Not the largest by sales volume, but certainly the most prolific of all niche-market Chevrolet super-performance builders-marketers of the 1960s-1970s, Baldwin-Motion was well represented at this year’s MCACN (Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals), showcasing a dozen examples of Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen’s prize offerings.
While undocumented “Tributes” or “Clones” are banned, an exception this year was made for the striking SS427 ’69 Camaro recreation owned by Joe Oldham. Invited by Joel Rosen, Oldham’s triple-black Camaro, above, is a tribute to the original Baldwin-Motion SS427 that he ordered new from Joel. It was stolen some six months after delivery and never recovered.
Oldham’s Camaro holds a special place in Baldwin-Motion history, as it was the car I photographed for our 1969 Camaro advertising campaign. It was the subject of some of the specialty car builder’s most iconic advertisements: WANTED! Outrageous!, left, and, the moment of truth. It won a special “Pick Award”
at MCACN 2013.
Also for the first time at MCACN, Joel Rosen displayed his own Baldwin-Motion Camaro. It’s a supercharged 800-horsepower 2011 Phase III 427 SC Camaro, Serial #001, built when Rosen and Howard Tanner re-launched the Baldwin-Motion brand in 2010. Powered by a highly modified LS7, it has serious suspension and brakes to match, making it truly awesome on
the street, drag strip or road course.
There were no less than two ’68 L88 Camaros, the ex-Lud Renner RS/SS owned by Wayne Schmeeckle (won an Award at the show) and Mark Hassett’s Phase III. In addition to Joe Oldham’s ’69 SS427 Camaro Tribute, Mike Nightengale brought his ’69 Phase III RS/SS 427. Les Quam displayed his green Phase III 454 Gen II ’70 Camaro; Wayne Schmeeckle had his red ’71 Phase III 454 Camaro.
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