Best Muscle Cars
By Dave Ashton
Around the late 1960s, a few forward-thinking Chevrolet car dealers used the COPO special ordering system to crowbar lots of tasty components into their Camaros. Lots of fancy upgrades meant higher sale prices, which put off the masses, but for the select few who bought these things, were then in the possession of future classics.
An example of one of these rarities is up for auction over at Mecum Auctions. Its auction title is a ‘1969 Chevrolet Berger COPO Camaro RS’ after the Berger Chevrolet dealership in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
This example is 1 of 58 COPO Camaros built with the RS package, housing a COPO 9561 L72 427/425 HP V-8 engine, COPO 9737 Sports Car Conversion Package, Turbo 400 automatic transmission, Power front disc brakes, 12 bolt Positraction rear end with 4.10 gears, ZL2 cowl induction hood, all in Fathom Green with a green interior.
A complete restoration has been performed on the vehicle, which has the VIN number 124379N613366, leaving a finished product of understatement. This was the exact idea of the time, to kit out a car that could turn up to a meet looking like any other regular Camaro, then leave the competition in its rearview mirror. The original 425HP from the 427ci/7L V8 may be average these days, but back in the late 1960s, this was something to shout about or at the least let the engine note and wheels do the talking.
The average price for a 1969 COPO Camaro in 2023 is $169k, ranging from the lowest at $63k up to $305k. The auction at Mecum will be held on Sept. 22nd if you want to try and get your hands on this one.
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