On this page I'll try and answer some of your questions regarding our favorite car, the Yenko Stinger. If you've got a question or two, feel free to drop me a line and I'll do my best to get you an answer. Maybe even publish it here!! As always, if I know the answer is totally 100% true, I'll tell you. If not, I may ask the vast number of folks out there who may know it to be true. If anyone can supply documentation to prove me wrong, I'd be more than happy to correct my ramblings… I'm always open for new information!!

Q - What is my Stinger worth? I’d like to buy a Stinger- how much should I pay? Stinger # YS??? is for sale, how much do you think it’s worth?
A - This is probably the series of most of the questions I’ve gotten over the years. It’s sort of like your child asking “Why is the sky blue?”. There is an answer, but it’s too long (no matter how many words) or too complicated to explain. I have heard of Stingers (or their tags) selling (currently) from a few hundred dollars to $25,000+. Where does yours/theirs fit in this range? It depends on your desire and your pocketbook…. There’s the old adage “It’s worth what someone is willing to pay”. I think that fits the scenario to a “T”.

Q - How many Stingers did Don Yenko produce?
A - I don’t believe anyone knows for sure, but most guesses/estimates are approximately 185. There was a Chevrolet fleet order for the first 100 cars in November 1965, a second Chevrolet fleet order for another 25 cars in February 1967, and approximately another 60 that were either assembled in the shop or had tags sold over the counter or by mail.

Q - How wide were the stripes on the cars from front to back? What color were the stripes?
A - When the first fleet order arrived, Don had but a few weeks to finish the cars for the SCCA inspection. There were about 12 body shops in the surrounding Canonsburg area, and all of them got a handful of cars with orders to paint stripes. From seeing many, many photos of Stingers over the years, there has always been a variation of color, stripe width, and finish at the front bottom of the car. I believe that most shops used whatever leftover blue paint was available and laid out the stripes how it was easiest for them. I do remember reading literature describing 1966 Corvette Nassau Blue paint on some cars as a vivid, striking blue (which it is). Most stripes were about 6” wide for the center one and 1” wide for the surrounding ones with a 1” separation between.

Q - Why were the Stingers white with blue stripes in 1966 and blue or red in 1967?
A - The SCCA and other racing organization (ACCUS namely) had annotated the national racing colors for the United States as white/blue stripes. All racing cars from the U.S. were painted that color to differentiate them from other countries (which all had their assigned colors). The rules were changed in 1967 and any car from any country could use whatever color they desired. Don chose to order the second fleet order in red or blue (red, white & blue would be great colors for any US car!!)

Q - The car I’m looking to buy does not have a Yenko tag, but the owner tells me it’s a real Stinger- what’s up?
A - Warren Dernoshek, who worked for Don for many years, told me that if a car went through the shop, it got a tag. Don wanted to get as many Stingers out there as possible. Dana Chevrolet contracted with Don to have 3 cars built by Chevrolet using the COPO numbers of the Stinger, but they were never tagged because they never went through Don’s shop. One is known to exist. All Stingers from Canonsburg were tagged. I have never seen paperwork to prove otherwise.

Q - Recently there has been much discussion about recent sales of Stingers. How would you rate different cars in terms of value?
A- Not withstanding the first question on the list, here is how I would rate a Stinger, depending on what is known about the car.

1. Original “tub” as rolled out from 575 Pike St., all 3 original tags (YS tag, VIN tag, Fisher Body tag), accompanying documentation or “provenance” (original/later bill of sale, factory invoice, shop/work orders, original/later title, “build sheet”, SCCA logbooks, etc).
2. Same as #1 - but no documentation.
3. Rebody of original tub, all 3 original tags, documentation.
4. Same as #3 - but no documentation.
5. Rebody, retagged, documentation.
6. Same as #5 - but no documentation.

Q - I have a Yenko Stinger but it is not on your “list” or in the “Registry”, how can I add it?
A - I would be happy to add it to the list and registry, providing it meets some criteria. From the records I have, I should be able verify that you indeed do have a Yenko Stinger. Email me at cdoerge1@verizon.net for details.

Q - I have heard you have 2 separate “lists” and the “Registry”. What’s the deal with that?
A - There is a “Short Yenko Stinger List” that shows YS tag #, original owner and state. This one is for the general public and is included on the “Stinger Registry” page on this website. A “Long Yenko Stinger List” that was created for Stinger owners only and includes YS tag #, VIN #, Fisher Body #, original owner, current owner & state and any relevant notes. The “Yenko Stinger Owners Registry” consists of a data sheet for each car, photographs, documents, notes, etc. When the book is completed all information and materials will be sent to the current owner of every car.