$1.8M Yenko COPO Camaro to be shown at '26 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals
The World’s Most Rare and Highly Valued 1969 Yenko COPO Camaro
to be shown during the annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN)
(September 18, 2026) - Over the past decade, the annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) show has brought together the rarest of the rare: iconic American high-performance machines that defined a generation and an era we’ll never see again in our lifetime. That’s why attendees travel from all over the world to the Donald E. Stephens Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, home of the MCACN event, for an up-close look at these scarce vehicles that have survived over a half century of a ‘colorful’ life.
For 2026, the MCACN staff has once again pulled out all the stops to present a stunning 1969 Yenko COPO Camaro prototype that recently sold at Mecum Auctions for an astronomical price of $1.8M, setting a new record for a classic Chevrolet Camaro and making it one of the most talked-about muscle cars ever. Obviously, this is not your average 1969 Camaro but rather the original template for unique 427 powered machines that defined the highlight of Chevrolet’s COPO program for the 1969 model year and made the Yenko name even more relevant among drag racers.
Finished in ‘Olympic Gold’ with white Yenko graphics, this Camaro left the plant powered by an L72 427 Cubic Inch engine attached to a Muncie four-speed manual transmission. Considered by many leading authorities in the muscle car hobby as the prototype or media car for the 1969 Yenko COPO Camaro program and was featured in many publications of the time, including the July 1969 issue of Super Stock and Drag Illustrated magazine, in which Bill ‘Grumpy’ Jenkins team driver, Ed Hedrick, piloted this car to a best quarter-mile time of 11.94 seconds at 114 MPH with a set of slicks and open headers.
It’s current owner and caretaker of this rolling piece of Chevrolet history is Ryan Snyder and is part of his impressive Dudley’s Garage collection that houses numerous rare muscle cars from many brands, including his impressive collection of 1969 Yenko COPO Camaros, and he’s graciously bringing this rare one-off example to MCACN.
“The MCACN show is a combination of the Super Bowl and Pebble Beach of Muscle Cars,” said Ryan Snyder. “This is the first time the 1969 Olympic Gold Yenko COPO Camaro will be shown at MCACN, and it’s truly an honor for me to have this historic car on display.”
Also attending the MCACN show will be the Camaro’s original owner, Ron Welsh, who will once again be reunited with his old car. Ed Hedrick, the driver who blistered the quarter mile to 11:94 in this COPO Camaro, will also be at MCACN sharing first-hand accounts of testing this awesome car for Super Stock and Drag Illustrated magazine in 1969.
About the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals
The Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals is the premier indoor car show that celebrates a wide variety of manufacturers, brands, and nameplates of American performance vehicles that have shaped the car culture for over 60 years. Founded in 2009 by a group of muscle car enthusiasts, MCACN, LLC was created. Each member brings their passion for the car hobby along with a variety of ideas and perspectives that allow them to produce an event unlike any other. The annual MCACN show, held at the massive Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, is scheduled for November 21 and 22, 2026.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MCACN
Instagram: @mcacn_show
Media Contact:
David Hakim
