When did GM first introduce the COPO option ?

[John]

Does anyone know when they first made available the COPO option...of "ordering something that was not a RPO on a vehicle?"
....

[gtaa9]

I believe the first COPO car you could buy was in 1967.I'm not 100% sure on this though.

[Mr70]

COPO wasn't an Option.
COPO stands for Central Office Production Order & was basically developed so Dealers could order large quanties of Special Fleet Vehicles,at a discount,with larger volume as well as superseding corporate red tape.
It made it easier to process for both parties involved.
Vehicles like Ambulances,Buses,Police Cars,Village trucks etc.,all painted there own colors schemes with options catered towards them and not the public masses.
The High Performance Engine ideas were an after thought.

[Z-11 396]

Did Yenko not start talking to GM in 1965 to build his first Stinger Corvair's for the 1966 year with the COPO's # 9513A, the 3.89 positraction differential, and COPO's # 9861E, the Dual Master brake cylinder unit.

[John]

...sorry for calling it an "option"...
....just thought that there may be vehicles earlier then just 1968, and 1969 that may have been ordered with items which were not RPO items ...to their vehicle.

[yenkoman]

My understanding is C.O.P.O. did not start until late 68 but theres alot of people here who know everything that I forgot over the years

[John]

...
... Seems like alot a people we talking about "How to order a specially built COPO car way before the COPO Program was even started ."



...

..

[Ralph Spears]

I ordered a new 1969 Corvette that had a number in the COPO box on the build sheet, It was a non standard color trim body color combo The build sheet said SPECIAL PAINT

[PeteLeathersac]

‘

‘58 Delray Tag below Verne F. shared years ago w/ Copo on ACC line.
RIP Verne, sure miss your input around here brother.
:beers;
~ Pete

.

[69LM1]

I will ask the opposite, when was the last COPO?
I remember the mid 80's 1LE Camaro's but not sure if they were COPO or not.