Rare Chevrolet COPO Chevelle goes on sale

A custom 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle will be up for bidding in the USA on May 17, 2025.

Racing driver Don Yenko created quite a few COPO sports cars for the Chevrolet brand in the late 1960s, but his COPO Camaro builds were by far the most popular and iconic. The COPO Chevelle lineup consisted of only a handful of units in comparison, although the precise numbers were never disclosed.

Back at the time, General Motors had regulations that prohibited engines above 400ci (6.5 liters) from being used in this vehicle class. Yenko broke the regulations by swapping his Chevelle lineup to a custom 7.0-liter V8 mill rated at 425 PS (419 hp / 313 kW).

The example on sale is believed to be one out of only three such 1969 COPO Chevelles finished in black, adding to its rarity. The seller also claims that it’s the only example to have been built in Fremont, California.

The car underwent a full restoration two decades ago and has since won an award at a retro car show. The listing says it lost its original engine block, but received an equivalent replacement with the same numbers. It’s unclear whether we are talking about warranty repairs or just adapted OEM parts here.

The auction price record for the COPO Chevelle sits at $275,000 right now. There is no indication how much this particular example is expected to win.