Barrett-Jackson 2009: Yenko and COPO Chevrolet collection

Way back in the day, things took place a bit differently. Exhibit A: Chevrolet's Central Office Production Order system, which allowed dealerships a back door around GM's officially-sanctioned packages and options. For instance, it was possible to order a Camaro right from the production line that featured an engine that was otherwise reserved for the range-topping Corvette. Perhaps the best-known of these unique products came from Yenko Chevrolet, and bidders at Barrett-Jackson had a very nice group of these rare machines to choose from.

First up was a 1981 Camaro Z/28 that sold for $79,200.00, which was followed by an LT-1-powered 1970 Nova "Deuce" that went for $110,000.00. The compact Nova was followed by three 1969 Camaros, the first of which was a COPO 9561 with the L72 427/425hp engine that sold for $132,000, which actually strikes us as a pretty good deal. Next up was a COPO 9560 with the famed aluminum 427 ZL-1 engine, which sold for $319,000. Lastly, another COPO 9561 hit the block, though this one's status as 1 of 3 that was sold specifically for drag racing in the NHRA helped it earn $297,000.

Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.