First Generation Mustang buyers consider vehicles wearing the Shelby badges and tags as among the most desirable. For 1969 Camaro buyers, “COPO” is the Holy Grail. Those cars were special order vehicles that possessed performance that was beyond the wildest dreams of most enthusiasts. This 1969 Camaro is one of those cars, and the life it has led means it has a genuine 800 miles on its odometer. It presents superbly, and its most pressing need is a new home with someone who appreciates the finer things in life.
Central Office Production Order. Those words don’t sound exciting, but they are enough to set pulses racing among high-performing enthusiasts. Introduced to the Camaro range by General Motors in 1969, it allowed dealers “in the know” to bypass a Chevrolet policy restriction that prevented the general public from buying a Camaro with anything bigger than a 400ci V8 under the hood. The most common version was COPO 9561, which saw the all-iron 427ci V8 bolted into the engine bay. However, “most common” is a relative term, with only around 1,000 of those Camaros leaving the factory. This one is the real deal, as documented by Camaro Authority, Jerry MacNeish. It was purchased as a gift for the first owner, who concentrated on sending this classic down the strip. It essentially never saw road action, which helps explain the low odometer reading. It was modified during its competition life but was returned to its original form during a restoration that saw the factory Dusk Blue paint once again cloaking its flanks. The restoration proved surprisingly straightforward because with the car spending its time in a dry garage when not blasting down the ¼-mile, it never developed any rust problems requiring attention. The paint shines beautifully, the panels are laser-straight, and the trim and original glass are in exceptional condition.
The first owner received this Camaro as a gift from his mother, who was well aware of his plans to utilize the car purely for racing purposes. As a COPO 9561 version, it arrived on the doorstep with the L72 version of Chevrolet’s 427ci V8 under the hood. This car also rolled off the line with a four-speed manual transmission, a 12-bolt rear end, and power brakes. With 425hp and 460 ft/lbs of torque emanating from under the hood, the ¼-mile journey took 13.8 seconds off the showroom floor. The first owner tasted great success with this classic, only swapping the original big-block for the all-aluminum version once he had been defeated on the strip for the first time. The Camaro remained in active service for years, with the original engine and the race motor later disappearing once retirement beckoned. The car changed hands a few times but the seller has returned it to its original form using date-correct genuine components. It has seen little active use since but is in excellent mechanical health. The buyer can slip behind the wheel, hit the key, and drive off into the sunset.
If the odometer reading sounds incredible, its interior heightens the impact. The restoration process included removing an aftermarket dash-top tachometer and replacing the carpet set, gauge console, and steering wheel. Otherwise, every piece of interior trim and Dark Blue vinyl is original. Of course, the life the car led meant there were few opportunities for wear, helping to explain its exceptional condition. It presents superbly, and every feature, gauge, and light works as it should. The overall condition will draw favorable comments, especially when people learn the story of this classic and why the interior is so beautifully preserved.
It is believed that under 1,000 examples of the 1969 COPO 9561 Camaro rolled off the line, and due to the competition life that many led, it is unclear how many survived. This one has managed to soldier on, and its presentation is hard to ignore. The seller listed the COPO here on Barn Finds Classifieds with an asking price of $115,000 which is extremely competitive. It deserves a new home with someone who will preserve the Camaro so that future generations can appreciate the American automotive industry’s history of high performance. Are you up for that challenge?
Too bad original motor is gone Probably would be closer to 150 thousand
This car was previously featured June, 2023.
Nice car, before anyone starts writing about 3,000 passes down the track, each run is actually closer to 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 mile after you factor in the shut down area, trip back down the return road, burnout, to and from the pits and the staging lanes, plus other incidentals like morning warm up drive.
Steve R
Wow. Gorgeous in blue. Favorite model of any Camaros the COPO. The big motor, 4sp, 3.73 posi ⚙️ power brakes. Perfect 😃
Cool car with an interesting story. Probably would bring a higher price at one of the auctions, seller might be leaving $$ on the table.
That’s a quick way to get tossed. :)
Why do you start an article about a Camaro by talking about a Mustang?
Great stance!
Looks awesome when the clutch pops at 5,000rpm and the car stands up like an angry cat and takes off like a scalded dog!
Hi All,
I’m the rep for this Camaro
We pulled her from the market a while back, waiting to get the Jerry MacNeish certification. We have that now so we put her back on the market.
Here’s a pic of what she looked like before the resto back to pre drag race days. When the current owner bought her, he was unaware that she was a COPO car, it wasn’t until he was deep in, paint done and mostly reassembled, that he found out she was. Some folks say he should have kept her in race trim, but I’m not so sure that would have helped the value any.
We are quite aware that some things are not factory correct or original, and as 1980flh1200 states, if she had those original bits, she’d be $150,000.
Also, the car was driven back and forth TO the Dover Dragway as well as up and down the 1/4 mile, hence the nearly 900 miles.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I have 400+ more photos and several videos on my website, https://autoarcheologist.com/1969-427-camaro-copo Thanks for posting her Adam!
Not just Dover but I do recall seeing this at Connecticut Dragway as well.
A simply gorgeous Camaro. Most everyone likes a ’69 Camaro and a COPO is proof of just how well styled these cars are. Very little adornment yet an exceedingly beautiful stance. The interior is perfect and uncluttered looking great with the center console and standard seats. It is fine but far from refined. This is a car that you will have to drive and it may even drive you a little until you master its behavior.
💯 good call Nelson
Gorgeous! I’m holding out for a RS/SS Z28.
All COPO Camaros Were Not Street Legal. That Is Why This Car Has No Road Time. The Were Ment For Drag Racing Only. Just Like A Cobra Jet Mustang. A Dan Yanko Camaro With A 427 Was Street legal.
The car is nice but if you are asking that much money and its almost all original, can’t you put the right tires on it. You see this over and over again, full restored and they can’t put the right tires on the car.
Well, it doesn’t have correct wheels either. Although the five slot rallies with disk brake center caps do look good.
Seems a very reasonable price, especially with some Z28’s crossing the $100k mark. Great looking car
I respect the options of you guys when it comes to high end muscle cars developed for racing. Maybe someone could give me an opinion of comparing a 69 Copo to a say 68/69 L88 Corvette on performance and any difference between the two of rare super Chevy’s. Thanks l value guys opinion Steve R Nelson C and all the rest of you that know about this cars.
Maybe someone here that knows a little about high end muscle cars that were developed for racing. Maybe tell me the difference in a let’s say a 69 Copo and a 68/69 L88 Corvette. Thanks I’m just curious and l value you guys opinion.