New sheet metal
Everything but the hood, trunk lid and roof is new, and the car looks lower and wider.5one source
Class of '69 · Chevrolet Camaro · 1969 body · first generation
1969Chevrolet Camaro
New sheet metal for one year only, a model year that ran to November 1969, and the COPO 427s.
The year in brief
The story of the year
The COPO 427s
GM did not allow its divisions to put an engine larger than 400 cubic inches in any car below full size except the Corvette, so there was no 427 Camaro on the order form.35
Chevrolet used its Central Office Production Order system instead. COPO 9561 brought the iron-block L72 427 and COPO 9560 the all-aluminum ZL1.35
There were 69 ZL1s, which the Camaro Research Group lists by VIN. No production records for COPO 9561 have surfaced; the Camaro Research Group works out 997 cars from Chevrolet's 1969 engine and Super Sport totals, which fits the 1,015 L72 engines built.13one source
How to spot a 1969
What tells it apart from a 1968.
A sharper grille
The grille has a sharper V, and the headlamps sit deep in it.5one source
Sculptured sides
The smooth sides of 1967–68 give way to a feature line, with simulated air slots ahead of the rear wheels.2one source
Rally Sport headlamp doors
On the RS the concealed headlamps hide behind doors with three slots.2one source
Production1one source
243,085 cars, by body.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Coupe | 6-cylinder | 34,541 |
| V8 | 190,971 | |
| All coupes | 225,512 | |
| Convertible | 6-cylinder | 1,707 |
| V8 | 15,866 | |
| All convertibles | 17,573 | |
| Total | 243,085 | |
Rows from Chevrolet's production records as printed by the Camaro Research Group; the 1969 model year ran on to November 1969. Other totals exist; see the ruling.
Engines126
11 engines. The code is Chevrolet's regular production option (RPO) code.
Codes are Chevrolet's Regular Production Option (RPO) codes. A Camaro VIN does not carry an engine code: its third digit only says six or V8. The COPO 427s of 1969 (L72 and ZL1) were special orders, not RPOs; see the COPO page.
Price when new1one source
Base retail prices in 1969 dollars, before options.
Prices at the start of the model year. The 1969 list rose in January 1969, when head restraints became standard, and again in September 1969.
Colors7one source
18 factory colors, by share of production8one source. The color names are confirmed by two sources27; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
LeMans Blue71
Frost Green59
Fathom Green57
Hugger Orange72
Dover White50
Garnet Red52
Daytona Yellow76
Olympic Gold65
Cortez Silver69
Rallye Green79
Glacier Blue53
Dusk Blue51
Azure Turquoise55
Burnished Brown61
Burgundy67
Butternut Yellow40
Tuxedo Black10
Champagne63
No source we have gives the number of cars per color, so the counts are left empty. Usage shares printed by the Camaro Research Group are listed instead: LeMans Blue (12.4 percent) and Frost Green (11.4) lead. The 1969 shares run only to September 1969 and leave out the rest of the extended run, about 13 percent of 1969 production. The Camaro Research Group and Over-Drive list the same 18 colors and codes.
Reading the VIN79one source
A 1969 VIN has 13 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
124379N5060707one source · The Camaro Research Group's example: a 1969 V8 coupe from Norwood.
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Camaro |
| 3 · 4 | Engine: six-cylinder · V8 |
| 37 · 67 | Body: coupe · convertible |
| 9 | Model year (1969) |
| N · L | Plant: Norwood · Los Angeles (Van Nuys) |
| 500001 → | Consecutive unit number at each plant |
Where to find it: On a plate on the upper dash, driver's side, visible through the windshield. From August 1969 the full VIN was also on a sticker on the driver's door.7one source
Questions about the 1969
How many 1969 Chevrolet Camaros were made?
243,085 by the count we use: 225,512 coupes, 17,573 convertibles. The sources disagree on the total; the ruling on this page explains which figure we show and why.1sources disagree
How can you tell a 1969 Camaro from a 1968?
Four signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: new sheet metal; a sharper grille; sculptured sides; Rally Sport headlamp doors.25
What engines did the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro have?
Eleven engines, from the 230 cu in inline-six to the 396 cu in V8. The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.126
How much did a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: Coupe, 6-cylinder $2,621; Coupe, V8 $2,726; Convertible, 6-cylinder $2,835; Convertible, V8 $2,940.1one source
What colors did the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro come in?
Camaro Research Group lists 18 factory colors. The most common was LeMans Blue, on 12.4 percent of production.78one source
Where is the VIN on a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro?
On a plate on the upper dash, driver's side, visible through the windshield. From August 1969 the full VIN was also on a sticker on the driver's door.7one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1969, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Open
1969 Camaro production
Our ruling: Unresolved. We show 243,085 because Chevrolet's records, as printed by the Camaro Research Group, add up to it row by row. A 1967–77 production table reprinted in GM Heritage's 1969 information kit gives 243,095, and Over-Drive's 214,280 coupes and 16,519 convertibles add up to neither. No second source settles it.
What each source says (3)
- Rows adding to 243,085: 225,512 coupes and 17,573 convertibles (Chevrolet's records)14one source
- A 1967–77 production table giving 243,095 for 1969, marked «Includes 1970 carryover of 1969 design»10one source
- 214,280 coupes and 16,519 convertibles2one source
Open
How many 1969 Z/28s were built
Our ruling: Unresolved: 20,302 or 19,014. Both the Camaro Research Group's figure and the 1967–77 table say they include the extension into November 1969, so the gap is unexplained. We show 20,302 with this ruling.
What each source says (3)
- «Z28 production for 1969 (with the Camaro model year extended into November 1969) reached 20,302 units»; the option sheet gives the same 20,30219one source
- 19,014 in a 1967–77 production table whose 1969 row is marked «Includes 1970 carryover of 1969 design»10one source
- «19,014 sold»2one source
Settled
The ZL1's horsepower
Our ruling: We use 430 hp, the rating in the AMA specifications filed for COPO 9560. Over-Drive's engine list gives 500; Chevrolet never released a figure for the engine as installed, so we show the rating.
What each source says (3)
- «The AMA specifications filed for COPO 9560 listed horsepower at 430»3one source
- Rated at 430 hp5one source
- «427 CID V8 500 HP ZL1» in its engine list2one source
Sources
- 1967-69 Chevrolet Camaro Regular Production Options (RPOs) with Official Chevrolet Production Totals and Dealer Pricing Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Fact Sheet Over-Drive Magazine · read 2026-10-11
- CRG Research Report: COPO 427 Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- Camaro FAQ: General Info Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- Chevrolet Camaro (first generation) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-11
- 1969 Camaro V8 Visible Differences Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- Camaro FAQ: Numbers Decode (VIN, cowl tag, paint codes) Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- Camaro FAQ: Exterior (incl. color percentages) Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- Camaro FAQ: Z28 Camaro Research Group · read 2026-10-11
- 1969 Chevrolet Camaro – Vehicle Information Kit General Motors (GM Heritage Archive) · read 2026-10-11
Keep going
Three more years.
See the whole first generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1967–1969.