Evaluation: One of 201 1969 Yenko Camaros. Sold new in Kentucky. Restored and mostly spotless. Gas puddle on the Winters intake manifold. Cowl number matches the VIN plate. The engine block is unstamped and there is no representation of the drivetrain’s originality.
Bottom Line: At the end of a string of Mecum auction appearances that began in 2017, this Yenko Camaro fell into the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was offered at Indy in 2017 where a bid of $255,000 failed to secure it. At Kissimmee in 2018 the high bid was $260,000 and last year it attracted only $225,000. Then suddenly here at Kissimmee in 2022 it hammers sold at $75,000 more than it ever attracted before, a nearly 30 percent increment.
The odometer has added only 34 miles since 2017 and the condition has been consistent over the past five years. The moon, the stars and the planets aligned to exert a gravitational force that pulled an exceptional result out of the bidders’ pockets. There were only two other COPO Camaros at Kissimmee, however, a 9561 that sold for $198,000 and Berger 9561/9737 that sold for $286,000. In some other years there may have been a half dozen or more making COPO ’69 pickings slim this year but that doesn’t go the whole way in explaining this Camaro’s generous price.
Did 69 yenko come out in turbo ?