Dick Harrell medallions

[bkhpah]

Let's try this new forum with some information I learned from a former Yenko service manager. He told me that in 1971 Yenko's lawyers wrote Harrell a letter to cease using the Yenko stlye crests on his cars. I guess Yenko felt that the crests were to close in design. I am not aware of any other dealers in that era that used a similar design...BKH

[68l30]

Didn't Courtesy Chevrolet use the same type of logo on some of the Harrell drag cars?Maybe this was part of the Harrell suit?

Steve

Isn't Harrell the one credited with designing the crest which he as well as Gibb and Yenko used, first on their Race Cars and then ultimately on their Super Cars?

[bkhpah]

I was only refering to metal medallion used on the cars. I have seen the other dealerships like Gibb, and Courtesy use the logo, but not install a emblem like the Yenko crest. Funny Yenko would try and have Harrell stop a small item like that. You would think they were friends...BKH

[JoeC]

Everything I read about Dick H indicates that he was well liked but he did seem to jump from one hi po dealer to another for some reason. He was with Nickey in early 67, then Yenko late 67, then jumped to Fred Gibb in 69, then Courtesy?

[68TopStock]

Joe,

This is a great topic. If you dont' mind I would like to fill in some blanks about what I know of Dick Harrells dealer related efforts. Dick started with Fred Gibb in the fall of 1967. I don't know, but I bet he left Nickey after deciding to open his own shop. I am not sure if Dick lived in Chicago, or was just an "advisor". (maybe this was what is now call a "consultant" in the business framework) I think he worked with Don Yenko only for sponsorship, and maybe this helped him set up his first shop in East St. Louis during the summer of 1967.

Once he set up his own performance shop, he then maintained a permanent sponsorship from both Fred Gibb, and Ed Fitzgerald, owner of the Courtesy Chevrolet, based in Phoenix. Ed had at least 3 "Courtesy" dealerships in CA; San Diego (still there), Thousand Oaks (still there) and Santa Paula (now Ventura-Paradise Buick).

He visited the Phoenix location monthly during the time from the 1968 season till his death, according to a current employee of Courtesy in AZ. Fred, as we know, helped Dick every way possible as both a sponsor and friend, from when they first met in East St. Louis during the summer of 1967 until his untimely death in 1971. Helen Gibb has clearly stated and told me directly that Dick's association with Fred gave the Fred Gibb dealership the fame and notoriety that has lasted all these years. She recently said that Dick Harrell was the reason Fred and the dealership rose to the top. It also probably didn't hurt that Fred was personal friends with Ed Cole, who was the CEO of General Motors during this era.

At one time I thought Dick must have been sent around by the GM performance group to see that these front line dealers where given the most up to date technical assistance, but now have come to the conclusion that being in the right place at the right time was more like it. Herb Fox met Dick during the summer of 1967 when he got lost going to a baseball game. He just had to get Fred down there to meet this guy!

Does anyone else care to join in with more info. about Dick's relationships with dealers or GM?

[JoeC]

Interesting info Ken. I don't have that much on Dick H but I have seen pictures of him in old magazine articles in the Bill Thomas shop, the Nickey Dealership, the Yenko Dealership, and with Fred Gibb (your pictures). Since he was one of the top drag races at that time, I guess it was a good promotional tool to have a picture with him and use his name. Dick's daughter did say (at SuperCar Reunion) that she remembered living in CA for a while and thought that her dad worked for/with Bill Thomas at that time. One article on the 67 Nickey 427 Camaro interviews Dick and calls him the "High Performance Manger" at Nickey. This gives the impression that he was working there at Nickey at least in early 67.

[Stefano]

I thought that Dick Harrell was Nicky's Service Manager. This would be the head of the Dealership Service Department.

While I do no know if this info is acurate, I have been told that Dick Moonlighted at Span Inc. Performing Yenko Conversions after his regular job?

Maybe Tom Sefani can shed some light on the subject at the Reunion.

[68TopStock]

Stefano,

Dick moonlighting at Span Inc.? That is interesting! There are so many gaps in what Dick did in everyday life, only his racing efforts were written about in the period mags. If Dick did some of the '67 Yenko transplants, it will just make them even more special than they already are. Do you have any more information about Span, Inc., such as when the first cars were delivered in 1967?

[Stefano]

The detailed topic of Dick Harrell and Span, Inc. are beyond my scope knowledge.

My Occupation allows me to frequently interface with Auto Dealership personel.

Some of the benefits are that I get to meet some very interesting people, who are sometimes willing to share some very interesting stories.

I have heard the Span/Nicky/Harrell/Yenko story from more than one source and was hoping to find out more about it.

I believe that there is a very direct and immediate relationship between all these Super Car Dealers and that Dick Harrell was the direct catalyst for their initial involvement.

[JoeC]

From what I have read about Span Inc., it was just James Spencer, a one man marketing company. He sold the Yenko Stinger (Corvair) and imported race cars. In 1966 he raced his own Yenko Stinger with Dana Chevrolet as a sponsor. In 1967 to 1970 he worked on Yenko sales by traveling around the country building the Yenko Dealer Network. I recently got a tip about a connection with Yenko and Dana (67-68) and am trying to get more info on it.

[Stefano]

RE:Muscle Car Review April/May 1995

If any Yenko/COPO enthusiast does not have this issue, then you may want to look into finding one. I had loaned mine out long ago and have only recently become reaquainted with the issue.

I had forgotten all of the great info. and Super Cars included within its pages.

There is a picture on page 46 of Dick Harrell, a 1967 RS/SS and the 1967 Camaro Funny Car sponsored by the "Super Camaro Dealers".

The caption reads,"Dickie Harrell, posing with the 1967 Camaro funny car sponsored by the Yenko Camaro Super Dealers,is credited with designing the first Yenko Camaro. On the wall is a poster reading, "See the Yenko Super Camaro.450, 427 cubic inch. The Boss of the Road."

Does anyone know which dealership the picture was taken at?

It seems that this Dealer (not the media) was one of the first to coin the term Super Camaros.

Most of the pictures are from Greg Rager's collection including the circa 1965 Transporter with 6 Yenkos aboard, 4 Chevelles and two Camaros.

[bkhpah]

The picture is at Yenko Canonsburg. The building looks pretty much the same today...BKH

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Stefano;
Trivia question: What is the significance of the '450' on that poster in the Yenko Chev. showroom in '67?

It's been a few years since I visited the old building, but it still looked the same. The radioactive signs were still on the fence surrounding the industrial park where the actual conversions were done. The little stream is still flowing out back where Donna Mae told me guys would row down the stream and run up the bank to steal parts off the cars. Their armed guard was found sleeping across the street on the hill behind the Dairy Queen.
M

[Stefano]

Marlin,
I assumed it was for the 450 horsepower rating Don and his Dyno bestowed upon the 427 L-72s. But now I think it might be a trick question.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Stefano;
That is true, but what was the irony about the '450' on the '67 Yenko cars?
/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
M

[JoeC]

The 450 HP came about because the L78 was rated 425hp and the L72 was 450hp but then changed to 425hp. They just used the higher number because it sounds better. NHRA rated the L72 at 450hp also.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

JoeC;
That is also true.
My ironic thought was in regard to the fact that the advertising of 450 really only applied to the '67 427 Yenko Camaro's with a 4speed. The '67's were also available with the a/t, but were hydraulic cammed and therefore only rated at 410 horsepower. No mention on that board of the Super Camaro 410 /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif

However, it is referred to as the Super Camaro / 410 on the Span Inc. brochure. I believe this is the only hydraulic cammed super car from Yenko.
M

[Stefano]

Marlin,
Didn't know that about the automatic Yenkos. I wasn't aware that the L72 was even available with the Hyd. lifters in 1967.
I do know that the early 1966 Corvettes with the L72 were rated at 450 hp, which ties the LS6 for GM's highest advertised HP rating.

[bkhpah]

They used the Corvette 390 horse version in the Yenko 410....BKH