1969 Yenko Camaro 427

The 1969 Yenko Chevrolet Camaro 427 was the “love child” of muscle car need and a factory's need to please.

Bow tie loyalists worship a Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, car dealer named Don Yenko as their “high-priest of performance.”  Yenko was known for driving, building, and selling dominating Chevrolets, starting in 1965 with well-crafted super Corvairs, (if you can imagine that). He advanced to installing 427-cid Corvette V-8s in '67 and '68 Camaros, performing 118 of the transplants.  These $4,200 Ponycars  ran ¼ mile times of  low 13s right off  his shop floor.

Yenko Sports Cars Inc. had dealer outlets for its cars in 19 states, and that earned the respect of Chevrolet. Dealer conversions were complicated, however, and came with only a limited engine warranty.  At Yenko's urging, Chevy agreed to factory-build a batch of 1969 Camaros with 427 engines, and to provide full 5-year/50,000-mile warranties. This was done under the Central Office Production Order system, which had previously been used to satisfy special requests from non-performance fleet buyers.

The exact amount of just how many COPO Camaros were built isn't known.  Yenko ordered 201, but other dealers could order them as well, and 500 or more were produced.  All were basically the same: They had the iron-block and head, solid-lifter L72 427, which Chevy pegged at 425 bhp but which Yenko rated a more-realistic 450; Hurst four-speed manual or dual-gate automatic; heavy-duty 4.10:1 Posi; cowl-induction hood; heavy-duty Z28 suspension with F70xl4 tires; and other go-fast goodies.  The package added about $800 to a base coupe, including $490 for the engine.

Chevy delivered the standard COPO Camaros with dog-dish hubcaps and no exterior badging; not even the engine was identified as a 427. But Yenko ordered his with 15-inch rally wheels, bigger front roll bar, and 140 mph-speedometer, then dressed them with his now famous "sYc" (Yenko Super Car) insignia and striping, and made available mags, gauges, headers, and other items that could push the price past $4,600.  Yenko Camaros turned effortless mid-13sfrom time of delivery.  Most were fitted with headers and slicks, even for street work, and in this form recorded 11.94-secomd ETs at 114 mph.  And as you’d imagine…are extremely collectible today.