Photo: overstreetcollection/eBay
The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 is one of the rarest Camaros ever built. The ZL-1 was a special Central Office Production Orders (COPO) option and only 69 were built, but Chevrolet offered a second COPO model, the L72.
Known as the COPO 9561 (with the ZL-1 being COPO 9560), the L72 was also part of the scheme through which Chevrolet offered engines larger than 6.6 liters in midsize and smaller models when GM forbade it from doing so.
These numbers were issued following several requests from dealers that were installing 7.0-liter V8 engines on their own in the Camaro. Don Yenko was one of them. And soon as Chevy created the COPO 9561, the dealership ordered 201 vehicles. Word got out quickly and Chevrolet eventually delivered around 1,000 Camaros with the L72 option.
While not as rare as the ZL-1, which featured an all-aluminum engine, the L72 was almost just as powerful. At 425 horsepower, it fell behind the ZL-1 by only five horses. As a result, the L72 was also a popular choice among drag racers. Some were thrashed, but others survived and were eventually restored to their former glory.
This white-painted L72, a beautifully restored example, just popped up on eBay with only 600 miles on the odometer. While it's hard to believe that a performance car can be driven for so little in 52 years, it seems that this L72 was used mostly as a drag racer, so it spent a lot of time on a trailer.
The seller claims that 67 of the 600 miles were added on the drag strip, which would translate into more than 200 quarter-mile passes. The car was owned and raced by Kris Mehen of New Castle, Indiana under the name "Hoosier Hell." He even held the IHRA World Record at one point, so this Camaro hides some cool racing heritage under that white, sleeper-like skin.
The car was restored to initial factory specs and still sports its original red interior. The COPO-standard F41 suspension, 12-bolt Positraction rear end, and the heavy-duty four-speed gearbox are still there. It still features all-original body panels and everything is chronicled in an extensive photo archive of the restoration process.
The rare COPO Camaro is listed on eBay at $175,000. That's a lot of dough for a 1969 Camaro, but definitely not over the top given the COPO badge and the excellent condition. Concours-condition COPOs are now valued at around $200,000 and this specific example, probably the lowest-mileage example out there, certainly qualifies.
It's actually a bargain compared to the other COPO Camaro, the ZL-1, which can change hands for as much as $1 million nowadays.
These numbers were issued following several requests from dealers that were installing 7.0-liter V8 engines on their own in the Camaro. Don Yenko was one of them. And soon as Chevy created the COPO 9561, the dealership ordered 201 vehicles. Word got out quickly and Chevrolet eventually delivered around 1,000 Camaros with the L72 option.
While not as rare as the ZL-1, which featured an all-aluminum engine, the L72 was almost just as powerful. At 425 horsepower, it fell behind the ZL-1 by only five horses. As a result, the L72 was also a popular choice among drag racers. Some were thrashed, but others survived and were eventually restored to their former glory.
This white-painted L72, a beautifully restored example, just popped up on eBay with only 600 miles on the odometer. While it's hard to believe that a performance car can be driven for so little in 52 years, it seems that this L72 was used mostly as a drag racer, so it spent a lot of time on a trailer.
The seller claims that 67 of the 600 miles were added on the drag strip, which would translate into more than 200 quarter-mile passes. The car was owned and raced by Kris Mehen of New Castle, Indiana under the name "Hoosier Hell." He even held the IHRA World Record at one point, so this Camaro hides some cool racing heritage under that white, sleeper-like skin.
The car was restored to initial factory specs and still sports its original red interior. The COPO-standard F41 suspension, 12-bolt Positraction rear end, and the heavy-duty four-speed gearbox are still there. It still features all-original body panels and everything is chronicled in an extensive photo archive of the restoration process.
The rare COPO Camaro is listed on eBay at $175,000. That's a lot of dough for a 1969 Camaro, but definitely not over the top given the COPO badge and the excellent condition. Concours-condition COPOs are now valued at around $200,000 and this specific example, probably the lowest-mileage example out there, certainly qualifies.
It's actually a bargain compared to the other COPO Camaro, the ZL-1, which can change hands for as much as $1 million nowadays.
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