Don Yenko’s “Showroom” 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 427
Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, PA was best known for converting Chevelles and Camaros to potent street machines utilizing Chevrolet’s COPO (Central Office Production Order) program. Through the COPO program, dealers could order certain cars with the L72 427 cubic inch engine option. Not only did Yenko build race cars, but he also raced them. He was poised to race in the 1968 24-hours of Daytona, but he found out his race car would not arrive in time. He grabbed this Rally Red L-71 off his showroom floor and converted it into this racer, which earned it the nickname “Showroom.” It can be found here on corvetteblogger.com, the car is being offered for sale by GT Motor Cars in Wallingford, Connecticut. Thanks to Larry D. for the tip on this one. Have a closer look at this piece of history.
Among the L-88 options that Yenko converted over to the L-71 include a 427 cubic inch V8 topped with a single Holley 850 which is estimated to put out 560 horsepower. The engine sends power to the Muncie M-22 four-speed transmission. Other upgrades include four-wheel disc brakes, tweaked IFS, IRS, and transverse leaf springs.
The interior appears to be more street than strip. The seats have side bolsters but the steering wheel and dash look stock. After the Daytona race, Yenko raced it up and down the East Coast and Midwest, eventually earning the 1968 SCCA Midwest Title. The car was later sold and continued to race SCCA until the early 2000s when it was sold again.
The car bounced around until 2008 when it was restored to its “Number 2” Sebring race configuration from 1968. The car has been verified by the National Corvette Restorers Society along with some of the original racing team members. There is a stack of documentation with the car and hopefully, it will find a new home. There is no asking price listed, but you can bet this car is valued deep into six figures at a minimum. What do you think about vintage race cars?
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Comments
Wow! If this isn’t one of the most significant Yenko cars produced. Whoever purchases this car will truly be blessed with a significant piece of race history.
Wow Mr Yenko was definitely THE MAN very cool guy his original dealership building was on the TUBE recently,I couldn’t believe how small it actually was just , curious to as if his name being used today is family related of if just naming rights were just sold
Yenkos sold from dealership go in six figures. You can bet a car built by and raced by the man himself is going to go for big money. Unfortunately it will probably go collect dust somewhere and the L88 may never get to truly breathe again.
Not likely. There are races across the country for vintage race cars. The only cars which are allowed to compete have a proven history. All it takes is 30 seconds on Google to find numerous events and see pictures/videos of cars on the track.
Steve R
Can this be used as a daily driver?
Maybe once.
Sure, as long as it is driven daily on a minimum 1/4 mile track.
this isn’t a 1/4 mile car. Figure at Sebring in the 68 12 hours he went pretty close to 1,000 miles, I’d say a 1/4 mile would be a waste of this car…
But it would be fun to run down to your local cars and coffee and scare the crap out of everyone…
The novelty will wear off quickly and it not legal. Noise from pipes, engine, transmission and rear end. Rides like buckboard with no insulation from the heat the car produces.
Yet it still a great car for some lucky person.
Potential buyers isn’t under the illusion it’s a street car. They know exactly what they are getting.
Steve R
$1,000,000 car. And it should be preserved as is at the National Corvette Museum,
With the history it has it is likely in the top 5 all-time great Corvettes.
Truth. Some cars should never be driven again due to their history and rarity and that makes perfect sense to me as opposed to somebody keeping a 1990 ZR-1 (Or similar production car) sealed in a garage
Monterey Historic and other commemorative races are the exception to never driving this. It needs to be on the track at least once a year.
It should be there! The car probably sold thousands of 68 and 69 Corvettes for GM.
Don Yenko was “Da Man”! To have seen let alone potentially own one of his cars is absolutely remarkable. I always get a chuckle seeing cars with the D-X decal on them. I grew up using D-X gas, yet most people have little to no knowledge of the brand.
Wish I had the money for this one but it’s only a pipe dream.
And he was smart enough to have Donna Mae Mims working for him.
Some cars deserve to be driven, some deserve to be in museums. As much as I would love to see this driven, it really should be in a museum.
so you treat it like the Chaparral’s… and drive then AROUND the museum at least once a year!
And lay down the biggest, loudest burn out of all time before parking it!
I’m so glad BF has chosen to include this gigantic piece of Corvette history on their site. It should serve as a history lesson to the Corvette lovers of all generations.
Oh, to hear that L-88 would be pure glory!!
Yes what a beauty!!
Don Yenko started racing Corvette’s in the 50’s and 60’s, and was a 4 time SCCA winner. He is probably best known for the Yenko Camaro, introduced in 1967. What is often forgotten is that in 1965, he built the Yenko Corvair Stinger, which was and still is an incredibly capable race car. He built 185 Stingers, available in 4 stages of tune, many of which are still racing competitively today. He was much more than the Yenko Camaro guy!
This same car was offered at the Mecum Monterey 2021 Auction by the same seller and reached 400K, but no sale.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0821-481087/1968-chevrolet-corvette-sunray-dx-racer/
Also offered at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2015 but didn’t meet reserve.
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1968-CHEVROLET-CORVETTE-CONVERTIBLE-L88-RACE-CAR-180584
I saw the car at Mecum this year — very impressive in person.
I was in Walllingford a few weeks ago for a Brian Wilson concert. Wish I’d known this place existed. I would have just loved to have looked around.
A piece of history. However, very few folks today would know what this is, let alone buy it and actually use it. All today’s sissys want is automatic, air cond, endless gizmos and TV screens in their import piles of junk. I believe Kevin McKay restored this car. His shop turns out probably the best restored Corvettes.
Man, George, your opinion of humanity is almost as low as your opinion of cars.
Like someone else said here, someone pissing in your Wheaties must be a daily occurrence.
Not sure why the side marker lights have been removed.
& why a race car would have that big factory steering wheel – or even power brakes.
Vacuum advance disabled.