Falling in Love with the '69 Classic Camaro

The '69 Camaro: Fast Facts About this Classic Camaro

Chevy produced two versions. The first, more common model was the one offered for sale to the general public. Equipped with a 427 big-block V8 engine, this model stands out due primarily to its styling. Lower and wider, with all-new sheet metal and a redesigned grille, the car had a much more aggressive appearance. The other version of the '69 Camaro was a COPO (Central Office Production Order) developed for the Chaparral racing team.

The COPO version was originally created for fleet sales. The COPO version was originally intended as a commercial fleet vehicle. Fleet models could be outfitted with heavy-duty suspensions for police use or stain-proof interiors for taxicabs. However, when dealerships saw the other details of these models -- including more powerful engines like the L72, which delivered 427 horsepower -- they began ordering them for their car enthusiast customers and marketing them as a top-of-the-line muscle car option.

Only 69 ZL-1 '69 Camaros were ever built, making them among the rarest and most expensive of classic Camaro models. Several COPO Camaros were available, but the rarest was the '69 COPO 9560, which included an all-aluminum ZL-1 427 V8 engine developed for the Chaparral racing team for that year's Can Am series. This engine featured an all-aluminum block with steel liners, fed by a single Holly 4-barrel. Despite its impressive power, the ZL-1 was and continues to be fully street legal -- but it's rare to find one there. Only 69 models were sold, and each of those units currently commands prices averaging $400,000 at auctions. One particular COPO 9560 is estimated to be worth upwards of a million.

• Ready to get started on your classic Camaro project? Contact us at CHRA.