The Yenko Super Camaro was a modified Chevrolet Camaro prepared by Yenko
Chevrolet, under the personal supervision of Don Yenko. The originals
were all first-generation Camaros. When the Camaro debuted, a General Motors
corporate edict prevented it from carrying an engine larger than 400 in³
V8; this put the Camaro at a serious disadvantage to the Ford Mustang,
Plymouth Barracuda and the Dodge Dart since neither Ford nor Plymouth/Dodge
had such a limit. Don Yenko, however, knew there was a market for an ultra
powerful Camaro and found ways around the GM limit.
1967 Yenko ordered L-78 equipped SS Camaros
and swapped in the Chevrolet Corvette's L-72 427 in³ V8. The cars came with a
4.10 rear end and heavy-duty suspension. The exact number of cars produced is
104. Yenko also installed a fiberglass replacement hood similar to the
"Stinger" hood featured on 1967 big-block Corvettes.
Don Yenko's Camaros were equipped with a 427ci L-72 in them with either an M21 or
M22 transmission. The horsepower was rated at 450 hp. Yenko Camaros were not
allowed to race for Chevrolet on the drag strip because they were not made by
Chevrolet. Chevy's answer to this was the COPO Camaro, or Central Office
Production Order, in 1969. The COPO Camaros were equipped with the same
427ci engine and were allowed to race for Chevy.
1968 Encouraged by the success of the 1967
model, Yenko continued to produce his Yenko Super Camaro's for 1968. All of
the 1968 Yenko Super Camaro's started life with the L78 396 ci 375hp engine
and close ratio 4 speed Muncie transmission. They were all built as
Super Sport cars but only the Yenko ordered cars came with the 9737 COPO
appointments which included; 140 mph Delco speedometer, special Magic Mirror
trim tag and large 1 1/8th inch front sway-bar. Yenko then swapped the factory
396 ci short-block for the L72 427 ci 450hp short-block reusing all of the
rest of the 396 engines components including the heads, carburetor, intake
manifold etc...He then swapped out the stock hood for a twin snorkel fiberglass
one he had made along with other features including Pontiac 14x6 steel
wheels with special Yenko caps, Yenko emblems gracing the front grill, front
fenders and tail panel, 427 emblems were added to the tail panel and front
fenders as well. Other additions were a Yenko Super Camaro serial numbered tag
in the drivers side door jamb, Stewart Warner pedestal mounted tachometer and
gauges were installed in the interior, early cars got a rear spoiler made for
Yenko and later cars all got the factory spoilers front and rear. The recognized
production number for these cars is aprox 64 cars converted, with well less
than half of that number known to exist today.
1969 For 1969, the dealership worked with
Chevrolet to have the L-72 engines installed on the factory assembly line
using a Central Office Production Order, or COPO. The orders included power disc
brakes, a 4.10 Positraction rear end with heat treated axle shafts,, a Z-28
front anti-sway bar, and a heavy-duty 4-core radiator. Buyers of the car had
the option of either the M-21 four speed or the Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic
transmission. A total of 201 cars were sold in 1969, 171 with four speed
transmissions and 30 with automatic transmissions. Yenko rounded out the
visual package with front and rear spoilers, a cowl-induction hood, special
"Yenko 427" badges, twin stripes down the flanks and hood,, and the sYc
badge,. According to the Camaro Research Group, standard black interior was the
only interior ordered by Yenko. As of September 2008, there are two
known automatic transmission 1969 Yenko Camaros remaining, according to an ESPN
auction show. On Jan. 17, 2009, a documented ZL-1
COPO, dark green, re-bodied, went for $290,000 at the Barret Jackson Auto
Auction as Lot 12773. "Mr. October," Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
Reggie Jackson, was bidding on this car but didn't win it. Another yellow with
black stripes, original body but non-original heads, and auto
transmission, sold for $270,000. Auctioned as Lot 96651.
The last five digits on the V.I.N. denote the lot numbers assigned for live
sale through Barrett-Jackson auctions. 1981
The 1981 Yenko Turbo Z, as it was known, was based on a 1981 Camaro. Don Yenko's
comments on the car are: 1969 Continuation Series
Recently a company out of North Carolina called Classic Automotive Restoration
Specialists has restarted production of the '69 Yenko Camaro. Don Yenko sold 201
of his famous COPO-program Camaros out of his Canonsburg, PA dealership. As
reported in the March '08 issue of Muscle Car Review the vehicle is a fully
licensed and certified Yenko starting at #202. The 427 engine under the hood was
built by GM who has brought back the big block engines from the muscle car era.
The rest of the components took 2½ years to track down the original machinery.
Options offered on the vehicle are the same as was available back in 1969
including paint colors. The car costs around 60% less than some of the current
43-year-old Yenko Camaro survivors but drives like an old car would have when
it was new off the dealership. Two known people own yenkos Camaros.
2010 A new Yenko Camaro based on the new 2010
Camaro platform was introduced at SEMA 2009. The new engine is a supercharged
version of GM's LS3, the 6.2-liter V8 that comes standard with the Camaro SS.
Since it is only the Phase I Yenko, it is expected that Phase II and Phase III
Yenkos are coming which will have a Z06-sourced LS7 427 engine and possibly
even an LS9. See also
Yenko Chevrolet Don Yenko
References External links
Yenko.net Yenko at FirstGenCamaro.com