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1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO Heads To Auction

Although the ‘60s were filled with impressive Chevy muscle cars, the automaker’s corporate limit on engine size and performance left many enthusiasts looking for more. In response, some intrepid dealers found a sneaky workaround via the Central Office Production Order, which allowed for unique equipment combinations straight from the factory.

While originally intended for fleet vehicles, the special orders were subsequently leveraged to fit a selection of Bow Tie products with massive engines, giving birth to the COPO line of muscle cars. This 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO hails from that group of vehicles, and is now headed to auction with a number of enticing details in tow.

No doubt about it, the first thing to catch our attention is the Chevelle’s paint job. The color is dubbed Hugger Orange, which was a special-order shade at the time. Given the coupe was originally delivered to a dealer in Toronto, it’s just one of three 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO models painted Hugger Orange and delivered to Canada. Complementing the eye-searing paint is a White longitudinal stripe running down the flanks, while SS wheels wrapped in Goodyear Polyglas tires take up the corners.

Although the sheet metal is original, this 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO also received a frame-off rotisserie restoration with NOS parts galore.

The cabin looks like a nice place to be, with all-black upholstery and bench seating, as well as a floor-mounted shifter and a steering column-mounted tachometer.

However, the true prize can be found under the hood, where this 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle rocks a COPO 9566 427 cubic-inch L72 V8 rated at 425 horsepower. Of course, that’s what the engine was originally rated at, but later testing revealed output closer to 450 horses.

Making the good noises here is a Gardner exhaust system. A Muncie M22 Rock Crusher four-speed manual transmission handles the cog swaps, connecting to a 4.10 posi differential. There’s also vacuum-assisted power brakes with front discs.

Now, This 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO heads to Mecum Auction’s Glendale 2020 event, set to take place March 11th through the 14th, as Lot S97.

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Source: Mecum Auctions

Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. Those were the Days !!!!!

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  2. Orange and yellow have never been a manly color.

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    1. Said the 12 yr. old kid.

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  3. Love the pull levers for the air vents.

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  4. Classic U.S. Muscle

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  5. Car has the wrong grille. Clone

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    1. Right grille, just not blacked out. I rode in this car when new and bought our silver COPO at Beare Motors a week or so after Ken got this orange one. Lose the decals off the breather and get the right upper rad hose without the dogs leg in it. If they don’t have the GM of Canada documentation on this car, it can be had through George Zapora, who handles that GM info these days.

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      1. Looking good Keith . . .

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  6. Copo did not come with decals on air cleaner lid.

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  7. love the 454 but just hv the money to bid on the hot chevy .69 was a good yr the yr I got out of school. but I did hv the 396 impala ss she was fast as hell. u all hv a great safe day.

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  8. Beare Motors which was in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada sold three COPO Chevelles and on L88 Corvette in 1969. Ken bought this orange one a week or so before I bought my silver one there. The third car, identical to mine was sold to another friend a couple of weeks before we got ours. All three are still accounted for. I’ve ridden in this car more than once and have pictures of it when new. The last I heard, Al the salesman who sold us our cars, was living near Haliburton, Ontario.

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    1. I was second owner on car for 16 years….She was a beauty and Fast.

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  9. Those were the days . . .

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    1. Sorry, 3rd owner by 1972

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  10. the build sheet for that car doesn’t show a pin stripe. The dealer code is 199. I noticed one of the prior owners (maybe 3rd or 4th) welded a regular steel chain to the drivers side frame and used it as an engine stay for drag racing, it had a safety loop installed. The floor boards showed multiple impact marks from U joint/drive shaft failure. I hope she won some of those races!

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