A Regular Production Option (RPO) is a

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

standard coding for vehicle configuration options and began in 1970. These codes are a combination of 3 alphanumeric characters and refer to a specific option or modification to the vehicle including the paint color. Thus the specific configuration of a vehicle as it exits the factory can be described by specifying the base model and the complete list of RPO codes. Even a vehicle with no extra-cost options will have some RPOs, as information like the engine type and exterior paint color are always specified. Chevrolet Silverado LT Z71 2011 (9571242343)

Chevrolet Silverado LT Z71 2011 (9571242343)

Many RPO codes have been reused over the years. For example, the ZR1 performance option was available for the

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for the 1970, 1990 through 1995, 2009, and 2019 model years. In some cases (such as this), the RPO specifies a package with similar function (in this case performance) to previous uses of the code. For RPOs that never became notable the code may be reused for entirely dissimilar options. In 2018, the RPO Sticker was replaced by a

QR code A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about th ...

located on the

B pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door s ...

(driver's side, between front and rear doors). While fairly complete it does not contain every RPO that is on the vehicle.

RPO codes as model names

A few RPO codes have become notable enough that they have been used as model names. The Camaro Z28 name came from an option code which specified a performance-oriented configuration. This happened again with the Corvette Z06 models. However most RPO codes that are promoted to model names are appearance packages only, and are not related to speed or engine performance. For example, in the 1980s you could order a Z28 Camaro with a 2.5 liter engine, although this was rare. Another misconception is related to the Z71 off-road suspension code for trucks: It became notable enough that the code was promoted to a package name, turned into a logo and applied as stickers onto the rear quarter body panel; but again it is not related to the

drivetrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...

. And although it usually came with

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

, you could actually order a

two-wheel drive Two-wheel-drive (2WD) denotes Motor vehicle, vehicles with a Powertrain, drivetrain that allows two wheels to be driven, and receive Engine power, power and torque from the engine, simultaneously. Four-wheeled vehicles For four-wheeled vehicles ( ...

Z71.

Notable RPO codes

* L78: big block V8 engine by Chevrolet * 9C1: Chevrolet police package *Z71: Truck Sports Package *

References

{{reflist General Motors vehicles General Motors Regular Production Option