Donald Yenko

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Donald Yenko (May 27, 1927 – March 5, 1987)^[1], also known as Don Yenko, was a race car driver who was best known for creating a high performance version of the Chevrolet Camaro known as the Yenko Camaro.

In 1957, Yenko set up a performance shop for Chevrolet vehicles. The customers can either order high performance parts or they can have their car modified by Yenko's mechanics. In 1967, when Chevrolet began selling the Camaro, Yenko began to modify SS Camaros by replacing the original L-78 396 in³ (6.4 L)engine with a Chevrolet Corvette's L-72 427 in³ (7.0 L) and upgrade the rear axle and suspensions. He also modified other Chevrolet vehicles like Chevelle and Nova by fitting them with L-72 engines.

In 1970s saw the decline in muscle cars due to higher insurance premium and tighter emission rules, Yenko began to modify Chevrolet Vega with spoiler, turbocharger and design graphics. Due to difficulties with EPA certification, he only sold the modified Vega without a turbocharger. Instead, the turbocharger sold separately at Yenko dealership. In 1972 Yenko stopped selling modified cars and began publishing a performance parts catalog from cosmetic modification to engine modification. One of his notable product was the ZL-1 engine and he produced them under permission from Chevrolet. In 1981, Yenko made his last modification, the Turbo Z Camaro. He added a turbocharger to 350 in³ (5.7 L) engine. In 1982 He sold Yenko Chevrolet dealership which had been family owned since 1934. In 1987, he died in a plane crash, along with 3 of his passengers, while on final approach to an airport near Charleston, West Virginia. Yenko landed hard with his Cessna 210M causing him to lose control and dove into a ravine and crashed.^[2]