Michael Accardi 
By now most of us are familiar with the COPO back door programs that allowed individuals like Don Yenko to outfit the Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro, and even the Nova with outrageous engines and purebred racing parts straight from the factory. Everyone knows about the ’69 COPO Camaros that were the basis for the now-famous Yenko Camaros of the day. However, the Yenko Super Camaro actually got its start two years earlier in 1967.
Soon after the first-ever Camaro showed up in 1967, Don Yenko went to work transplanting L72 427 cubic inch V8 engines into the engine bay of the pony car. Up for auction at Barrett-Jackson’s upcoming Scottsdale auction is a perfect example of Yenko’s early work. Bearing Yenko serial number YS-725, this 1967 Yenko Super Camaro 427/450 indicates it’s equipped with a 427 and outputs 450 horsepower.
Originally the car was built with an L78 396 ci paired with a Muncie M21 close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission, and a positraction rear axle with a 3.73 ratio. Other options included front disc brakes, a teakwood steering wheel, and painted in Deepwater Blue Poly paint. As-built from the factory the car was rare enough as one of just 1,138 built that way.
Following shipment to Yenko Chevrolet in 1967, it was upgraded to Super Camaro 450 standard for the tidy sum of just $677.27. This included replacement of the L78 in favor of the heavy duty L72 427 unit, metallic disc brakes, a heavy-duty clutch and pressure plate, plus a higher capacity cooling system, and suspension upgrades. Other mods included Traction Master traction bars, tuned headers and side-exit exhaust, a scatter shield, and special spark-plug wires.
This particular Yenko Super Camaro was completed on July 18, 1967, and was one of five shipped on July 27, 1967, to Jay Kline Chevrolet in Minneapolis. According to documents on file the car was in possession of its original owner until 1990. Over that time, the car had accrued just 17,121 miles. Somewhere along the line the car received a full restoration to showroom condition and includes a host of authenticating documents, including copies of the Yenko conversion invoice along with the original bill of sale.
It’s unclear how much this particular Yenko Super Camaro is expected to go for, but you can bet it won’t be cheap.
