Who is the force behind the 1969 Chevelle COPO cars?

[1969 El Camino Dan]

Would you say it's Don Yenko that got Vince to build 'em?
Perhaps it was Dick Harrell that made the suggestion.
Fred Gibb? Dana?
Whadda ya think?

[JAF3867]

I dont know where and when I downloaded this picture, but the 68's are being advertised at the Baldwin dealership. The 67 out front leads me to beleave that they were doing it in 67.

[Don_Lightfoot]

Well Dan, in my opinion the COPO program was solicited by Dick Harrell and Fred Gibb. Don Yenko would have been in the mix as well considering he was probably the most notable dealer doing conversions before the 69 model year. I'm sure there are guys out there that can confirm your question as I have no definitive information.

[1969 El Camino Dan]

Well Dan, in my opinion the COPO program was solicited by Dick Harrell and Fred Gibb. Don Yenko would have been in the mix as well considering he was probably the most notable dealer doing conversions before the 69 model year. I'm sure there are guys out there that can confirm your question as I have no definitive information.

I know that Don Yenko was the first to order special performance additions to the 1966 Corvair Corsa via the COPO program. He was able to get them built with a 3.89:1 posi & a dual circuit master cyl. Neither was available as an RPO. With those options, + F41 suspension, N44 quick steering, M20 4 speed, etc + some aftermarket parts and removing the rear seat, he was able to create 100 Stingers - which the SCCA then listed as a Yenko produced sports car. Since the Stinger became a successful racing car, I'm sure Vince Piggins was there to encourage Don in further exploits of "the system".
I'm also quite sure that Vince would have been good friends with Dick Harrell, since he was putting Chevrolet on the map w/ his drag racing program. Since it seems that Fred Gibb became a performance convert only after his introduction to Dick Harrell, there has to be something there to suddenly create the COPO Camaros. Dick was doing the "Super 427 Chevelles out of his shop in 1968 and had Dealers that would sell his product. I could see him getting together w/ Vince & his dealers to push for a COPO 427 Chevelle to sell.

Dan

[Keith]

GM was in the business of making money. There wouldn't have been any COPO cars had Yenko and Gibb not stepped up and made the first big orders. Yenko got the ball rolling with the Corvairs in '66, then Gibb order the 50 '68 COPO Chevy IIs. Gibb got real nervy ordering all the ZL1 Camaros and Yenko ordered a lot of COPO Chevelles and Camaros. GM opened up the COPO deal to everyone but on a very low key. Most dealers didn't seem to even know about it. We found out through a friend who worked in the Oshawa GM of Canada main office. Once we got the COPO code, it was simply a matter of going to a dealer, Beare Motors in our case, and ordering the car. Simple as that.