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Posts Tagged: Yenko Deuce

Don Yenko’s dealership built a reputation on turning ordinary Chevrolets into insurance nightmares, but by 1970 rising premiums on his Camaros and Chevelles pushed him toward an unlikely candidate: the humble Nova. The result was the ’70 Yenko Deuce, an entry-level performance model built to dodge underwriting red flags without losing the Yenko name. This example, pulled from the respected Brothers Collection, headlines Muscle Car Of The Week’s milestone 150th episode. See what makes this overlooked Yenko worth the attention.

Don Yenko’s answer to the insurance surcharges killing big-block sales in 1970 was a Nova that looked like nothing at all, with a bench seat, rubber mats and minimal badging, hiding Chevrolet’s 360-horsepower LT-1 small block ordered through COPO 9010. Roughly 175 were built in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, with 4.10 gears, F41 suspension and an optional hood tach. It was quicker than his own 427 Nova anywhere the road turned. Read on for what separates a documented Deuce from a convincing clone.

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