Would You Pay Nearly $400K For This 1968 Yenko Chevy Camaro?

Don Yenko's modified Chevrolet Camaros are among the muscle cars that collectors covet the most. One of these rare coupes recently topped Mecum Auctions' sale in Portland, Oregon, by selling for an impressive $395,000.

This 1968 Yenko Camaro is one of 64 made that year, and according to Mecum just 20 of them are still on the road. It's in a gorgeous shade of Fathom Blue with white accents and a black interior. The real jewel is under the hood, though. General Motors' L72 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 pumps out 425 horsepower (317 kilowatts) and routes with a four-speed manual. At the back, a 12-bolt rear end with 3.73 gearing and GM's Positraction limited-slip differential gets the ample power to the ground. Power disc brakes help when it's time to haul down this beast.

According to Mecum, this is an early rear-spoiler-only car. It also has Yenko's fiberglass hood. The coupe received a rotisserie restoration, and the work even earned a Gold Award at the Camaro Nationals. All the effort makes for an absolutely beautiful classic muscle machine.

Yenko's Camaros were special because he built the muscle cars that Chevy didn't offer from the factory. Part of this strategy included using GM's Central Office Production Order system to get the L72 V8 into the car, which weren't widely available to buyers. In total, Yenko built 201 of these special vehicles from the 1967 to 1969 model years.

Bringing in $395,000 is a strong result for a Yenko Camaro. For example, Mecum auctioned a 1969 example for $330,000 in May 2017, according to Sports Car Digest. In addition, the auction house sold a 1968 car for $335,000 November 2016. Two units from 1969 went for $260,000 and $225,000 respectively in May 2016.