Dateline: 1.29.1

A Salute to the AWESOME, highly collectible, Baldwin Motion Corvettes

In November 2011 there were a few automotive bomb shells dropped on the MCACN Muscle Car Show. Namely three unique Baldwin Motion Corvettes. One Survivor Phase III 454 Corvette, one restored Motion Mako Shark Corvette, and one garage/barn find Corvette, the ‘76 Can-Am Spyder.

The survivor car is known as the “Ankenbauer Phase III 454 Corvette. The car is currently owned by Dave Belk and is just an amazing Motion survivor car. I have a feature story on this Motion Phase III 454 Corvette coming out in Vette Vues Magazine in a few weeks. After publication, I’ll post the story here. The car is jaw-dropping and the owner’s story rocks!

Dan McMichael is a collector of Motion Corvettes. His latest finished Motion car is the 1970 Motion Maco Shark Corvette. There are many configurations of the Mako design. Both Silva and Motion produced customer Macos AND sold the body kits. This car was built by Motion Performance, according to the customer’s specifications. The restoration of this car is said to be “STUNNING!” From the photos I’ve seen, that adjective is spot on.

And Dan McMichaels scores a second stunner. This might be the most amazing Corvette barn find ever. The car was discovered by Maryland State legislator Rick Impallaria when he was clearing out cars and hardware after evicting a tenant from the auto body shop he was renting. Stashed away was the hulk of an unusual Corvette. Rick was told that the car might be the remains of a Motion Can-Am Spyder Corvette. Rick did some inquiries, including to our sister site, www.BaldwinMotionReport.com, as to what the Corvette community thought this hulk might have been. Turns out it was one of three yellow Can-Am Spyder Corvettes built. And now it’s Dan McMichaels. If anyone will “do right” by the Can-Am Spyder, it’ll be Dan! Continue reading “NEW Motion Performance Corvettes Tribute Art Print” →

Dateline: 7.11.11
Wanna Drive With the Exotics in 1969? Bring a Boatload of Cash!

I stumbled upon the Baldwin Motion experience almost at the beginning. Actually, I couldn’t miss it! While the particular issue of CARS Magazine is long gone from my collection, I remember it well. A screaming yellow ‘68 Phase III SS-427 Corvette with deep-dish Cragar mags, ‘65-’67 Corvette factory side pipes, a ‘67 427 Corvette hood scoop parted on top of the ‘68 427 hood dome, and a Pontiac hood-mounted tach! WOW!!!

A car such as this had never been in my face before! I bought the magazine and my best friend, Steve Grasso and I POURED over every detail of the cover story for weeks. I took my week’s allowance and sent away for my Baldwin/Motion performance Group catalog and Motion sticker. Two buck, with postage! Worth all 200 pennies, AND, unlike that issue of CARS Magazine, I still have the catalog.

What I didn’t know was that I had been initiated into the high performance world of Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen and Marty “Mr. VETTE Magazine” Schorr. Joel went on to build dozens and dozens of hyper- performance Chevys, and CARS Magazine editor Marty Schorr would not only produce those wonderful “in your face” Motion ads and catalogs, but he would later found VETTE Magazine.

Click the above images to see the BIG versions

In June 2011 we launched www.BaldwinMotionReport.com and the first thing I posted was Continue reading “Vintage 1969 Baldwin/Motion Performance Group Catalog” →