Ultra-Rare 1968 Yenko Camaro Is One of Just 11 Built
Rare and special in every regard, this 1968 Yenko Camaro is going to rake in big bucks when it hits the auction block next month.
In the muscle car world, few names have the sort of brand recognition that Yenko enjoys – a moniker that adorned some of the coolest, enhanced Bow Tie products to ever roam the earth. Don Yenko – the famed Chevy dealer and racer – saw a void in the market that existed because GM didn’t quite build and sell super high-performance Camaros in the car’s early years, and filled that gap by fitting 427 cubic-inch V8s into L78-equipped cars that came straight from the factory, then sold them to the public as “Super Camaros.” Not many of these cars were built in total, as one might imagine. In fact, this 1968 Yenko Camaro set to cross the block at Mecum’s Glendale, Arizona auction next month is one of just 11 built.
Amazingly, this 1968 Yenko Camaro has remained with the same owner for the last 42 years, but now, it’s going up for grabs as a truly special offering that’s virtually guaranteed to stir up a bidding frenzy when it hits the auction block in a few weeks. It’s a legitimate Yenko Super Camaro, which makes it special enough, but among the 64 units built in this particular model year, it’s one of just 11 in RS/SS trim – making it extra special.
This particular Yenko Camaro started life as an SS396 car that was built by Yenko via a Chevrolet special order process through his Canonsburg, Pennsylvania facility. That process included removing the original engine and replacing it with an L72 427/425 horsepower V8, which was rebuilt by by noted drag racing veteran “Akron” Arlen Vanke, who also refreshed the car’s M22 close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission, which sends power back to a 12-bolt Positraction rear end fitted with 4.88 gears.
Underneath, Yenko gave the Super Camaro a 1 1/16-inch sway bar and front disc brakes, but otherwise, this was a purpose-built street machine in every regard. From the outside, that much was abundantly clear by the car’s Yenko badging and functional Ram-Air styled fiberglass hood with hood pins, while the factory Matador Red has been resprayed in recent years.
Given its rarity, condition, and loads of documentation that’s included with the sale, it’s safe to say that this 1968 Yenko Camaro is going to give someone the rare opportunity to own a very special piece of muscle car history, albeit for a price.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
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