X-11 Yenkos

[bkhpah]

I just do not know how to take a Douglass Yenko. It seems strange to me. Ask yourself if you would trade an identical Canonsburg/Yenko for a Douglass/Yenko. I would rather have the Canonsburg car over the Douglass car. The 198 number does not include the other 23 cars. I cannot see the Douglass cars being worth more, or even equal. It is an interesting car, but even with Yenko's blessing on the deal, I prefer a Canonsburg invoiced car...BKH

[shor]

Are you saying you wouldn't trade your Daytona Cannonsburg for my Daytona Douglas?

[T Billigen]

This is a Canonsburg car, check Ed Cunneen's web site it is listed on there. It has the basic am radio. Does not have the original exhaust system on car. I will check with Charly again but I am positive he told me he added the endura bumper.

[bkhpah]

Yeah...BKH

[Stefano]

T Billigen's Yenko is without question one of the 198 Cannonsberg Yenkos.'ssl78'had an unrestored 01C "List" Yenko that was sold new from Douglass Chevrolet ,which had the same 'conventional' emblem placement on the tail pannel.

In fact, the original 427 emblems from his Camaro were used as some of the first templates for reproduction emblems.

Don Yenko is indeed the father of the 9737, Sports Car conversion and L-72 COPO options. He made it happen. Even the single L-72 COPO Camaros owe in major part, their existence to Don Yenko. These COPO Camaros Novas and Chevelles are not mutually exclusive and there is no need to draw a line in the sand.

It seems to me that "we" never attribute the appropriate credit to the likes of Dick Harrell, Mr. Chevrolet, who in my opinion is the Great Grand Daddy of all the Conversion and COPO Super Cars.

Fred Gibb should in my opinion be considered the Grandfather of the COPO Super Car movement.

Harrell,Gibb and Yenko's accomplishments are also not mutually exclusive.I don't mean to exclude Nickey, Dana, Berger, Thomas, and the important significant others, but my post has become a bit wordy already.

When is the last time anyone has recalled that Gibb and Yenko both used Harrell's logo templates to badge their own cars or that Harrell worked as Nickey Chevrolet's service manager and converted Yenko Camaros Moon lighting at SPAN,Inc. in Chicago.

I make this statement with only the greatest degree of respect intended to the Late Great Don Yenko. Does anyone think, that given the opportunity He would ask to see an inventory floor plan sheet prior to picking a Super Car to drive Home from the reunion.

He might prefer to try one of those Baldwin/Motion cars or test Dickie's latest toy. I certainly do not know and speculate only to make a point. Did any of the COPOs which left Yenko Chevrolet without stripes or badges become non Yenkos?

Jack Douglass COPOs exist primarily due to the efforts and ambitions of Don Yenko. Douglass was one of the first Yenko Sports Car Dealers to join Don's network.

Douglass was without question one of the leading COPO/Yenko dealers ,in the Country. These COPOs terrorized the drag strips and city steets and helped forge the Yenko/COPO legend and legacy as it exists today.

Shor, you asked how these 22 COPOs compare to the listed 198? They were dreamed up by the same person, ordered per his established method and deliverd to the ultimate consumer as the genuine article?

These 22 are in my opinion 100% authentic Yenko COPOs and it will be the options and trim level as well as unique history which will dertermine their ultimate desirability.

[T Billigen]

Very well put Stefano! Don Yenko and Dick Harrel were the driving force, but it took all the other people to make their ideas work. Back then you really never thought about things like that. These people were trying to keep Chevy on top in drag racing and make a few bucks, It is ashame they are not here to see their visions of long ago still alive and flourishing. With every new generation " The Legend Grows"

[sixtiesmuscle]

Great discussion guys. Let's not forget that Harrell, Bill Thomas, and their work with Nickey started the concept, and, made it work. Not that Yenko & Motion wouldn't have done it anyway, but, the Stefani brothers at Nickey took the concept to market, and, did a great job of marketing these conversion cars before anyone else.
As far as who was the first or the best, however, I love 'em all. Some prefer the "factory hot rod" COPO type cars, some like the dealer built conversion cars, which typically were built for more performance. They're all an important part of the Supercar legend, and, have a unique place in musclecar history.

[Rat_Pack]

I agree with Stefano and sixtiesmuscle as to who started it and then when Dick Harrell switched camps to Yenko in mid 67 then he got Yenko going on the same thing. Don just pursued it further with Chevrolet than the others.

I have been listening to the debate over the Douglas built cars compared to the Yenko built ones. Now I may open a can of worms but from discussions I have had with guys offline, most everyone is in agreement that there is no difference. They were still COPO Camaros with the 9737 option built at Norwood when they were delivered to either dealership. Who put the stripes and emblems on should not matter since Don had given permission to Jack Douglas to do the installation and sell them as such. Would this argument have occured in 69? I do not think so. This argument would be like saying which is worth more: a 427 Nickey built by Bill Thomas or one done at the dealership? To me no difference there either.

There are Yenko cars out there that would have more value in the long run over any he built: the gold magazine test car, Ed Hedricks car, any of the drag cars, Don's demo, any car with more options than the others or that has a specific history with Yenko. Just feel proud to own what you do and quit comparing which is worth more. I thought I would never see the day when an L35/M21 69 Camaro would bring over $35k (sold one this weekend) so that tells me the value is what someone is willing to give and someone is willing to take at a specific point in time. Sorry for the long post......................RatPack................

[shor]

I promised to take my kids to Jersey Freeze for ice cream tonight.(in the Camaro!)I wonder how many 69 427 Camaro's have had two childs seats strapped into the back seat!Charley, you are good at posting pictures on the site...I will take a picture tonight and email it to you and maybe you can post it!

[T Billigen]

I agree that all these cars are important, but a "yenko" is by far the most popular to Chevy fans! If you were to line up all the chevy muscle cars produced, whether it be factory or dealer built I would be willing to bet most people would point to a Yenko and say"that is the car that I would like to own"! Don Yenko did for chevy what Shelby did for ford. Just look at the value of some of those Cobras! They were the same price as a ZL1 back then but their value is around a 250K now! I know what a car is worth is not everything, but the hard fact is everyone is watching the value skyrocket and wondering when it is going to slow down. I think it will continue rise because people will hold on to the ones that they have and since there have not been new ones discovered, people that have money and want one bad enough will pay a lot of money to get one! I think some of the well documented Yenkos with a race history and low mileage originals will be catching those Cobras in the next five years. Look at the Deuces, Belk got a hefty price out of an unrestored original, just a few years ago you could get a frame-off for a lot less than he got for that car! He made a believer out of me!