Don Yenko was a Chevy dealer in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, who was interested in Sports Car Club of America, or SCCA, racing. In 1966, before the Chevy Camaro was available, Yenko petitioned the SCCA to approve the Chevy Corvair for competition. The SCCA agreed, and Yenko started transforming Corvair Corsas into Yenko Stingers, the car that would cement the Yenko name in the annals of Chevrolet performance.
When the Chevy Camaro went on sale in late September 1966, Yenko saw the opportunity to build a monstrous performance car. He ordered Camaros through Chevy’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) program. The COPO program allowed ordering of special-purpose vehicles not normally available, like taxicabs, police cars, and the like. The COPO program would also allow high-performance builds that would be in contradiction to GM internal edicts, meaning you could spec a car that would not otherwise be available. The Camaro was usually limited to an engine displacement not exceeding 400 cubic inches.
For the 1969 model year, COPO 9561 equipped the Chevy Camaro with the L72 Mark IV 427 Big Block, featuring 11.0:1 compression, a forged rotating assembly, high-flow cylinder heads, a high lift and duration solid-lifter cam, and a Holley 800 CFM four-barrel carb atop a Winters aluminum high-rise intake. All this combined to produce 425 horsepower at 5,600rpm. 9561 also included F41 Special Purpose Front and Rear Suspension, ZL2 Special Ducted Hood, and a performance radiator. COPO 9737, the Sports Car Conversion Package, included power brakes with front discs, heavy duty 12-bolt 4.10 Positraction rear differential, a thicker front sway bar, and a 140 mph speedometer.
Our feature 1969 Chevy Camaro is a rare Yenko double COPO car, equipped with both COPO 9561 and 9737. The L72 427 Big Block is backed by a Muncie M21 four-speed manual gearbox. The Camaro is finished in Rally Green with a black vinyl hardtop, white Yenko stripes on the sides and hood, and Yenko emblems. Front and rear spoilers frame the exterior. Chrome bumpers and stainless appear to be well polished. The Camaro rolls on painted steel Rally wheels trimmed with polished trim rings and center caps, and shod with Goodyear F70-15 raised white-letter Polyglas GT tires.
The standard black vinyl interior is adorned with white sYc Yenko emblems on the headrests, with a black vinyl hardtop over a black vinyl interior. There is no center console between the black bucket seats, but some Stewart-Warner gauges and tachometer have been fitted to the dash.
This Chevy Camaro Yenko COPO is documented with the original order form, invoices, warranty transfer paperwork, vintage photos, copies of previous titles, Yenko VIN list, COPO Connection report and certificate. It will cross the block at the Mecum Kissimmee Collector Car Auction in Kissimmee, FL, January 4th through the 15th.
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Comments
Beautiful car should get big $$$$ at Mecum auction.
Great idea, how about a COPO [corporate office production order] for a limited run of , , , RWD regular cab, short bed Silverados with the , , , [ wait for it ] , , , 5.3 V8 , , , with out , , , dynamic fuel management . . . FAT CHANCE ! ! !
As far as the DFM, you can override that with a plug-in that goes to your ODBII plug. I bought an Accel Tuner and turned mine off (2012 5.3L) as well as a few other adjustments. I used to add a quart of oil every 3500 miles. Now I’m at 7500 miles and still full. (long life oil filter and Mobil 1)
I agree with you about the truck. Those are nearly impossible … dealers don’t order them … customer orders take a long time.
Great idea Jack except a 6.2 would be even better a muscle truck for sure 👍
Yes, and dump that stop \ start technology , and seriously , who needs a heated steering wheel , don’t get me started !
B E A U T I F U L W O N D E R F U L N I C E
Just read at Kolessa Russian, that Camaro would be a Brand also, which for me is very strange. “Also, according to the source Car and Driver , General Motors Corporation is going to separate the Escalade and Camaro into separate brands. Silverado and Suburban were also among the candidates for a separate life, but their image is not yet strong enough for this, while Escalade and Camaro were recognized by management as very promising.”
if come to reality, is Chevrolet as Brand disappearing or being split off ? it seems
Not likely to happen. GM can’t even put chips ( That have been bought and paid for) into one or two year old trucks. Come to think of it–they can’t seem to find the orders for those trucks to create a list of when each one will get finished. SAD very SAD
ARE you reading this Mary?
I agree. COPO should still be available. I’ve said many, many times: If GM makes it… one should be able to order it!!!! The days of “takin’ what thier given”, should end. Anyone, should be able to build what they want. Back in the day, if your dealer was kool, you could do so. When I bought my ’69 Chevelle SS, my dealer didn’t know his butt from a whole in the ground. Had to settle for what he said, the order book told him he could order. 375 horse, was not even in Chevelle book. Had to go to Nova book to find it was able to be ordered. We need COPO again.
SUCH A SHAME YOU CAN BUY SHORT W/BASE P/UPS IN MEXICO BUT NOT IN USA WE NEED COPO ORDERING AGAIN FOR SURE!!!
Ooh , you can get em here now , , , if you like high rise 4 bangers , , , [why are you monitors deleting my posts and not Trenton Chevy boys?] He’s the derelict .
Yeh, One is SUPOSSED to be able to get a SWB, reg cab now. But….only in a “Work Truck” package. No hi-brow anything else.Plus, I haven’t even seen a 2022 model any where near me. (The Fingerlakes area of NY). BS, if you ask me. Again, if GM puts it in SOMETHING. one should be able to order it in the truck you want. Years ago, if you wanted a K30 pickup with a 454, they told you it couldn’t happen. Again, BS I had one. It’s all in the dealer. Or it was, now they just want to sell you the crap they have on the lot. They don’t want buyers who know what their talking about. Bring back COPO!!!!!!! Put the power back into the buyers hands.
If you tell a salesman what you want, they glaze over and look confused, then they say we have a hundred Silverados on our lot, (all four door, four wheel drive) then they say , , , you want to by a new truck today ? ? ? its like the twilight zone . . .
The Camera is nothing but cool. The only downside on any of these type of cars are you can’t drive the $hit out of them. But you can sit in