Central Office Production Order(s)

[Duke W.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

But if a car was a COPO the order and delivery did not go through the normal dealer/zone process, so I assume that there is some indication in this data that the order was a COPO, and my question is what is this data?

I assume that a COPO build sheet would have the COPO number line-printed in the COPO box rather than a hand written number that is not an actual COPO number, but has some other unknown meaning. Does anyone have a bondafide COPO build sheet from the C2/3 years?

What I'm trying to ultimately understand is how to prove, or disprove, a COPO claim.

Duke

[Duke W.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

PEP stands for Product Evaluation Program which is the company car program for employees above a certain level. It has a low VIN so it could have been a pilot car built with parts and or processes not yet fully approved and then ultimately scrapped after testing and evaluation at Milford.

Most of the guys in the Pontiac Production Engineering department that I was a member of for a short time in 1968 drove "company cars". The way I recall this was explained to me was that salaried employees above a certain level could order a new Pontiac at a substantial discount, however, it became a "company car" that was driven by another salaried employee for six months.

All of the other production engineering guys were married with families and they owned a Pontiac that they bought under the above program that was usually driven by their wives while they drove a car ordered by some other salaried employee for six months, then turned it in for another.

I always thought that these cars were COPOs, but John Hinckley explained that they were not. Unfortunately I don't recall what he called this program, but maybe it was PEP.

Thus PEP was a third way to order a car in addition the normal zone/dealer route and COPO. Does this make sense?

Back to the bottom of the invoice in post #9.

PEP SCRAPPED VEHICLE
3008 VAN DYKE
WARREN MI 48090

So what does the above mean? I'll take a guess. Since this vehicle was a preproduction and may not have met final EPA and DOT certification requirements GM did not want it to get into the public domain, so the final disposition was "scrap", and the Warren address is a junkyard with a contract to scrap GM vehicles so designated.

What say you?

Duke

[Leif A.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

Duke,
Back in the '80s, when I was with Cadillac, we called these cars "Brass Hat" cars. Thought that terminology was used across GM.

[Duke W.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

I don't recall that name from my time at Pontiac. Maybe it just referred to senior executives who sometimes got customized cars, likely without anyone driving them for six months. My recollection is that the program I am referring to applied to mid to senior level, but below executive level, salaried employees.

Duke

[Larry E.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

Another way to find if COPO if legit or not is to go to your Dealer's Parts Book to
see if the word COPO is by the option/part(Stripes) in question. Larry P.S. Trying to
enlarge the image below but not working.

[Keith B.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

wouldn't the COPO have an engineering number that would corallite to a "special" part that would warrant the COPO.

[Duke W.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

I have a '77 and '79 vintage Corvette P & A catalog both of which are well worn from my use of them for over 40 years, and I have never seen a reference to a COPO part in them like what I see in your truck P & A catalog.

Duke

[John D.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

The Warren address on Van Dyke was CPC HQ at the GM tech center back in the day so 'd say the address was simply for administrative purposes on the invoice. They weren't scrapping cars there, they went to Milford for that. It's easier today all pilot, and non saleable units have an EX and the end on the VIN to avoid confusion.

[Jon H.]

Re: Central Office Production Order(s)

But if a car was a COPO the order and delivery did not go through the normal dealer/zone process, so I assume that there is some indication in this data that the order was a COPO, and my question is what is this data?

I assume that a COPO build sheet would have the COPO number line-printed in the COPO box rather than a hand written number that is not an actual COPO number, but has some other unknown meaning. Does anyone have a bondafide COPO build sheet from the C2/3 years?

What I'm trying to ultimately understand is how to prove, or disprove, a COPO claim.

Duke

Duke,
The COPO box on the top right of the order copy was used for a number of things including COPO changes, special options, a color override etc. If you pull a shipping data report you can still have a delivering dealership and an attached COPO/F&SO number on the paperwork. In addition the car could have a Zone Dealer code for GM engineering if it was a proving grounds car etc. Here are a few examples from my database:

proving ground car ncrs doc.jpg


1969 L88 verified tank sticker.jpg

copo ts.jpg