Berger Chevy #3 ZL1

[Berger L-72]

I've always wondered how Berger got the #3 car. Gibb ordered the first 50 cars,correct?

[William]

Well, not exactly.

The #3 ZL1 [N608193] has body number 211785. The Gibb ZL1s were 222001-222049 & 240022. That makes #3 the first ZL1 ordered. In an interview in one of the mags years ago, someone at Berger had a bud at Central Office and learned of the COPOs. Berger initially placed orders for 2 9561 COPOs, 211785 & 211786. Sometime later, 211785 was changed to COPO 9560.

211786 still exists as N608586 L72 4-speed 72 B 711.

Working with some people that are researching the ZL1 engine story. They have amassed many internal docs from Chevy. The ZL1 Camaro project appears to have been in the works prior to Fred Gibbs' involvement.

[mockingbird812]

Originally Posted by Berger L-72

I've always wondered how Berger got the #3 car. Gibb ordered the first 50 cars,correct?

Short answer: Gibb couldn’t sell all the ones they got initially (@$7K a pop!!). So they were redistributed to other dealers?

[RALLY]

Originally Posted by mockingbird812

Short answer: Gibb couldn’t sell all the ones they got initially (@$7K a pop!!). So they were redistributed to other dealers?

This is what i read too. Other dealers picked them up.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I thought a large amount actually went back to Norwood, and were redistributed from there. Gibb may have dealer x'fered a bunch as well.

[William]

Gibbs cars had an msrp of over $7,300. In current dollars, would anyone pay $88,000 for a 2020 Camaro? No idea why Chevy thought they would sell.

Said it many times: they should have been L88 Camaros. Just as fast and much cheaper.

Yes, most of the Gibb ZL1s were sold by other dealerships. Imagine getting a bill from GMAC in 1969 for $275,000. He would have been bankrupt if Chevy didn't agree to take them back. Even those dealerships had problems selling them. Chevy should never have allowed other dealerships to order them. All they needed to qualify as production was 50 cars. By April, there were maybe 40 ZL1s rotting on the lot at Gibbs. Yet Huffmans Chev in Farmington, IL [65 miles from Gibb] ordered two more, orange and silver 4-speeds. Just like many of the cars at Gibbs.

The L72 cars weren't much better. Yenko stated in the famous MCR interview that they had a similar experience with the L72 cars, albeit for a different reason-insurance. It was darn near impossible to insure any musclecar starting in '69. They quickly became near worthless in trade. I recall seeing a Superbird for sale in the '70s; $995 obo. It was that bad. Then the oil embargo hit and it got worse.

[Mr70]

Originally Posted by William

.. By April, there were maybe 40 ZL1s rotting on the lot at Gibbs.

Is there a group photo somewhere of all these @ Gibbs place that was taken back then?

[Berger L-72]

I've read about some of the Gibb cars being taken back and sold by other dealers,but figured #3 was too early of build to have done that.
William, you answered another question of mine on body numbers. The Berger 9561 I owned is body number 206xxx,as were the rest of the early order I've seen. Can I assume Berger was in very early on on the 9561 cars also?

[William]

Don't know of a Gibb ZL1 group photo. Would have been impressive but all 50 were never there at the same time.

Berger was definitely one of but not the first. Emmert Chev also had a hook at Central Office and is supposed to have ordered 20 L72 COPOs. Several were RS, some special paint. 4 still around. Earliest is N591194, built on or about Feb 4 a month prior to the first Berger COPO.

I'm aware of the Courtesy COPO N578203 but it remains controversial.

[Berger L-72]

William,any idea how Gibb reacted when Berger got the #3 car and can you say what was the possible issue with the Courtesy COPO?