The Sights & Sounds of the Baldwin-Motion Experience

Published on December 5, 2010August 9, 2011 by Scott

Here’s one of the early Phase III SS-427 Corvettes that Rosen worked his magic upon. The side-pipes weren’t designed for the C3 but they sure looked “boss.”

Sometimes special “teams” organically seem to come together. You know, duos, such as, Abbot & Costello, Burns & Allen, Martin & Lewis, Lennon & McCartney. The specialty car market has a similar dynamic duo. But because what they created was so brilliant, it mostly took the spotlight off of them and on to the real stars, the Baldwin-Motion Phase III Supercars. “They” happen to be former editor of CARS Magazine, Marty Schorr and owner of Motion Performance, Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen.

Be sure to catch our other Baldwin-Motion Stories,

Part 1 is HERE.

Part 2 is HERE.

Part 3 is HERE.

Continue reading “The Sights & Sounds of the Baldwin-Motion Experience” →

Baldwin-Motion Phase III Corvettes – Part 1 of 3

Published on December 4, 2010December 10, 2011 by Scott

Joel Rosen & Marty Schorr Create a Corvette Legend!

From 1967 to 1969, the hottest street Corvette was the 427/435 L71. Not a bad ride for most folks. But Joel Rosen isn’t “most folks.” Rosen owned Motion Performance in Brooklyn, New York in the late ’50s and ’60s, and was having considerable success as a local drag racer-tuner. In ’67 Joel struck a deal with the owners of Baldwin Chevrolet, in Baldwin, New York, to make 427-engine versions of the new Camaro. When the ’68 Corvette came out, Joel knew that he had to make a special red-hot version. The ’69 Baldwin-Motion SS-427 Phase III Corvette was born.

You can catch Part 2 HERE.

Part 3 is HERE.

Continue reading “Baldwin-Motion Phase III Corvettes – Part 1 of 3” →

The World’s Only 4WD Hemi-Powered Corvette

Published on November 25, 2010December 30, 2010 by Scott2 Comments

Ocean City, New Jersey Lifetime Resident, Dewey Powell’s 4WD, 392 Hemi Powered Corvette to the Rescue!

When you live close to the shore, like I do, it’s not uncommon to see 4WD vehicles with surf fishing racks on the front bumper. The formula is this; fishing racks + beach = 4WD vehicle, usually a truck. That’s what threw me when I first saw Dewey Powell’s menacingly cool-looking ‘81-bodied Corvette at the Strictly Corvettes Show, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The first thing I noticed was the stylized fishing pole rack and the way it was angled back from the middle to match the car’s pointed nose. Then the tall tires and L88 wheel flares got me. “WOW! What’s this?” When I looked under the hood and saw a dual-quad 392 Hemi, I said, “Who built this?!”

Dewey was completely relaxed in a lawn chair, wearing jeans, black cowboy boots, a black t-shirt, and his wrap-around shades. I could tell that he was “the guy.” I asked him, “I’ll bet that this is your car and you built it, right?” “Yea, that’s right, and I drove it here today. You should have seen it yesterday, it was covered with sand.” I had just met Ocean City’s local legend, Dewey Powell. Continue reading “The World’s Only 4WD Hemi-Powered Corvette” →

The World’s Only Jet Turbine-Powered Corvette!!!

Published on November 3, 2010December 30, 2010 by Scott

1978 Jet Turbine-Powered Corvette “Granatelli’s Jet Vette”

The January 2011 issue of VETTE Magazine is out (I know, I know, it’s only the beginning of November) and in my Illustrated Corvette Series No. 163 column I have covered the one and only, 1978 jet turbine-powered Corvette. The world’s ONLY jet-Vette is alive and well in an undisclosed location in Ohio. This is a story of unbridled imagination. Enjoy! – Scott

Detroit in the 50s and ‘60s was a time of “let’s try it” thinking. GM tinkered with the turbine-engine Firebird I, II, and III cars in the ‘50s. Chrysler had been making turboprop engines since before WW II and started their turbine car program in ‘54. Turbine-powered race cars showed up at the Indy 500 in ‘62 and ‘66, with little success. But it was the red STP-sponsored, Andy Granatelli car that stunned everyone in ‘67. By the end of the second turn of the first lap, Parnelli Jones took the lead until rain stopped the race. The next day, Jones picked up where he’s left off, leaving everyone far behind, until lap 197 when a $5 transmission ball bearing broke, putting the car out of the race. Granatelli was back the following year, but restrictions placed on his Lotus-built turbine car ended the Indy 500 turbine experience forever. Continue reading “The World’s Only Jet Turbine-Powered Corvette!!!” →

Fun Corvette CDs For The Holidays

Published on October 21, 2010December 30, 2010 by Scott

The Annual Holiday Challenge For Corvette People Begins!

As the holidays approach, we often have the same challenge with our Corvette friends – “What do you get your favorite Corvette person that they don’t already have???” Well, we might be able to help you out.

We have added three new Corvette CDs and 15 Chevrolet CDs to our Illustrated Corvette Series website. For this post, I’ll just cover the Corvette CDs that are priced to be perfect stocking stuffers.

The “2011 Corvette Anthology” is an Official GM LIcensed product and is a digital encyclopedia of Corvette information and fun for Vette lovers of all ages and owners of Corvettes from 1953 to 2011. This CD has over 1,800 photos, hundreds of graphics, and 56 videos and Corvette TV commercials. My “Illustrated Corvette Series” is also on the CD! The CD has statistics and options for the entire lineage of Corvettes. There’s also an option to print out the entire CD as a book! Plus, the CD comes with a brilliant screen saver for PCs. Just $19.95, plus $5.00 for shipping and handling. Continue reading “Fun Corvette CDs For The Holidays” →

NEW “Special Edition Corvettes” Art Prints Series!!!

Published on October 3, 2010December 30, 2010 by Scott

Color Laser and Giclee Special Edition Corvettes Prints Series

Special Edition Corvettes 1978 to 2011

I have a very nice relationship with VETTE Magazine. Since 1976 I’ve been a contributing artist and writer with the magazine shortly after founding editor Marty Schorr started the first Corvette-only newsstand magazine. My monthly column, “The Illustrated Corvette Series” started in Spring of ‘97 and continues on. Next week I’ll be starting No. 165 that will cover the awesome Greenwood G572 C4 Corvette.

The November ‘10 issue of VETTE saw a major makeover for the publication. Corvette Fever is no more, as it has been merged with VETTE. The “new” VETTE is 3/8” taller and wider, has 16 more pages, better paper, and a perfect binding. The new VETTE looks EXCELLENT, my compliments to VETTE’s art department. Included was The Illustrated Corvette Series No. 162 – Part 1 of a two-part, two-page color article that covers the Special Edition Corvettes from 1978 to 2003. Continue reading “NEW “Special Edition Corvettes” Art Prints Series!!!” →

The Last Baldwin-Motion Phase III GT Corvette!

Published on September 26, 2010May 25, 2011 by Scott

Adam Tuckman’s “Dr. Rollings'” 1971 Baldwin-Motion Phase III GT Corvette To Debut At Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals!

Story & Photos by Martyn L. Schorr

Intro: I was just a car-crazed lad when I saw my first Baldwin-Motion Phase III Corvette on the cover of CARS Magazine. The bright yellow machine had ‘67 side-pipes, the Baldwin-Motion signature-style ‘67 big-block Corvette hood scoop on top of the ‘68 big-block hood dome, a GTO hood-mounted tach, flares on the wheel openings and deep-dish Cragar mags. WOW! What’a sight! Joel Rosen made sure the cars had a heap’n help’n of red meat and Marty Schorr, CARS editor and Motion coconspirator, made sure there was plenty of sizzle!

Baldwin-Motion cars went on to delight Chevy lovers for years and quickly became legends. In ‘69, Rosen turned the Phase III Corvette to the Baldwin-Motion Phase III GT – the most expensive of all of the Baldwin-Motion cars. After specialty cars roll (or peal out) out the door, many live hard, hard lives, with less than happy endings. But then some become cherished members of their owners families. This is the story of a much loved and enjoyed Phase III GT Corvette.

So, with much delight, let me turn this story over to the ultimate Baldwin-Motion spin master, Martyn L. Schorr. Take it away, Marty! – KST

Not all Vettes are red. Many of Duntov’s mule Corvettes were white – so were most of Bill Jenkins race cars and Jim Hall’s Chaparrels. Sano white was Dr. Rollings color choice for his personal Grand Touring Corvette.

Purchased from the original owner’s family in 2008, Adam Tuckman’s 1971 Baldwin-Motion Phase III GT Corvette is the last built, highest-optioned and most original known. Between 1969 and 1971, Joel Rosen produced just 12 GTs. Continue reading “The Last Baldwin-Motion Phase III GT Corvette!” →

Corvette Oddball: Did Chevy Ever Build a Drag Racing Corvette?

Published on April 1, 2010October 31, 2011 by Scott2 Comments

Dateline: 8.10.2010
Answer: Not for actual drag racing competition. (now THAT would have been interesting) But they did build a dragster Vette, just to show off a little.

69 Corvette Engineering Study — 69 454 ZL-1 Corvette Drag Racing Engineering Study

(SPECIAL TREAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!)

The introduction of the four wheel, independent suspension in the ’63 Sting Ray was a major breakthrough for road racers, but left drag racers with tons of rear suspension broken parts. Let’s face it, the production independent rear suspension was never designed for those brutal drag racing starts. Corvette engines, small and big-blocks have never had a problem producing lots of power. Too much power for the Corvette’s rear suspension.

Although there were a few successful drag racing Corvettes that included Bo Laws, Astoria-Chas, and Bernie Agman, most drag racers used the solid-axle Camaros, Novas, and C1 Corvettes.

At the ’70 press introduction in the Summer of ’69, Chevrolet had a specially prepared ’69 Corvette engineering design study set up for drag racing. Actually, it was the same car used the previous year to show off the ’69 ZL-1 engine. Duntov and his crew wanted to show off the awesome power potential of an even bigger ZL-1.

Chevrolet’s Hib Hufstader and Tom Langdon built the flaming orange, drag race prepared Corvette with a 454 cubic-inch version of the all-aluminum ZL-1 with a modified Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic, open 180-degree headers, and racing slicks for the press to “play with.”The menacing-looking Monaco Orange ZL1 was a press darling. Duntov enjoyed keeping the automotive press happy. Continue reading “Corvette Oddball: Did Chevy Ever Build a Drag Racing Corvette?” →

World’s Only Turbine-Powered Corvette

Published on February 7, 2010December 30, 2010 by Scott2 Comments

The Spirit of Andy Granatelli’s 1967 Indy 500 Race car lives on in a 1978 Turbine-Powered Corvette.

By K. Scott Teeters, illustrator and author of Vette Magazine’s The Illustrated Corvette Series

Did Chevy ever seriously consider a turbo-powered Corvette?

Car designers have been playing around with the notion of a turbine-powered car since the dawn of the jet age. Continue reading “World’s Only Turbine-Powered Corvette” →

Motion Performance by Martyn L. Schorr; Book Review

Published on December 7, 2009April 10, 2020 by Scott

COVERLOGO Book Review: Motion Performance – Tales Of A Muscle Car Builder by Martyn L. Schorr – Forward by Joe Oldham

Review by K. Scott Teeters

I’ll say this up front. I was NOT disappointed with this book. Actually, I had a tough time putting it down. Author, Martyn L. Schorr is THE man to tell this story because not only was he there as CARS Magazine editor, he helped plan, develop, promote, and market the entire enterprise. Plus, he got to drive most of the Baldwin-Motion Phase III Supercars! Continue reading “Motion Performance by Martyn L. Schorr; Book Review” →

Indy 500 Corvette Pace Cars

Published on August 17, 2009December 30, 2010 by Scott

Amazing Indy 500 Corvette Pace Cars Art and History by K. Scott Teeters

Indy 500 Corvette Pace Cars Tribute Art

First, a bit of Corvette pace car history by Vette magazine
artist and columnist, K. Scott Teeters:

Corvettes Pace the Indy 500 a record ten times since 1978.

(Will Corvette Do It Again Soon?)

“The Indy 500 race is arguably the most popular race in motor-sports. Early in ‘78 the Corvette world went wild with speculation when news was released that the Corvette would be the Indy 500 pace car, and that replicas would be available. Priced at what was then a mind-boggling $13,653, some buyers paid as much as $25,000 to grab a piece of Corvette history!

Eight years later, the Corvette was again chosen to pace the ‘86 Indy 500. But this time, Chevrolet trumped speculators and designated all ‘86 Corvette roadsters as “pace car replicas.” Since then, Corvette Pace Car-replicas have been limited-production cars and are highly collectible. Continue reading “Indy 500 Corvette Pace Cars” →

Joel Rosen & Marty Schorr Create a Corvette Legend!

Dateline: 8.10.2010 Answer: Not for actual drag racing competition. (now THAT would have been interesting) But they did build a dragster Vette, just to show off a little.

Dateline: 8.10.2010
Answer: Not for actual drag racing competition. (now THAT would have been interesting) But they did build a dragster Vette, just to show off a little.