Americans love cars and the people who make them so much that, unlike anywhere else in the world, some names are impossible to separate from the brands that made them great. And by some names I mean the people who became engineering icons without actually working for one of the Detroit Three.
Just think about it. When I say Carroll Shelby, what's the first thing that comes to mind? It's probably not the AC Cobra that put his name on the wall of American car engineering, but the Mustang that in some incarnations still wears the man's name.
Shelby is a true icon for Ford, one that will probably never be erased from the company's history books. And so is Don Yenko, only for rival Chevrolet.
Just like it happens with Shelby, when someone speaks the name Yenko the mind immediately flies to the Camaro the man helped bring into existence. And, just like Shelby, he did so while being not a company employee, but a partner in business.
Having raced Corvettes in his younger years, Yenko became a true Chevy enthusiast, and set up a workshop in Pennsylvania to beef up whatever vehicles the bowtie carmaker rolled off factory lines in stock form.
As said, Yenko's greatest contribution to the American automotive scene is the Yenko Camaro. In a time when Chevrolet was competing with Plymouth and Ford yet it had a strange rule of not allowing engines larger than 400ci on the Camaro, the man found a way around that.
Photo: Mecum
More specifically, he took some of the 427ci engines destined for that era's Corvette and installed them under the hood of the muscle car. This eventually ended up happening, strangely enough, with Chevy's involvement, through the Central Office Production Order (COPO).
The idea was very lucrative, and in 1967 and 1968 a total of 118 such cars were made, without COPO direct involvement. From 1969, Chevy officially jumped on board.
But this story is not about the Yenko Camaro or the Yenko COPO Camaro. Remember how I told you some names in this industry are held in high regard? Well, some of the people feeling such awe have the means to act on it. And this is how this unique 2001 Chevrolet Corvette Yenko Wildfire was born.
As the name says, it's a 2001 Chevrolet Corvette we're talking about, an example of the C5 generation of America's sports car. It was put together by a guy named Bill Rea, owner of a crew called Yenko-Wildfire. And the entire reason for this car existing is to be a tribute to Don Yenko.
The car is somewhat of a star in the world of enthusiasts. After it was put together it ended up in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. Somehow it left that place, and it's currently part of the Keith Busse Collection. It will go under the hammer at the hands of Mecum in Indianapolis on the weekend of May 20, with hopes of snatching at most $125,000.
Photo: Mecum
If you ask me, that's a bit of a low expectation, given all that Yenko has done for the industry. And not only that, but it's also a Corvette like none other out there.
Wrapped in a special take of a color known as Navy Blue Metallic, the 'Vette is a visual punch thanks to the silver and white hand-painted stripes that run on its sides and the graphics that make no secret of what its supposed to represent.
Tied to the ground by means of HRE forged alloy wheels wearing Michelin tires, the sports car is animated by a very Corvette-ish 427ci engine. It's not a stock powerplant, but one tweaked into developing 490 hp. The troop is controlled by means of a five-speed manual for the ultimate kicks.
The body of the build is supported by Hotchkis suspension, while Baer brakes are on deck for stopping power.
The interior is in light oak leather spread over the bucket seats, which are separated from each other by a lockable console. Up on the A-pillar a gauge pod has been installed, as was a Hurst shift knob of the NASCAR 50th Anniversary variety in the middle of the cockpit. All around there are Corvette logos and emblems.
The Yenko Corvette is almost undriven, with the odometer showing just close to 3,600 miles (5,800 km) of use. That's how it will attempt to sell, with very high chances whoever gets it will not add a lot more miles on top of that.
To make sure anyone understands what gem this car is, the Corvette is going complete with a Yenko Wildfire Commemorative book, the window sticker and build sheet, and a bunch of undisclosed spare parts.
We'll come back on this story after the hammer falls and let you know if someone else too believed the Corvette was worth more than $125,000.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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