SEMA 2018 is in full swing and there are plenty of reveals to go around. A legend in the Chevrolet camp turns 50 next year and, as you can imagine, the Bowtie brand intends to celebrate it. Unveiled on Tuesday, Chevy will be offering an anniversary edition of the COPO Camaro.
Central Office Production Order, COPO for short, is the name given to the original Camaro drag car of the same name in 1969. Keeping up with its retro heritage, Chevy will offer options that mimic the original.
These options include an Anniversary Blue Metallic exterior finish, an homage to the original car’s Laguna Blue. On top of that, custom graphics further emulate the look of the original ’69 car. If that weren’t enough, the engine appearance package dials things up to 11. That adds an orange engine block, chrome valve covers and a black high-rise intake manifold — all elements found on the original.
GM’s vice-president of performance vehicles and motorsports Jim Campbell had this to say:
“Chevrolet is proud to celebrate 50 years of the COPO Camaro legacy. It’s one of the most enduring legacies in drag racing, with a powerful past and fast future.”
Only 69 examples will roll down the assembly line, the same number as the original 1969 model. For the 50th anniversary car there’ll be a slightly different engine lineup though. Sticking with tradition, there’s the naturally-aspirated LSX-based 427 racing engine, but there’s also a revised 350 V8 with a 2.65-liter Magnuson supercharger, as well as a 302 V8 option.
While figures for the engine options aren’t out in the open, rest assured they’ll be impressive. After all, they’re all designed to meet NHRA Stock and Super Stock class requirements.
