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General Motors will auction off the first 2015 COPO Camaro race car and first 2016 Cadillac CT6 to raise money for a couple of charitable causes.

The COPO Camaro will be sold at auction at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction, with 100 percent of the winning bid going to the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans. The CT6 will be sold at the same auction, with the winning bid benefiting the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

You can read the official press releases below for full information.

DETROIT, MI – Chevrolet is selling the first 2015 COPO Camaro race car to raise money for Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, which helps wounded veterans participate in marathons and share their success within a supportive community including their families.

The hand-built car carries serial number 2015COPO001. It will be sold on Saturday, April 18, at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction, with 100 percent of the winning bid going to Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans, a non-profit organization that helps disabled athletes, including veterans, gain access to races, equipment, and training dedicated to improve their physical abilities.

“This sale gives the highest bidder the opportunity to buy the first of only 69 factory-assembled 2015 COPO Camaro race cars, the final year of the fifth-generation Camaro,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Chevrolet is excited to offer this milestone Camaro to help a very worthy organization.”

Chevrolet introduced 2015 COPO Camaro No. 001 last fall at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it has been featured in Chevrolet Performance advertising and other marketing initiatives. Its distinctive look includes an Abalone White exterior with matte gray and orange accents, and bold “15” graphics. Power comes from a 350-cubic-inch LSX-based racing engine topped with a Whipple 2.9L supercharger, which is NHRA-rated at 555 horsepower. The engine is backed by a three-speed automatic racing transmission – a powertrain combination good for reaching a quarter mile in the mid-eight seconds.

Each COPO Camaro is built by hand starting with production hardware, including the same body in white used for production models. They’re designed to dominate NHRA Stock Eliminator drag racing. The COPO Camaro takes its name and production quota from Central Office Production Order, a process used in the 1960s for fleet managers to order unusual combinations of options.

The COPO Camaro race car is fitted with an NHRA-approved roll cage and other safety equipment, along with racing chassis and suspension components – including a unique solid rear axle system in place of a regular-production Camaro’s independent rear axle.

COPO serial number 001, lot number 3003, will go across the block at approximately 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 19, 2015. Watch live coverage on Velocity Channel. 

About Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans

A non-profit organization, with chapters and members in more 65 locations around the world, Achilles provides athletes with disabilities with support. Within this community, program participants gain measurable physical strength and build confidence. The Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans was created as an extension of the Achilles process – adapted to the specific needs of wounded members of the U.S. military. Program participants receive training and use of specialized adaptive devices, such as hand-crank wheelchairs with a goal to participate in mainstream marathons. Over the years, Achilles has also developed programs specifically for children.

DETROIT, MI– The first new retail production 2016 Cadillac CT6 will be auctioned Friday evening to benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. The Barrett-Jackson auction house will present the CT6 during its 13th Annual Palm Beach Auction in Palm Beach, Fla.

The auction extends General Motors’ long-standing support of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country.

All proceeds from the CT6 auction will support the expansion of Karmanos’ Intensive Care Unit and develop a 24-hour Acute Care Clinic to support the continuum of specialized care for Karmanos patients.

GM Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy Bob Ferguson and his wife, Debra, will chair the Annual Dinner on Saturday, April 25, at the GM Design Dome in Warren, Mich. This is the fifth consecutive year that a member of GM senior leadership has chaired the event. 

The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is an entirely new approach to the prestige luxury sedan. Thanks to advances in vehicle construction, the CT6 offers the luxury, stature, and spaciousness appropriate for a top-of-the-range sedan, combined with the driving dynamics and efficiency of a car a class smaller. The 2016 Cadillac CT6 will come with three power-dense engines, all mated to eight-speed automatic transmissions.

“General Motors has a long history of giving back to the communities in which we live and work,” said Ferguson. “We are thrilled to continue that tradition by donating our time, funds and assets to support the Karmanos Cancer Institute’s world renowned patient care and research.” 

Earlier this year, the GM Foundation donated $500,000 to directly support cancer research at Karmanos. To recognize the combined philanthropic contributions of GM and the GM Foundation over the years, the Karmanos Cancer Institute named one of its laboratory floors the GM Foundation Cancer Research Floor.

“We are extremely grateful for our long-standing partnership with GM and the GM Foundation whose philanthropic contributions continue to support our mission to do all we can to end cancer,” said Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. “GM is constantly perfecting and advancing its vehicle engineering, as shown in the exciting Cadillac CT6. So too is our team of expert oncologists and researchers relentless in their commitment to advance discoveries that can lead to new treatments for those battling cancer.

“Together, our two Detroit-based institutions’ innovations are improving lives for the better, right here in our hometown and across the globe.”

The Palm Beach Collector Car Auction will accept online bids at www.barrett-jackson.com. To register, call 480-421-6694 or email bidders@barrett-jackson.com.   Barrett-Jackson is waiving all buyer and seller fees for the CT6 charity auction.

The winning bidder will receive a letter of authenticity, the choice of color of his or her 2016 Cadillac CT6, and personal delivery by Ed Welburn, vice president of Global Design, at the GM Design studio in Warren.

For more information about the 33rd Annual Dinner, contact Lisa at 313-576-8106 or laurinl@karmanos.org.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care, is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Karmanos is among the nation’s best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute’s president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.

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Author: David Fuller

David Fuller is OnAllCylinders' managing editor. During his 20-year career in the auto industry, he has covered a variety of races, shows, and industry events and has authored articles for multiple magazines. He has also partnered with mainstream and trade publications on a wide range of editorial projects. In 2012, he helped establish OnAllCylinders, where he enjoys covering all facets of hot rodding and racing.