autoevolution 13 Jan 2021, 16:54 UTC ·
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Back in the 60s and 70s, Ford wasn t the only one of Detroit s Big Three enjoying a performance hero. And while Chevrolet s Don Yenko isn t as famous as the Blue Oval s Carroll Shelby, the first certainly did a lot for the Golden Bowtie s go-fast reputation. Well, the rendering sitting before us proposes a 1990s Yenko Silverado. 6 photos
Before we zoom in on this spicy performance truck proposal, allow us to discuss the said performance business name. Don Yenko was the son of a Chevrolet dealer in Pennsylvania. After serving in the Air Force and getting a business administration degree from Penn State, he went back to his home state, establishing a Chevy performance shop and racing Corvettes in regional SCCA events.
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This Concours award-winning 1969 Chevy COPO Camaro is for sale from Legendary Motorcar Company of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada.
COPO, for the uninitiated, stands for Central Office Production Order. It was how special options not specified for a particular car could be requested. This allowed for the configuration of vehicles that would not normally exist. In many cases, a COPO was used to equip police cruisers, cabs, or other special-use vehicles. In the case of the Chevy COPO Camaros, it allowed higher performance parts to be used than were listed on the Camaro order sheet. GM had an edict that F-Body cars (Camaros and Firebirds) could not be equipped with an engine larger than 400 cubic inches. With the COPO, you could stuff that hellacious L72 427 pumping out 425 horsepower under the hood, along with a host of other high-performance goodies.
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There is a stunningly rare Yenko Camaro headed to the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee event in January 2021. Yenko Chevy of any model are exceedingly scarce, but to find one that is both a Yenko Camaro and a Double COPO car is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
So, what makes this car so special? Let’s begin with Yenko. Owned by Don Yenko, Yenko Chevrolet of Canonsburg, PA had been in the family for three generations. Mr. Yenko got his start modifying cars with the Corvair Corsa when he prepped 100 copies into Yenko Stingers for SCCA qualification. Things grew with the introduction of the Camaro in 1967.