Yenko Chevrolet
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive dealership, Automobile modification |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder | Frank Yenko |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Canonsburg , United States |
Key people | Don Yenko (owner from 1957 to 1982) |
| Products | Modified Chevrolet sports cars (Yenko Stinger, Yenko Camaro, Yenko Stinger Vegas) |
Yenko Chevrolet was a Chevrolet dealership situated at 575 West Pike Street in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Functioning from 1949 until 1982, this dealership gained renown in the late 1960s for its lineup of specially modified sports cars. These vehicles, now commonly referred to as "Yenkos," rank among the most sought-after collectible automobiles from that era.
History
The origins of Yenko Chevrolet trace back to 1929 when Frank Yenko established a dealership specializing in Durant automobiles. Following Durant's closure in 1932, Frank opened a Chevrolet dealership in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, in 1934. A second Chevrolet location was launched by Yenko in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1949.
In 1957, ownership transitioned to Frank’s son, Don Yenko. Renowned for his expertise in customizing Chevrolet vehicles, Don led the dealership until he sold it in 1982.
Custom Cars
In 1966, Don Yenko admired the handling capabilities of the latest Chevrolet Corvair and pursued Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) approval for the Corsa variant to participate in racing events. The SCCA granted certification for Corvair Corsas that had their rear seats removed and featured enhanced engines boosting horsepower and torque. The one hundred certified 1966 Corsas were all finished in white with most showcasing blue stripes and were dubbed "Yenko Stingers."
Yenko continued producing modified Corvair coupes as Stingers through the car’s entire production cycle. The final Stinger emerged as a 1969 model before Corvair manufacturing ended at Willow Run, Michigan. In 2011, Charlie Doerge authored a comprehensive book detailing the history of the Yenko Stinger and Don Yenko’s ventures. This publication chronicles original and subsequent owners along with extensive racing records of all produced vehicles. Jay Leno has referred to this work as "the bible for Yenko Stinger owners" in one of his videos.
When Chevrolet introduced the Camaro—a model categorized as a pony car—in 1967, Yenko transplanted Chevrolet’s powerful 427 cubic inch (7 L), 425 horsepower (317 kW) L-72 engine and other performance components into select Camaros, creating what became known as the Yenko Camaro. Due to strong demand for the 1967 and 1968 427 Camaros, Don Yenko utilized Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) system in 1969 to have L-72 engines installed directly into both Camaros and Chevelles.
Between 1971 and 1972, Yenko offered the Yenko Stinger Vegas, which were based on the Chevrolet Vega GT Hatchback. These included distinctive front and rear spoilers, Yenko Stinger side decals, and a special COPO engine equipped with alloy-plated forged aluminum pistons. The Vega’s aluminum-block 2.3 inline-four engine was turbocharged to produce 155 horsepower but required a rigorous 50,000-mile EPA certification test. Ultimately, Don Yenko chose not to incorporate turbochargers into production models. Chevrolet showed little interest in marketing a turbocharged version; neither higher-compression engine blocks requested by Yenko nor factory-installed turbos were ever manufactured. While turbochargers were not factory-installed on Stinger Vegas sold through Yenko Chevrolet up to 1972, they were available as an aftermarket option.
The combination of limited production numbers and enhanced performance features has made all Yenko-modified vehicles highly prized among collectors.
Production figures
| Year | Corvair | Vega |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 100 | Template:NA |
| 1967 | 14 | Template:NA |
| 1969 | 1 | Template:NA |
| 1971 | Template:NA | 200 |
| 1972 | Template:NA | 200 |
| 1973 | Template:NA | Template:Unk |
| Year | Camaro | Chevelle | Nova |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 54 | Template:NA | Template:NA |
| 1968 | 64 | Template:NA | Template:NA |
| 1969 | 198 | 99 | 38 |
- ↑ Label used for models from 1967 and 1968. All units from 1969 were designated Super Cars.
| Year | Nova |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 175 |
| Year | Camaro |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 19 |
See also
References
External links
- Yenko Stinger II Vega
- Yenko dealers at Yenko.net
- The 1970 Nova Yenko Deuce