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2000 Berger Camaro SS
A Michigan dealership revives the COPO concept with a 375-hp limited-edition Camaro
Barry Kluczyk / autoMedia.com
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A type of brand name became associated with the "by Berger" dealer tags that were affixed to new cars, along with the "Prescribed Power" decals of the dealership's power packages.
To any muscle-car maven, the letters COPO (Central Office Purchase Order) mean one thing: a factory-built 427 Camaro or Chevelle that wasn't in the brochures in 1969. These special-order muscle cars went to "in the know" dealers. Few of these COPO cars were assembled, and most were drag-raced to death.
Berger Chevrolet in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was "in the know" back in '69. At the time, the dealership was notorious as the place to come for hot Chevy parts. In fact, a type of brand name became associated with the "by Berger" dealer tags that were affixed to new cars, along with the "Prescribed Power" decals of the dealership's power packages. It all started innocently enough.
"One of our guys called Chevrolet and actually got Pete Estes on the phone," recalls Dale Berger, father of current dealer Matt Berger. "He told Estes he'd heard about a hot small-block intake manifold and wanted to put one on a Camaro. Since no one was doing anything yet with Camaro performance, Estes was thrilled. The manifold arrived on Monday morning."
Legendary COPOs
"I knew the guy in the Central Office who handled those orders," Berger says. "He'd call and tell me about them and ask if I wanted to order any." Berger ordered 50 iron-block 427 COPO Camaros and 10 COPO Chevelles. The dealership also delivered one of the '69 all-aluminum 427 ZL1 Camaros. But the yellow machine didn't exactly fly off the showroom floor. "It cost $7,400 when other '69s were going for $3,000," Berger says. "It sat at our store for more than a year. The staff would start it up once a week to keep it in good order."
Since then, the Bergers have always run the store with the passion for performance. So, when the dealership's in-house Camaro-phile, Dennis Barker, suggested a limited-production Camaro to celebrate the dealership's performance heritage, Matt Berger was an eager enabler.
Copyright autoMedia.com 2000-2008
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Based on Chevy's Camaro SS, the Berger 75th Anniversary car is distinguished from the front by black "heritage" stripes and a custom grille insert. The SS badge in the grille is a reproduction of a '69 Camaro SS emblem.
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The subtle rise to the rear spoiler is part of the standard SS package. Also note the heritage stripes over the decklid, along with the distinctive, big-block-style taillamp panel black-out.
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From the rear, the blacked-out taillamp panel sets the Berger SS apart from other Camaros. The chromed CAMARO insignia seen here was applied to the prototype car only. Subsequent Berger cars were built without the tacky lettering.
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Underhood, the Berger SS pumps out 375 street-legal, emissions-friendly horsepower. How? We're sworn to secrecy. Better exhaust flow is a big part of the equation, though.
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The chromed 17-inch wheels of the Berger SS are just as you'd find on any 2000 SS, although the chrome was an extra-cost option. For '01, all SS models come with chrome wheels as standard equipment.
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The simple "by Berger" tag on the dealership's cars isn't much different from those of other auto dealers. But when it's affixed to a muscle car, it takes on a brand name of its own. In the late-'60s and early-'70s, the Grand Rapids dealership was a haven of hot-rod Chevy parts.
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So that every stoplight hero understands what he or she is up against, the small "375HP" label gives away the power behind the car's melodious rumble.
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The "Prescribed Power" decal underhood is a Berger Chevrolet trademark that stretches back to the '60s. Then, the dealership sold power packages for Camaros and even sold some of the infamous COPO Camaros and Chevelles.
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Here's a look at what gives the Berger SS such a terrific sound and helps boost its power output: The chambered exhaust system (after the catalyst) is based on the resonators of late-'60s Camaros. It provides a low-restriction, great-sounding combination.
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