1966 Yenko Stinger for sale

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #1 10-10-2002, 03:57 PM

Stefano:
I don't mean to put any words in Jack's mouth, I'm only trying to figure out why such a big dealer, in a great demographic market, with an exclusive Yenko SportsCars distribution agreement, would not continue throughout '69 by ordering any more 427 Yenko cars from Yenko, nor into '70 when the Yenko Deuces were selling like griddlecakes, for equally good profit. I don't know why it wouldn't make good business sense to continue the 'exclusive dealer' arrangement unless something else really went sour between the two.

I propose that something did go wrong enough for Don to revoke the exclusive dealer deal.

I speculate that someone (long story) from GM let the cat out of the bag with Berger. Berger ended up with some 427 cars without any Yenko stripes. Douglas found out the COPO # from Berger and ordered some for himself. It's a great idea for Douglas, but the public keeps showing up wanting these Yenko cars that he was the exclusive dealer for, and wouldn't buy the 427 plain cars. Douglas calls up Yenko's parts guys and orders a bunch of stripe sets, and they are sent to him. Don is not exactly sitting around watching the spare parts shipments, so they are already in Douglas' hands when he finds out. Don obviously realizes what is going to happen here, he knows that the COPO word is out via Berger. Don is not a happy camper, and threatens to jump in his plane and pay a visit to Hinsdale, and sue Douglas. The two 'settle out of court' so to speak, by Douglas paying some type of inflated price to Don for the stripes, and Don releases him from the exclusive status in Chicago.

End of my Theory, and I feel that there was no formal agreement between the two for Jack to stripe COPO cars and selling them as Yenko's on Don's behalf. I feel that if Don could have gotten the stripes back he would have, but couldn't since there was nothing wrong with the stripe purchase.

I have another theory as well, but I'm tired of typing! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Thoughts?

JoeC · #2 10-10-2002, 04:03 PM

Good theory Marlin, There seems to be no disagreement that Don Y was upset about what transpired. With good reason.

#3 10-10-2002, 04:41 PM

Come on!! Nobody has posted in 40 minutes! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

NWYENKO · #4 10-10-2002, 04:43 PM

Marlin needs 6 while Stephano needs 9. We should start a betting line!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Jim

**Stefano** · #5 10-10-2002, 05:01 PM

Dave,
Maybe we should call it "ohhhhh one of those cars" as you so eloquently stated when we spoke about the Daytona Yellow one I had for sale a few moons ago.

I am glad to see that you were to sharp for my missreprentations [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Happy now!

**tom406** · #6 10-10-2002, 05:56 PM

Wow, I finally stopped by to read this post. 12 pages of comments on a Yenko Stinger couldn't be ignored. Two hours later, I must admit I found the whole thing to be quite informative and entertaining.

I'm going to come down on the side of considering the $400-converted Douglas cars "true". If they were still $50K cars I'd consider their values equivalent. Now that we're talking six figures, it gets blurry. At those lofty prices, you get into issues of perception and owner's egos.

Looking at the cars from a business perspective, the converting-at-the-selling-dealer model makes perfect sense. Given the simple nature of the '69 "conversion" of stripes and emblems, its a huge waste of time and money to ship cars from Detroit to Cannonsburg, then back out across the country. Shipping has never been free, and the more loading and handling that occurs only increases the risk of damage. The only reason Don Yenko had to keep cars in his pipeline was to keep himself in the middle, and to ensure that he was compensated for his role in developing and promoting these great cars. If he could have trusted his supercar network to not go around him, but instead order and outfit cars to his specifications and pay him a proper royalty, I don't see why this model wouldn't have worked just fine everywhere. But without control of the COPO ordering process, this obviously wasn't a viable solution for him.

Describing Yenko as a manufacturer is fine with me when talking in the context of '65-'67. I don't think anyone could have had an easy time being a "manufacturer" with the heightened restrictions of '68-on. Shelby threw in the towel on Cobra production, and established makers of European cars like Austin-Healy's and the like couldn't economically retool them to meet '68 specs. Yenko ran into that with several of his early '70's engine conversion projects, as stated earlier. The '69 Camaros and '70 Deuces were GM cars that he orchestrated, but didn't manufacture, per se.

I was really tuned up for the idea of a Douglas Yenko in other colors with good options. Then Stefano writes that they all had 711 standard interiors [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] . How could you take the opportunity order up a '69 Camaro for max appeal and leave the taxicab seats and door panels?

I applaud eveyone in keeping the discussion (mostly) positive. If you take this too far, it'll be like the Corvette hobby. It happened to the Mopar guys (They went from greasy baseball hats and "Big Johnson" T-shirts to guys wearing Dockers asking me if the glass is date coded correctly...)

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #7 10-10-2002, 06:24 PM

Stefano,
If you are going to reduce this discussion to 'post-count', then I'm out of it [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

I can assure you this, you will never convince me that the cars Douglas (sp) Chev. sold as Yenko's are truly Yenko SportsCars. I base my position on the paperwork trail from an order form from Yenko to GM, GM's assigned QLL order #, an MSO to Yenko Chev. and then a delivery schedule that dealer transfered the cars to a participating dealer.

Sorry about my spelling, that was a cheap shot!

**Stefano** · #8 10-10-2002, 05:22 PM

Marlin,
If we are to ignore all the substantial info. we have and just start to fabricate information to increase a post count ,which it seems you are happy to do, then I choose to no longer participate.

What evidence do you have to Support your claims and what portion of it is in writing ?Who do you have to corroborate your fictitious statements.

Don't resort to belittle the thread and make this something that it is not.

They are,were and always will be Douglass Yenkos no more and no less.

For someone who prides himself as a Super Car histrorian you could have at least learned to spell the Douglass name correctly.

Or better yet lets just stick our heads in the sand and say that it never even took place and lets take the cars and restore them to what should have been in your opinion and not what was.

JoeC · #9 10-10-2002, 05:34 PM

Jeff H, they are still not identical to the Canonsburg Yenkos because they were not ordered with the same options and some were colors that Yenko did not use when he ordered them himself.

Jeff H · #10 10-10-2002, 05:49 PM

OK, now I'm making myself a liar because I'm adding another post to this thread. JoeC, I mean identical in the performance options, not necessarily the color or other options. Not all Canonsburg Yenkos are identical in options as is evidenced in that photo of the cars in the lot. Some have vinyl roofs and the yellow one has the endura bumper so I (my opinion) don't think you can say all Canonsburg Yenkos are identical. My point about the 9737 option is a strong case for identifying all the Yenkos together and I was curious what other members thought of this theory so all input is welcomed. I've learned a lot with this thread and I sure hope others have too. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars.