After the years of build-up, the disappointments and roadblocks, a new Camaro bearing the Yenko name has been built. Classic Industries, the main supplier for restoration parts for these modern Yenko Camaro builds, was able to put all the pieces together that brought a brand new 1969 Yenko Camaro back to the SEMA show. When Don Yenko was killed in a plane crash in 1987, the family closed the Yenko business and everyone assumed that was the end of the Yenko legacy.

Talks of bringing back an officially licensed Yenko Camaro have been talked about for decades, and a deal was almost completed with General Motors in 2009. The economy collapse and company bankruptcy scuttled those plans. The people behind the scenes did not stop digging though, and a deal was reached where the company that owned the trademarks, and a couple other companies got together to pull off the new productions. Among those involved are David Miller’s Brand New Muscle Car in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jeff Leonard’s Classic Industries, the well-known restoration parts manufacturer.

According to Classic Industries’ Ed Navarro, “The builder is licensed to build these Yenko Camaro as long as they keep certain aspects true to the Yenko legacy.” He went on to explain that these cars are a continuation of the original Yenko, so there are some modern upgrades allowed as long as they stay true to the intent of the original.

We also spotted a display of Mopar grilles and parts in the Classic Industries booth. “These cars often get overlooked,” said Navarro. “That’s why we are pretty excited about this line of products.” According to Navarro, modern technology allows the company to build these grilles better than they were originally designed, and will last far longer than the OEM pieces.

For more information on Yenko Camaro parts, or the new line of Mopar grilles, visit Classic Industries online www.classicindustries.com.