The Chevy Camaro arrived in late September 1966 for the 1967 model year. Chevy’s answer to the astonishing success of the Ford Mustang, the Camaro had a partial front frame and rear unibody design for better sound isolation, superior ride, better aerodynamics, and efficient production.
1969 was the last year of production for the first generation Chevy Camaro. The model year will feature a number of aesthetic changes. The top of the fender hole has been made flatter, giving the car a more aggressive appearance. The rear panel, valance, rear quarter panels and doors have visual differences, as does the grille with sharper lines and angles. The squarer look is carried over to the interior, with the instrument dashboard sporting sharper lines, although the console gauges remain unchanged. The Rally Sport package gives the Camaro vacuum-operated doors that hide the headlights. Due to the extended production years, 243,085 Camaros left the factory in 1969.
There are several change options for the 1969 Chevy Camaro. RPO JL8 Power Front and Rear Disc Brakes can be had on any trim level. The monstrous COPO 427 is still available for those in the know, as the option code isn’t printed in any Camaro ordering guides. The induction hood once the exclusive domain of COPO cars can now be had on any SS or Z/28 trim Camaro.
For Chevy Camaro fans and the power hungry, there are few monikers as tempting as the ZL1. The Head Office Production Order, or COPO car, 1969 Chevy Camaro ZL1 is COPO #9560 which comes with an aluminum 427 cube Big Block rated at 425 horsepower (that number is well below peak rpm, with peak output actually being around 500 horsepower), 450 pound-feet of torque, upgraded axles, disc brakes, and cowl induction hood. Of the 69 total Camaro ZL1 production units, only twelve were ordered with the heavy-duty four-speed manual gearbox. Others come with a Turbo Hydramatic three-speed automatic transmission. These cars weigh right in at 3,400 pounds.
Our feature The 1969 Chevy Camaro ZL1 is a true COPO car #9560, number two of only 69 examples built for the year, and one of two delivered to Fred Gibb Chevrolet on New Year’s Eve 1968. The cars were then sent to Dick Harrell’s Performance Center in Kansas City, Missouri to be prepared for the 1969 Winternationals in Phoenix, Arizona. This car was then sold to the public, the first Camaro ZL1 to reach public hands as car #1 remained with the Fred Gibb Chevy. The Camaro has undergone a full restoration by Corvette Specialists of Beaumont, Texas, with an aluminum Winters ZL1 427 replacement freshened and dyno tested by Conrad Racing Engines in Houston, Texas. The 550-horsepower 427 was backed by a Turbo Hydramatic three-speed automatic transmission and a BE code twelve-bolt Positraction rear end with 4.10 gears.
Finished in Dusk Blue over a mostly original black vinyl Strato bucket seat interior, this Chevy Camaro ZL1 is equipped with power front disc brakes, fourteen-by-seven-inch painted steel wheels with dog-dish hub caps, and Firestone Wide Oval bias-ply rubber. Previously on display at the Floyd Garrett Muscle Car Museum, this ZL1 was a Showcase Display vehicle at the 2011 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals and was featured in the January 2009 issue of Muscle Car Review. Included in the sale are a copy of the chassis and body sheet as well as a copy of the delivery and sales invoice.
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