COPO question .

[JoeC]

QUOTE.."but they did not require any additional engineering so thus did not get a COPO # assigned to them."

I would disagree with this because there may have been different types of special paint. Some early Camaros had special paint but it was no more then deleting the mandatory nose stripe on an SS. This may not have required processing by the COPO system. When a car received a complete color change to a non standard color, I believe it would require approval through the COPO system. Jim Mattison recalled in his interview that he did paperwork for some strange colors requested by Chevy dealers. Also I have seen Chevelle build sheets with special paint that have some COPO type numbers on them. Some special paint 1970 Chevelles have been found with strange numbers stamped on the trim tag.

[Stefano]

There are people like Jim M. who were there, so I just want to clearify my understanding(I don't know I wasn't there).
It would be highly unlikely to get the Central Office to process a single special request ,not that it couldn't get done for the likes of, lets say Pete Estes, but unlikely for a single vehicle. Usually it would require at least a few???

[Jim Mattison]

Guys, I don't mean to stir the pot, but the '69 Kingswood Wagon at Floyd Garrett's did come through the Chevrolet Fleet & Special Order Department (COPO)!

Most think that all COPO cars had some very special equipment on them, like the '69 Camaros and Chevelles with the L72-427 engines. However, a COPO could also be a car (or truck) with a non-recommended combination of RPO equipment. Remember COPO stands for Central Office Production Order.

Some examples are: "stripe delete" on Z-28s and SS models, non-recommended color/trim combinations, black painted 1970-72 Corvettes and even the L72 engine in a full-size Chevy wagon required a special "ok" to get built. We also processed tons of special paint orders for customers.

The Chevrolet Fleet & Special Order Group had the authority and power to tell an assembly plant to build most anything (assuming that it was buildable). Many of the vehicles that we built were single orders, something that we could not do today!
I even remember building a '69 Corvette for one of the guys at the office with an L88 hood on a Corvette with the L36 (390 hp) engine.

I am going to try and get out to more events this year and put some of the myths about what the Chevrolet Fleet & Special Order Department (COPO group) did and didn't do. It is a very interesting story and a high point in my automotive career!

Jim Mattison

[Stefano]

Thanks Jim,
Nothing like getting it right from the 'Horses Mouth'!

[Mr70]

Jim M.
Any chance of you speaking at this years Supercar show in Collinsville Il. or the ACES Chevelle show in Goodletsville Tn. this June?
I would enjoy a book written by you on this very subject alone!
Rick

[Belair62]

Jim,when was Cental Office created ? Was this department used only for Chevrolet brand ? Did other GM units have this type of department ? I e-mailed you a year or so ago about the aluminum front end on a SD Pontiac in which I asked how some cars got aluminum and some got steel. You indicated it was customer preference and there was no cost difference for aluminum. These cars had to have a higher approval so thats why I wonder if there was a COPO type office within Pontiac.

[Edited by Belair62 (02-28-2002 at 04:07 PM).]

[Mr70]

I didn't think COPO was Chevrolet specific,but all the GM line,Chevrolet-Buick-Pontiac-Olds?