The Last One

This ’69 Camaro could be the last of the first generation Yenko F-bodies.

Owned by Michael Rothberg #20151606, Delray Beach, FL

Photography by Colin Date

In 1967, GM released their long awaited answer to the popular Mustang– the Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro was an instant hit with the public and it almost immediately went to work on drag strips across the country. It was quickly realized however, that when it came to upper echelon horsepower, the Camaro just wasn’t up to par with the competition. This was largely due to a GM corporate mandate which restricted the use of engines larger than 400 cubic-inches to full-size cars only, making the 396 the largest engine available in the Camaro. Around the country, a few savvy dealers took notice of this and began swapping 427s into Camaros onsite. By 1969, one of the most famous of these dealers, Yenko Chevrolet, was working directly with GM through the use of Central Office Production Orders (COPO) to have the L-72 427 factory installed– and backed by a factory warranty.