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Yenko Pedal Car Donated to National Corvette Museum

By Alexandra Purcell on September 24, 2022

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While Don Yenko is famous for modifying and racing Chevrolet muscle cars such as the Camaro, Nova and Vega, he also built a Corvette for his daughter, Lynn. This Corvette, however, is a scaled-down replica of the sports car's 1956 model year, built so young Lynn could pedal around in style. It was recently donated to the National Corvette Museum for display.

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This adorable little Corvette pedal car measures in at 53 inches long and 24 inches wide. Its body is made of a single piece of molded plastic, and even features a two-speed transmission with nylon beveled gears controlled by a low- and high-speed shift handle mounted on the steering column. A heavy duty welded steel frame holds the toy Corvette together, and Yenko adorned it with Chevrolet and Gulf Oil decals.

The Corvette pedal car's patina shows evidence of years of wear, tear and play. The National Corvette Museum states that Lynn lost track of the pedal car for a few years, but as it turns out, Yenko had simply handed it off to one of their neighbors. It didn't resurface until 2002, when the vehicle's current owner donated the custom pedal car to the National Corvette Museum, where it is kept on display to this day.

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Lynn paid a visit to her childhood pedal car at the museum's campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and she became a little bit misty-eyed when she saw the small Corvette toy that provided so much joy for her as a young girl. Currently, the vehicle is maintained in its condition as is, scuffs and all, to represent a well-worn and well-loved piece of Don Yenko's legacy.

Interestingly, this isn't the first Corvette pedal car to surface recently – a toy based on the 1953 Chevy Corvette popped up for sale just last week.


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