COPO Camaro, Chevelle and Nova

Chevrolet responded to the big-block competition from Ford and Chrysler by creating ultra high-performance and secretive COPO Camaros, Chevelles, Novas, Corvairs, and Vegas. When traditional channels were unavailable, an ingenious few used the Central Office Purchase Order (COPO) system to create the ultimate Chevy muscle cars of the 1960s and early 1970s. 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 Chrysler 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 and smaller vehicles. Don Yenko and other creative individuals recognized the loophole in the COPO system, which was designed for fleet vehicles such as taxicabs, and at the peak of the muscle car era used it to build the ultimate high-performance Chevy muscle cars. Chevy muscle car aficionado and author Matt Avery retraces this special muscle car 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 history of COPO cars.