This 1969 Yenko Camaro prototype just became the most expensive Camaro ever after a $1,800,000 sale

The 1969 Yenko Camaro prototype etched its name into muscle car history this week by officially becoming the most expensive Camaro ever sold at auction.

Crossing the block on January 17, the one-of-one Yenko stunned the room with a final hammer price of $1.8 million.

While seasoned collectors expected a high price, few predicted a world-record result.

Even by elite muscle car standards, this was a moment that stopped the auction cold.

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This 1969 Yenko Camaro prototype was the very first Yenko Camaro

The car came from the revered Cliff Ernst Collection and wears Olympic Gold paint, an appropriately regal finish for what is essentially Camaro royalty.

Ernst purchased the car in 1987 directly from its original owner and later restored it to factory-correct condition.

Despite being a 57-year-old icon, it’s preserved perfectly.

Every line, decal, and detail reinforced why this prototype occupies a place far above even standard Yenko Camaros.

While only 201 Yenko Camaros were built in 1969, this example stands apart as the very first.

It served as the proof-of-concept car Don Yenko used to demonstrate the performance potential of his COPO-ordered Camaros.

Powered by a conservatively rated 427-cubic-inch V8 producing 425 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, the car was brutally quick.

Drag racer Ed Hedrick piloted it to a legendary 11.9-second quarter-mile.

This was a staggering figure for the era, and quicker than any factory-equipped muscle car of the 1960s, although modern muscle cars now leave it in the dust.

The new owner is a huge Camaro fan

Rarity only deepens the legend.

This prototype is one of just ten Yenko Camaros finished in Olympic Gold, one of two with white graphics, and the only example delivered new with Atlas wheels.

Its decades-long residence in the Cliff Ernst Collection further elevated its provenance, sitting alongside other Yenko treasures, including a genuine Yenko Nova.

Ernst owned six Yenkos in total, one in every color, all meticulously maintained and proudly displayed.

Following Ernst’s wishes before his passing, Mecum was entrusted with selling the collection.

The winning bid came from Ryan Snyder, a passionate Camaro collector whose garage already houses seven other Yenkos and a total of 41 Camaros.

Now preserved in a private collection, the Yenko prototype has found a fitting new home.

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