While corporate giant General Motors enacted a company-wide anti-racing policy in 1963, its Chevrolet division quietly continued developing and offering a fast-growing array of parts and options resulting in some of the most fearsome high-performance cars to ever roll off an assembly line. Instrumental in that process was Chevrolet’s COPO (Corporate Office Production Order) system, normally used to facilitate large fleet-vehicle orders including police, taxi and governmental fleets. However, the COPO system was also utilized for small batch orders of special vehicles for company use, show duty, dealer conversions or competition. This very special 1967 Corvette is another fruit of Chevrolet’s flexible COPO system, featuring a normally unavailable COPO color combination of Elkhart Blue paint with a Saddle Tan interior. In 1967, Elkhart Blue Corvettes were only available with a black or Teal Blue interior, and this car was built through the COPO program with a Saddle Tan interior. It also sports a rare option combination including a 427/390 HP big-block V-8, automatic transmission and factory air conditioning. Documented ownership history since new confirms this Corvette was special ordered on October 15, 1966, by Betty J. Eckhart at Watson Chevrolet in Williamston, Michigan. Eckhart waited nearly four months until her Corvette was finally delivered on February 3, 1967. She retained the car up to 1985, when she sold it to Joe Tierney of Haslett, Michigan, who owned the car for only a couple of months before selling it to William Acheson of Lansing, Michigan. Acheson commissioned a frame-off restoration using factory-correct Elkhart Blue lacquer paint while retaining the original Saddle Tan interior that sets this COPO Corvette apart from the rest. In 2005, Acheson sold the car to Tom Dellamalva of Moosic, Pennsylvania, and it was acquired by the current owner in 2013. Highlights include the matching-numbers 427/390 HP big- block V-8 engine, Powerglide automatic transmission, factory air conditioning, the transistorized ignition, a Delco-Remy 61-amp alternator, an AM/FM radio, tinted glass, power steering and Rally wheels with redline tires. Decorated with Bloomington Gold certification and NCRS National Top Flight honors, this Corvette rarity features excellent documentation including the original Corvette Order Copy tank sticker, window sticker, vehicle order form, sales invoice, payment receipt, Protect-O-Plate, owner’s manual and Michigan titles from 1967 and 1985, plus NCRS validation documentation for the tank and window stickers. Further confirming this incredibly rare Corvette’s special status, the Trim Tag shows the rarely seen special Paint Code 001AA and Trim Code 420, denoting Saddle vinyl upholstery, and the tank sticker reveals COPO Code S285A, the 001AA Paint Code and, at the bottom, the notation “Betty Elkhart” (Eckhart). A rare and unique midyear Corvette, this COPO example celebrates the individuality Chevrolet could offer its most discerning and committed buyers.
