The COPO Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas of the 1960s and early 1970s were the ultimate high-performance GM muscle cars. While few knew about this back channel program at the time, it is now recognized as the origin of GM’s top muscle cars. Dedicated Chevy racers and car owners were determined to compete head-to-head with Mopar and Ford at the racetrack and on the street. But in order to do so, they needed to circumvent the corporate ban on racing and resolve the restriction of 400-ci engines in intermediate vehicles. Don Yenko and some other creative individuals recognized the loophole in the COPO (Central Office Production Order) system at General Motors. The COPO program was designated for fleet vehicles such as taxicabs, but at the peak of the muscle car wars it was used to build the ultimate high-performance Chevy muscle cars. Some horrific on-track accidents compelled General Motors to drop out of racing, yet GM did not want to allow Chrysler and Ford to steal the glory on Sundays while they stood on the sidelines. As a result, GM inconspicuously ran the Chevy racing and high-performance program through back channels, and COPO was integral part of the program. Don Yenko became the COPO muscle car program chief architect and champion. He ordered the Corvair through the COPO program and created the Corvair Stinger to mount a SCCA road race campaign. From these humble beginnings, the road map for creating the ultimate Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas was established. Factory Camaro V-8s came equipped with the 350 small-block or 396 big-block, which had to compete with the Mustang Cobra Jets and Mopar Wedge and Hemi cars. In response, building the big-block Camaro through the COPO program was devised. At the factory, Camaros were fitted with the 396 engines and shipped to dealers where the 427s were installed in the cars. From 1967 to 1969, the factory and dealers installed eight different 427 engines, including the all aluminum ZL1 427. Later on, others used the road map to build COPO Novas and Chevelles to similar spec, with similar results. The COPO performance car program did not end with these muscle cars. Yenko even ordered several hundred Vegas through the COPO program, so they could be fitted with turbochargers and raced in SCCA competition. Chevy muscle car aficionado and author Matt Avery retraces the history of the COPO program and the creation of these premier muscle cars. He has scoured archives and tracked down owners and personnel involved in the program to deliver a comprehensive story and complete guide to the COPO cars. The COPO muscle car and racing program produced a storied and remarkable journey, and author Matt Avery captures all these facets in this entertaining and revealing history. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}

"This books tells the story of the COPO Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas."--Provided by publisher.

Since its launch in 1967, the Camaro has been a friend to driving enthusiasts. Chevrolet’s performance-minded individuals had their bona fide bowtie pony car, and right away, it was off to the races to craft and create versions that went above and beyond. The Camaro proved to be the perfect canvas for many kinds of special editions, and it has remained that way throughout six generations of the iconic model that have been loved worldwide. In Camaro Special Editions: 1967–Present, author and expert Matt Avery spotlights the most significant special editions and closely explores the pinnacles and highpoints of the model’s lineage. Beginning with the classics, the story is told of the venerable Z28, the Corvette-sourced L89 and JL8, and the factory COPO zeniths, including the legendary ZL1. Moving to the realm of outside heavy hitters, Avery profiles the efforts of dealership partners, such as Nickey, Dana, Gorries, Baldwin-Motion, Yenko, and the works of motor maverick drag racer Dick Harrell. From its first year, the Camaro played a starring role as an Indy 500 pace car and during the festival celebration. A comprehensive look at the many different variants that have been present at the famed Brickyard speedway is included. A new bodystyle in the 1980s brought further special editions, including the race-ready Player’s series and subsequent 1LE option. Fast forward to the Camaro’s fourth generation, and activities accelerated even quicker with contemporary tuners, such as Callaway and Street Legal Performance (SLP), joining the fray along with dealer programs from Berger Chevrolet, GMMG, Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, and more. The very latest Camaros are documented as well, including the resurrected ZL1 and Z28, Specialty Vehicle Engineering’s reimagined Yenko street terror, and Chevrolet Performance’s all-out COPO race car. Factory packages, such as the Hot Wheels and Transformers, are covered, and all of the anniversary editions are examined, each marking milestones in the model’s 55-year journey in becoming the thumping heartbeat of American sports car prowess. It’s been quite a ride, and there’s no letting up anytime soon. This book is a must-have resource and authoritative guide for celebrating the Camaro and its many fantastic and storied special editions.

An entire volume dedicated to detailing and preserving the iconic muscle car dealerships of the 1960s and early 1970s, many whose doors are now closed. Text is supported with more than 350 historic photos and illustrations. Muscle car historian Duncan Brown revisits this glorious automotive era when Nickey 427 Camaros and supercharged Dodge Demons by Grand Spaulding Dodge terrorized the streets. Drag sponsored cars from Reynolds Buick, Yeakel Chrysler-Plymouth, and Mel Burns Ford informed buyers that if you came to their dealership, you too could have a screaming fast muscle car just like the ones you saw at the dragstrip. It was these dealerships that created the lasting muscle car legacy through their innovative advertising and over-the-top performance. The majority of these dealerships floundered, unable to re-attract the customers they had prior to the muscle car. Thankfully, a volume has been dedicated to preserving the history of those less fortunate and revisiting the past success of these Lost Muscle Car Dealerships.

“Just what is a Muscle Car?” Road Test magazine asked in June 1967. The answer: “Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder’s philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in it. . . . The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling.” Unconcerned with such trivial details as comfort and handling, the vintage American muscle car was built for straight-line speed and quickly became the ride of choice for power-hungry racers and serious gearheads. In a country where performance was measured in brute force, a quarter mile at a time, the muscle car was the perfect machine. In the intervening years, these down-and-dirty, high-performing beauties have earned their place in the automotive pantheon. As prized by collectors and aficionados as they are by denizens of garages and drag strips, classic muscle cars now fetch upwards of a million dollars at auctions and feature in any story of America’s automotive glory days. The icons of muscle car art—including Camaro and Chevelle SS, the Hemi and 440-6 ’Cuda, Challenger, Roadrunner, Super Bee, GTX, Super Bird, Daytona Charger, Super Cobra Jet and Boss Mustang, Talladega Torino, Buick GSX and W30 Oldsmobile 442, and AMX Javelin—are all here, on full display in this lavishly illustrated volume, each described in a detailed essay followed by a gallery of portraits and special gatefold presentations that capture the art of the muscle car at its finest.

Swapping or interchanging parts is a time-honored practice, and this book is the source for Chevrolet parts interchanges.