Yenko is mostly famous for beefed-up Chevrolet Camaros fitted with 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 mills purchased through the COPO program, but the Pennsylvania dealership actually started customizing cars with the rear-engined Corvair. You might remember it as the Yenko Stinger.
Impressed with the second-gen Corvair's handling, Don Yenko decided to turn it into a race car and apply for SCCA homologation. Yenko went with the range-topping Corsa trim, the only Corvair available with the 180-horsepower, turbocharged flat-six.
On top of removing the back seats, which was enough to certify the Corvair as a sports car back then, Yenko also stiffened the suspension and added a Cadillac dual master-cylinder for enhanced stopping power. To homologate the car for competition, Yenko built 100 road-legal Stingers for the 1966 model year.
The dealership offered four different stages of tune for the engine, with output ranging from 160 to 240 horsepower. The SCCA required that all American race cars were finished in white with blue stripes, but it turns out that one 1966 Yenko Stinger got a unique red with white stripes livery.
How did that happen? Well, apparently one Stinger was ordered by a Canadian fellow who wanted to race it in the SCCA series. And because Canadian cars were required to sport red and white liveries, this one came out unique. And it's pretty much the rarest Stinger ever built for 1966.
Showcased at the latest Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, this Yenko Stinger has been with the same owner for about 22 years. The car is no longer 100% original as it's been repainted (in the correct color) and had its seats replaced, but everything else is like it was when the Stinger left the Yenko shop in 1965. And amazingly enough, it still has the original Cadillac master-cylinder.
As far as performance goes, this is a Stage III car, the second-most powerful package that Yenko offered at the time. Thanks to a compression ratio of 10.5:1, ported cylinder heads, forged pistons, and a high-performance distributor, the 164-cubic-inch (2.7-liter) air-cooled flat-six generated 220 horsepower when new. And apparently, this Stinger still has what it takes to rev like a proper race car.
When Chevrolet stopped making the Corsa trim for 1967, Yenko switched to the Monza. However, he built significantly fewer Stingers that year. Only 25 Corvairs were ordered and turned into Stingers: 11 finished in Marina Blue and 14 in Bolero Red.
Yes, the Stinger you see here isn't the only red one ever built, but it's the only one in this color sold in 1966. Hit play for a full walkaround and a "taste" of its beefed-up flat-six mill.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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