-level Chevelle 300, Chevelle 300 Deluxe, Chevelle Nomad, Chevelle Concours, Chevelle Malibu, and Chevelle Super Sport.
The latter car, the high performance model, came equipped with Chevy’s 396 cubic-inch V8 which could be had in three distinct versions.
A 1968 Chevelle SS 396. (Photo courtesy of BringATrailer.com.)
The base SS 396 L35 delivered 325 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, while the optional L34 engine gave you 25 and 5 more respectively. Both featured Rochester Quadrajet carburetors, a 10.25:1 compression ratio, and two-bolt-mains. The top offering, the L78 396, was bestowed with a 11.0:1 compression ratio, mechanical lifters, a Holly four-barrel carburetor with an open-element air filter and an aluminum intake. It was good for 375 ponies and 415 lb-ft of twist.
Backing these lumps was a choice of a TH400 Turbo Hydramatic automatic, a three-speed manual, or the robust Muncie M21 and M22 “Rock-Crusher” manuals. A 12-bolt diff was standard with Positraction an option.
Heavy-duty suspension components were standard, as were 14-inch wheels shod with F70-14 wide-ovals. Drum brakes were the norm, with power front disc brakes available as an extra.
The top engine offering in the ’68 Chevelle SS was the L78 396 cubic-inch V8. (Photo courtesy of Chevy Hardcore.)
Inside, the Chevelle SS featured fairly standard muscle car fare for the time. Front seats could be vinyl buckets or a bench, and options included power windows, speed control, a pair of steering wheels, extended instrumentation, an electric clock, tinted glass, and a choice of radios with or without a tape deck.
The Chevelle SS rolled into 1969 with several subtle aesthetic updates. These included a redesigned, blacked-out grille, revised front and rear bumpers, reshaped taillights, the elimination of the front vent windows, and the addition of an “Astro Ventilation” system that fed the interior with outside air inducted through vents in the cowl.
A 1969 Chevelle SS convertible. The changes from 1968 were minimal. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Mechanically, the ‘68s and ‘69s were nearly identical, save for the addition of an L89 engine option, which featured a pair of large-valve aluminum cylinder heads, but had the same listed output as the L78.
While the SS 396 offered enough performance for the average muscle car buyer, there was most assuredly a desire by some, especially those involved in street racing and organized drag strip events, for more. Leading the charge to supply these folks what they wanted were a bunch of Bowtie dealers around the country who specialized in performance tuning Chevys, including one Don Yenko.
Don Yenko racing a self-modified Corvette Stingray at the Daytona International Speedway in 1965. (Photo courtesy of Corvetted.)
A pilot by the age of 16, an Air Force veteran, and a talented race car driver, Yenko’s road to prominence began when he took over stewardship of his father’s Chevy dealership, Yenko Chevrolet, in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania in the late 1950s.
It was here that Yenko set up a speed shop and began producing modified Chevys for clients and himself to race. Making his bones prepping race versions of the Corvair Corsa, which he christened the Stinger, Yenko then beat Gibb, Harrell, and Piggins to the punch by two years when he created his own 427-powered version of the COPO Camaro, the Yenko S/C Super Camaro, in 1967.
In early 1969 Yenko struck again when he one-upped the factory 1968 COPO Nova SS 396 by once more shoehorning GM’s massive 427 into the diminutive model to create the Yenko S/C Nova 427.
Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania during the late 1960s. (Photo courtesy of General Motors Media Archive.)
Though many might rest on their laurels at that point and continue to focus solely on their proven hits, Don Yenko was a different sort of fellow, and wanted to apply his magic pixie dust to another model in the Chevy roster: the Chevelle. Though his Camaros and Novas had been mechanically and financially successful, the amount of engineering necessary to create these models and to perform the engine swaps on them was, to be certain, a strain on his little speed shop in Pennsylvania.
So, he hatched a plan. What if he could convince Vince Piggins in the COPO department of Chevy to do the hard work for him, and build a factory, 427 powered Chevelle that Yenko could purchase, slap his Yenko sYc stickers all over, and then modify the car slightly in his shop for even better performance? It sounded like a good idea on paper, but would Piggins go for it?
Yenko called the Chevy executive and gave him his pitch, stating he would purchase 99 of the COPO Chevelles should the car come to fruition. Piggins was receptive, and just a short time later COPO project 9562 was born.
COPO Project 9562, otherwise known as the 1969 Chevy Chevelle COPO L72. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Interestingly, it seems the designers and engineers at Chevy who set the specifications for 9562 had a stripped-down sleeper in mind when doing their work. They eschewed using the flashy, SS 396 as the basis for the car, and instead chose the base Malibu coupe as the starting point.
In the place of any of the standard engines that a Chevelle would receive, Chevy engineers spec’d their most lethal power plant: the L72 427 cubic-inch V8.
Featuring a four-bolt-main block, the lump was bequeathed a forged steel crank with hardened journals and forged steel rods that motivated 4.25 x 3.76-inch domed aluminum pistons. A solid-lifter camshaft with 336/336-degrees duration and .520/.520-inch lift activated 2.19/1.72-inch valves in cast-iron rectangle-port heads. Topping things off was a dual-plane aluminum intake with a 780-cfm Holley 4150-series four-barrel carb and an open-element air cleaner.
The monstrous 427 cubic-inch L72 V8 at the heart of the 1969 COPO Chevelle. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
With an 11:1 compression ratio, Chevy rated the L72’s output at 425 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, and a pavement-scorching 460 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. In truth, output was likely in excess of 450 horses.
Behind this sat a choice of Muncie M20, M21, and M22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed manual transmissions, or a fortified version of the M40 Turbo Hydramatic three-speed, column-shifted automatic with a heavy-duty, six-bolt torque converter.
Applying the grunt to the ground was a special, robust KQ-code 12-bolt rear with a heavy-duty case, special heat-treated ring-and-pinion, and 4.10:1 cogs with Positraction limited-slip.
Nothing about the 9562’s appearance gave away the fact that it was a top apex predator. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Suspension consisted of heavy-duty components, with independent, unequal-length upper and lower control arms, ball joints, coil springs, hydraulic tubular shocks, and a thick anti-sway bar up front, with a linked Salisbury axle, boxed control arms, coil springs, shocks, and an anti-sway bar in the rear.
For shedding speed, 9562 mandated an 11 x 1-inch ventilated front disc package, while the rear made due with 9.5 x 2.0-inch drums. 14 x 7-inch Super Sport style wheels were wrapped in F70-14-inch tires.
Other special mechanicals included a heavy-duty Harrison three-core radiator, a cast-iron manifold, and dual exhausts.
The interior was stock Malibu, and decidedly no-frills. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Inside, the COPO Chevelle sported a stock, and fairly basic, Malibu interior equipped with bench seats, and, oddly for a high-performance, drag-oriented car, a push-button AM radio.
Outside, the car carried absolutely no special badging or engine callouts whatsoever. The only elements that betrayed a run-of-the-mill Malibu visage were a blacked-out SS-style grille and tail panel, a twin bulge Super Sport style hood, and chrome exhaust tips.
A few options were available for the car and, if selected, would alter the COPO code on the car’s build sheet and window sticker. These selections included a chambered exhaust, bucket seats, 15 x 7-inch Rally wheels shod in F70-15 Goodyear Wide Tread GT rubber, vacuum power brakes, and a tachometer and gauge package.
The view that most stoplight challengers would ultimately get of the COPO Chevelle. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Base price for a 9562 was a not unreasonable $3,547.69, and for this, you received a car that was amongst the top apex predators on the streets of America at the time. Sixty miles per hour in a COPO Chevelle was achieved in five seconds flat, and the quarter mile would fly past in 13.36 seconds at 108.4 mph, according to a period publication that tested one.
As for Don Yenko, he did indeed purchase 99 of the COPO Chevelles in both automatic and M22 four-speed configurations. The cars destined for his dealership were equipped with the 15-inch wheel and tire package, bucket seats, vacuum power brakes, and special springs.
Once the cars arrived at the dealership, tuning was performed, including more aggressive ignition timing and revised carburetor jetting, resulting in a modest bump in horsepower and a crisper throttle response.
The Yenko version of the 1969 COPO Chevelle. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Gaudy Yenko sYc stripes were applied to the body, “427” badges were affixed to the leading edge of the front fenders, and underhood, the valve covers were treated to “Yenko Tuned” stickers. On some cars, the standard wheels were replaced with either American Racing Torq Thrust D or Atlas cast aluminum wheels.
Inside, a Stewart-Warner tachometer and a separate pod with oil pressure, amps, vacuum, and water temperature gauges were mounted to the dash, while front seat headrests received sYc logos.
On many of the Yenko automatic cars, the stock column shifter was converted to a Hurst Dual Gate floor shifter, while on the row-it-yourself models, a classic Hurst black ball shifter with “Muncie” stamped on the chromed handle replaced the OEM unit.
Subtlety was clearly not one of Don Yenko’s fortes. (Photo courtesy of Mecum.)
Unadvertised, and with its availability largely unknown to the majority of Chevy dealers around the country, only 323 COPO Chevelles were built in 1969, including Yenko’s batch. General Motors’ 400 cubic-inch edict would be lifted at the end of the 1969 model year, thus putting an end to needing the COPO loophole to produce high-performance cars moving forward.
Today, there are thought to be only sixty-six 1969 Chevy Chevelle COPO L72s left on the planet, and as such, they rank amongst the most desirable cars from the Golden Era of muscle. Accordingly, prices for 9562s and Yenko Chevelles are very high, with the cars routinely fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, thus cementing their place in the pantheon of the world’s most treasured Rare Rides.
