"COPO" stands for "Central Office Production Order". Using one, a Chevy dealer could order a batch of cars straight from the production line in any specification he liked. The idea was that a dealer who for instance specialized in high performance modifications to existing Chevrolet models could get "factory customised" cars without having to convert them himself. Don Yenko, a Long Island Chevrolet dealer, was well known for his high performance conversions on Chevy's. He found he could not keep up with the demand for installing bigger 454ci engines in Chevy's such as the Camaro and the Chevelle, so he approached Chevrolet directly to see if he could buy big block cars directly from the factory. Hence he applied for a COPO and got his cars. Generally a COPO Chevrolet came from the factory with base level wheel trims (usually "dog dish" hubcaps), no cosmetic add-ons such as pinstriping or a hood stripe, and so on. This was so the dealer receiving the car could add-on whatever wheels and decal package he liked.
By using a COPO, a dealer could get around the GM corporate ban on extra large engines in smaller cars.
This Nova has a small block 350ci V8 and has very little chromework, basic dog dish hubcaps and has a spartan interior. It is typical of the specification most COPO Chevrolets had on leaving the factory. Hence a dealer would most likely have added whatever wheels, decals and so on that the customer desired. Some were left in "factory fresh" condition and hence were great "sleeper" performance cars. They looked like a bog standard Chevy Nova but had a serious performance V8 under the bonnet!
GMP make this model and it is a rare item indeed. Only 700 were made in this colour ("hugger orange") as part of a larger run of "astro blue" 1970 Nova 350s. They made 3500 blue Novas, 5 blue ones for every orange one, and packed them in 6 car cases with one orange car per case. The orange cars seemed to be totally pre-sold (usually to favoured customers) as I don't ever remember seeing one available apart from secondhand on e-Bay (which is where I eventually managed to buy this one in 2002). Due to it's relative rarity, the orange car is highly sought after by collectors, making it an expensive buy.
I personally love the way it looks as I have a thing for orange coloured 1:18th cars (but I don't think I could handle the attention a full size orange car would get!). Hence why for me it was worth the trouble in finding this model. Like all GMP Novas, only the hood opens, to reveal a detailed 350ci small block Chevrolet V8. Detail in the engine bay is good overall. The doors and the trunk however do not open. The interior is very stark, with very little detail, but as you can't open the doors to get a better look, the lack of detail is not that obvious. (Mind you, I didn't include a photo of the interior as nothing could be seen on the photo I took!). The model is well made, but not that detailed overall. Since GMP introduced this Nova mold, models with virtually no opening parts are not acceptable in the premium model marketplace (although AUTOart are trying to buck that trend with their "Motorsports" range of sealed body models) and it is notable that newer GMPs such as their excellent range of 1970-72 Pontiac GTOs have fully opening features.
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