1987 Muscle Car review article with Don Yenko

[Charley Lillard]

My Dogs ain't big enough to reach the Toilet. And now you are on their list....... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif[/img]

[Stefano]

This is getting a bit far-fetched. Jack's Memory and Story have remained intact many years prior to the internet ,this web sight and this subject getting national attention, There was a time when only two of his cars had been found and not very many people even knew there was a difference between the two order method Yenkos, even hear in Chicago, it just didn't matter!

Jack never stated that he striped and sold any other direct order cars as Yenkos, other than the Camaros and Chevelles.

His story has proven very accuarte as time unfolds and it certainly is not appropriate to compare an article or written interview when you have the first person(s) (numerous people) accountability, to answer any questions you may have.

I still ponder(Tom and Marlin.. ect) if you do indeed seek accuracy and truth in your statements why you have not picked up the phone and called Jack. I had private e-mailed both of you his telephone number once I received permission to do so, in the last go around.

Do you really care about furthering the Hobby of all Super Cars or just protecting the value of your own private cars/collections?

I do not currently own a Douglass Yenko, but do own several Yenkos sold out of Yenko Chevrolet and the, Douglass cars do not detract one bit of historic significance or value, from my other cars, in fact they enhance them!

Most Douglass Yenko owners also own other significant muscle cars and Super Cars.

It is not only Jack Douglass,but Family members, his General Manager Tom Dumass and Several of his dealer colleagues and friends who confirm his story, as well as the cars themselves.

There exists to this day no other dealer who has come forth as a part of the Yenko Network to have direct ordered cars and sold them as Yenkos.

There have been no cars found with stripes and badges from day one or no original owners who have come forth and proven they had purchased such a car from another dealer.

It is utterly ridiculous to believe that in 1969 Jack Douglass had to charge 12-15% more for his cars to even sell them. I would agree that Don's own choosen words are how he wanted the situation to be remembered. IMO He was covering his assets and that is the way he intended his story/article to read and be remembered.

This would be the equivalent of purchasing a New 2002 SLP Camaro SS for $35,000.00 and agreeing to pay almost $3,500.00 to $5,000.00 more just for stripes and badges, it just wouldn't have happened that way.

If Jack was to have skirted Yenko, it would be prudent to see that it would have been much easier to sell a cheaper Super Car.


Look at the time line and build of the Cars Douglass sold. We have very early casting and stamping dates on original drivetrain cars which would indicate the order was placed early in the year and support Jacks statements of what took place. If you choose believe that Don Yenko found it prudent to only have one single dealer order 8-12 sYc's as Tom stated, and be happy with that arangement in the top three car markets in the USA ,at the time ,then that is your prerogative.

I recently showed my COPO Chevelle at the Chicago Vette Fest in a Super Car display along with a Douglass Yenko and a Cannonsberg Yenko.

All Super cars were displayed and represented for just what they are. I am proud to have been a part of that display and happy to have met new friends in the process and this is really what it is about to me.

Allow individuals form their own opinions about the Douglass cars.



Love and Peace to all,

Stefano

[sYc]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you really care about furthering the Hobby of all Super Cars or just protecting the value of your own private cars/collections?


[/ QUOTE ]

Stefano, Sorry that you felt the need to get personal. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] I thought bigger of you.
Guess I was wrong. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[hvychev]

Tom, this whole topic has taken a terriable turn. I wish I had not brought it up. I have one last question on this matter though. With all of the controversy and heated debates surrounding this topic why didn't you or Marlin ever call Jack and speak to him yourselfs. Tom you are always mentioning a new supercar "personality" that you have spoken to or supercar location that you have visited. Why not talk to or visit the most controversal one of all?

[Belair62]

Frank all you did was ask to see an article you never saw before.....and someone was able to scan it for you...its a cool article...looks like innocent comments turned into another Douglass discussion is all.

[sYc]

Frank, weeks before SCR5, through a mutual friend, I extended an invitation for Jack to attend the event, at my expense. Not for sure why it did not materialize. As I have said numerous times, I have absolutley nothing against Jack, his cars or their owners. I would love to visit with him some time. Monday night I spent over 2 hours on the phone with a Douglass owner, discusing numerous things, including each others thoughts about JD and DY. I even went as far as to check my records and numbers, for not only Douglass, but Yenko info as well (at no cost). I even faxed him a copy of the DY, JD document. In addition, for the past two weeks I have been communicating with another Douglass owner in regards to his car and related paperwork. This dialog may be helpful in clearing up some of the Douglass puzzle. My point is this. If I did not respect Douglass cars, why would I bother. I certaintly have plenty of other things I could be doing.

In closing, as the Douglass owner and I talked about Monday, why is it so important to link the cars to Yenko? If I were an owner of a Douglass car, here is what I would do. The same as I have done with Yenko, and others have done with Gibb, Harrell, Berger and Motion. I would collect all of the info, pics, doucments and related memorabilia as I could related to Douglass. Then I would display this collection with my car any time I could. I would go on various web sites and explain who and what JD Chevrolet was. My goal would be to make the JD name as well known as the other well known supercar dealers. Can it be done, I think so, but will never happen as long as they carry the Yenko *. Douglass cars deserve, should and can stand on their own. And, I would think this is how Jack would like to be remembered, not as an * to Yenko.

[ssl78]

Tom if people were questionong JD about how many cars he sold as Yenkos, or what color they were, or what options they had, or exactly how much he paid Don, yes there might be a variation on those issues. If people dont believe he sold them as Yenkos then they absolutely think he is lying. There is no way a guy could pay say 400.00 a car at 22 cars 8800.00 or there about in 1969 and not remeber it correctly . It isnt just the money but also what ever dealings with Don there also was.
If I owned a McDonald franchise and found out where to buy the hamburgers direct and so did, and then McDonalds found out and had to pay the franchise fee back, did I not sell a McDonald hamburger. Jack was to a degree a Yenko franchise.
I am not normally an argumentive person and dont know why I decided to even get involved with this topic. I could have bought a PA Yenko but bought what I believe is a JD order and sold Yenko. The key here is what I believe. I would have liked to bring it to the reunion for what it is but probably wont. If this topic gets so out of hand on the board could you imagine the sh-t it would start at the reunion.
Hopefully we can end this discussion right here before things are said and taken the wrong way. I cant talk for Steve But I dont think he meant much buy what he said.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Frank, I have not spoken with Jack about these cars, not that I have anything against the guy, I just didn't see where it would benefit me. I trust that Steve, Mike and others who have dealt with Jack have relayed his words accurately. I am only asking to see some supporting documents, that's all.

[whitetop]

ssl78
[ QUOTE ]
If this topic gets so out of hand on the board could you imagine the sh-t it would start at the reunion.


[/ QUOTE ]

You guys are going to fight about this JD & DY thing forever. Saw a show on the History Channel the other night that would be the answer. Men in the old days solved their disagrements by a Duel with either swords or pistols.

Kinda liven up SCR6 wouldn't you think? The old wheelbarrow race and spark plug changing contest would never be the same.

[Chevy454]

[ QUOTE ]
Saw a show on the History Channel the other night. Men in the old days satisfied their disagrements by a Duel with either swords or pistols. Kinda liven up SCR6 wouldn't you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that would liven up SCR6, but I think it would have a negative effect on the attendance of SCR7... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]