What is a COPO Vs RPO?
How would I know if my Chevelle is a COPO or RPO?

Bob J.

COPO is a central office production order aka a special order from where the fleet orders come in like police camaros etc. Rpo is a regular production option such as ss being z16 if i remember correctly and color being an rpo

Using the fleet order system, GM slipped a HD turbo 400 behind 50 L78s in Chevy IIs in '68. Then they used the same system in '69 to build the 427 Chevelles and Camaros. To get one was just a matter of knowing that they were available. I found out through a friend who worked in the Oshawa main office. I'm not sure whether the information was sent out to all dealers or just to the ones who were performance oriented. My dealer didn't seem to know anything about them. Our Chevelle was built under COPO 9566AA. There were other codes used as well.

How many units did a dealer have to order to make it a COPO order? Could someone go to any dealer and order one COPO car or would that be a RPO?

Bob J.

Check this site out Bob...

http://www.copo.com/

Originally posted by DjD:
Check this site out Bob...

http://www.copo.com/ Thanks Dennis, Good COPO Info.

Bob J.

To order a COPO Chevelle it was as simple as going into the dealer and order the car just like an RPO. The key was knowing that they were available. I was lucky I guess. You certainly didn't need to have big name pull to get one.

Even special paint colors not in the brochures could be ordered through the COPO process. A number of 70 and 71 Chevelles were ordered with Carolina Blue paint via special order. Any paint available (except Cadillac Firemist) were available for an additional charge.

You couldn't make up your own combo and just waltz into a dealer and order it though, like some of the "experts' at cruise-ins would have you believe ("It was speshul ordered with a 428 hemi"). The COPO had to be approved by GM and was assigned a number. Usually a dealer or group of dealers had to request a COPO package or deviation from standard or RPO parts or paint and had to commit to a minimum number of units. Or as in the case of police and taxi equipment for example, GM initiated the COPO package for cars they knew there would be a commercial demand for but not be available to the general public.

Whats a Futon?


:D

By the way, I happen to own one of those rare 1969 oldsmobuick novas with the very rare 428 Hemi-jet cobra strokers with even rarer plum crazy purple M-59 oatmeal mixer transmissions.

A couple of excerpts from a thread by Jim Mattison on 'COPO' paint schemes.

Wow!!! It appears that there is a lot of interest in the special paint process. I'll do my best to answer most all of everyone’s questions.

First, back in the late 60s and early 70s anyone could order their new Chevy with a special color. Literally any color under the rainbow was available, except for the Cadillac Fire mist colors.

The pricing for a solid color "Special Paint" would vary between no charge and $125.00. Volume would dictate the pricing.

If the customer was a fleet account, or if the dealer would order multiple vehicles in the same color, the pricing would be n/c. However, if the dealer would order a single unit, the pricing could go as high as $125, with various prices in between, based on many other factors.

Some of the other conditions that would require a car order to come through my group was: "Delete Stripes" on a Z-28, Chevelle SS, or other model with painted stripes. Colors that were current production, but on a different model, would also require our approval. We did lots of cars in "Hugger Orange" that normally didn't come in that color as n/c. Also, you wouldn't believe the number of Chevrolets that were painted the popular 1968-69 Pontiac color, "Verdoro Green"! I even remember a fair number of cars being ordered in the 1970 Chrysler color "Plum Crazy"!
We would paint a vehicle any color under the rainbow except for the Cadillac Firemist colors and Corvette colors. Our special paint book would have thousands of special colors in it, with more being added weekly. Unfortunately, those days are gone forever!!!

I can still remember the cars that we special painted "Kelly Green" for John Delorean, when he was general manager of Chevy and dating Kelly Harmon. Lots of special "Pink" cars for Nancy Sinatra, too!!!Apparently, all you had to do was know the service was available and convince your dealer to place the order.