1967 - 69 Yutivo Camaros, build in the Philippines

(Following info from the CRG website) Yutivo Corporation, GM Operations - Philippines

Following World War II, Yutivo Corporation became the franchised assembler and distributor for General Motors in the Philippines. Assembly operations began in 1953 at a factory located in Penafrancia Extension, Paco, Manila. Yutivo assembled both cars and trucks and had a total production capacity of 18 trucks and 15 cars per day (2 shifts). The Yutivo operation stayed in the Yutivo family until 1976, when the facility was leased (and then sold) to GM and the Yutivo family left the day-to-day operations.

Yutivo Corporation car lines, at one time or another, included:

 Chevrolet: Bel-Air 4Dr, Impala 4Dr, Malibu 2Dr/4Dr, Camaro
 Buick:     Electra 225 and Pontiac Parisienne 4 Dr. (Canadian version of the Pontiac Bonneville)
 Vauxhall:  (GM UK) Victor, VX4/90, Viva 2Dr/4Dr
 Opel:      (GM Germany) Rekord 2Dr/4Dr, Rekord Wagon 5Dr, Ascona 4Dr, Manta 2Dr, Kadett 2Dr/4Dr
 Holden:    (GM Australia) Model EH-4Dr, Wagon 5Dr, Premier 4Dr

Truck lines covered the full range of Chevrolet and Bedford trucks (pick-ups, chassis-cab, chassis-cowl, school bus and tractor models).

Yutivo Camaros

Camaros were built at Yutivo starting with initial 1966 release for the 1967 model year. Because of Philippine government restrictions on engine size, the Camaros were imported and assembled only with a special low-compression version of the US RPO L22 250ci in-line 6-cylinder engine, known as RPO L90. Except for unusual vehicles specially assembled for those with close contacts with production supervision, there was essentially no hardware variation in the Yutivo Camaro options. The only factory option Yutivo offered was choice of the standard M15 3-speed manual or the M35 2-speed automatic Powerglide transmission. C60 air-conditioning and other various options like radios were dealer installed for tax purposes.

The Yutivo family also owned the majority of the 2 dealership network: Northern Motors covering Luzon and Southern Motors for Visayas and Mindanao, see vintage ad below:

1968 Yutivo Camaro 427

"Exceptions to the standard configuration were made only for privileged staff. As an example, my older brother's '68 Camaro RS was initially assembled with a 350ci V8 rated at 350 HP (which we imported separately as spare parts), coupled with a Muncie 4-speed transmission and a 3.55 positraction rear axle. Sometime later, we dropped in a 427ci engine rated at 425HP with a Muncie HD 4-speed close-ratio tranny and a 4.88 rear axle ratio for the drags. The car was a beast painted in black with bold gold stripes painted on the hood and trunk lid. Chromed 15x8 Hurst mags with wide performance tires were installed. Actually, the car was painted to look like the Hurst Camaro (or was it Mr. Gasket?)."

"We organized everything beforehand with the help of cousin Alex who ordered all the necessary stuff (engine/transmission/suspension components/radiator and other related components/axle) thru RPO lists. He took out all the part numbers appearing in each of the RPOs we wanted straight out of the production/ordering manuals and inserted them into the ordering system. They were all sourced as production replacement parts which normally would be next to impossible to do through the spare parts department. Alex ordered everything down to the last clamp/special screws and bolts. That was how we got the special 350ci engine rated at 350HP (hydraulic valve lifters) which nobody had even seen at that time. That also included the LT1/L72 350s and 396/427s we eventually ordered."

Philippine Muscle car history guru Frank Koh of the famous Manila workshop Route 66's memory:
The 427 Yutivo Camaro did exist. In the Camaro Research Group's story on the Yutivo Camaro, Yu Beng Tek narrated how the black '68 Yutivo Coupe owned by his brother had ended up with a very potent 427 big block. The engine was special-ordered. When it arrived, the team that put the car together simply raided the Yutivo parts inventory for all the other essential heavy-duty components, and voila! A '68 Yutivo Camaro with the honest-to-goodness factory-upgraded 427 setup! That stormer of a car won its share of drag races, however, sadly, its present whereabouts are unknown"

I have also heard rumors on the 427 "COPO" (although not a factory COPO car) last year, but this guy recalled it as a 67 and he said he also knew the whereabouts of that special Yutivo.