8 Things You Didn't Know About the 69 Camaro
We’re willing to bet that even some of the most seasoned restoration gearheads haven’t heard of all 8 of these unique 69 Camaro facts. Have something to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below or connect with us on Facebook and see what some of our other followers are saying about their classic Camaros.
- Two versions of the ’69 Camaro were produced by Chevy: One for sale to the public equipped with a 427 big-block V-8 engine that was rated for 425 horsepower and the COPO version, originally developed for the Chaparral racing team to use in the CAN Am series.
- The ’69 COPO Camaro was designed for use as a commercial “fleet” automobile, such as police cars (with heavy duty suspension) and taxis (with stain resistant interiors).
- The ’69 COPO Camaro could be equipped with the optional all-aluminum ZL-1, a 427 V-8 engine that was rated for 430 horsepower but because it was a racing spec engine, was known to deliver as much as 550 horsepower.
- There are no emblems indicating whether the engine is the ZL-1.
- Don Yenko of Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, PA discovered how to order the ’69 COPO Camaro (#9560) with the more powerful engines. The bodies of these were customized with Yenko’s signature stripes and sYc (Yenko Super Car) badge.
- The ’69 COPO Camaro with the ZL-1 engine, low mileage, in mint condition has fetched as much as $400,000 at auction.
- Fred Gibb, a Chevy dealer from Illinois ordered 69 of the ZL-1 equipped COPO Camaros but sold only 13.
- It is believed that less than half of the ’69 COPO Camaros produced exist in drivable condition as of this writing.
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