Joel Rosen – Pulpaddict

‘MAXIMUM BOB’ LUTZ, MODEL-BUILDER!

In his retirement years, 92-year-old consummate carguy and 47-year automotive industry executive has a new title: ‘MAXIMUM BOB’ LUTZ, MODEL-BUILDER!

‘MAXIMUM BOB’ LUTZ, MODEL-BUILDER!

While Robert A. Lutz, best known as “Maximum Bob”, was a top executive at BMW, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, retiring as Vice-Chairman of GM in 2010, he collected scale models of iconic military airplanes, including ones that he owned and piloted. He also collected models of specialty cars. His go-to guy was Joel Rosen, best known for Baldwin-Motion Chevrolet Supercars, later owning Motion Models. Rosen created incredibly detailed models that graced his home and work offices, the last ones while Lutz was at GM, photo above. He passed away last year and Motion Models ceased production. Now he’s creating his own models.

Graham Heeps writes about the 92-year-old retired automotive executive who is still creating automotive and aeronautical legends! Like many car enthusiasts, I mess around with model making when I get the time, like customizing a Hot Wheels diecast or building a plastic kit. But scratch-building a highly accurate 1930s racecar from paper? That’s an entirely different level.

Bob Lutz brought his passion for cars, attention to detail and feel for good design to an almost-50-year career as a senior executive with BMW, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. He had a hand in the creation of many iconic machines, from the Dodge Viper, to the Ford Sierra, to the Chevrolet Volt, and was instrumental in the emergence of BMW M. Now aged 92, and more than a decade on from his retirement from GM, he channels those same qualities into the creation of unique, 1:24-scale paper replicas of classic sports and racing cars – all designed from scratch and built by Lutz using techniques he has practiced, perfected and even invented along the way.

Continue reading about ‘MAXIMUM BOB’ LUTZ, MODEL-BUILDER! @ https://www.hemmings.com/stories/at-91-bob-lutz-is-still-creating-fabulous-carsout-of-paper/?uemlid=e323c71347790f699ba35a9dc01d49ac3f938885a7df6321087c8c9b4c0dd333

JOEL ROSEN, AKA MR. MOTION

Legendary builder of Baldwin-Motion Supercars and national record setting A & B/Modified big-block Camaros and Shelby Cobras – JOEL ROSEN, AKA MR. MOTION – has passed away.

Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen, Delray Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on October 9^th, 2023, after battling bladder cancer for more than a year. He was just two weeks shy of his 84^th birthday, and had been admitted to Hospice Care on September 30^th.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1939, he graduated from James Madison High School at age 16 and attended Brooklyn College, majoring in Engineering. Frustrated by the lack of hands-on experience available, he left after two years and joined the Air Force.

It was at the Reciprocating Engine Mechanics School at Shepherd Air Force Base in Texas where Rosen honed his skills as an engine tuner, diagnostician and builder. He also led the the General’s Drill Team while at Shepherd AFB.

Driven by a competitive spirit and an endless passion for fast cars and racing, in 1963 JOEL ROSEN, AKA MR. MOTION opened a small speed shop – Motion Performance – in Brooklyn specializing in performance modifications and racecar preparation. It was one of the only shops of its kind in the New York City area to have a Clayton chassis dynamometer and offer high-tech tuning.Approximately three years later he and his wife, Judith, relocated Motion Performance to a considerably larger facility on Sunrise Highway in Baldwin, Long Island, where it was operational into the 1990s. Shortly after opening Motion, Rosen purchased the first fuel-injected ’63 Corvette split-window coupe sold in the New York City Metro area! Nicknamed the Skunk because of its Daytona Blue paint with a bold single white racing stripe, it was prepped for competition, and raced by both by Joel and Judith Rosen as well as being driven daily. The Rosens drag raced and soloed the Skunk, finishing the 1963 SSSC & BDS (South Shore Sports Car & Beer Drinking Society) gymkhana season with “Overall Champion” honors. The Sting Ray was also a local drag racing champion.

“Each Wednesday evening, we ran at Roosevelt Raceway (eighth-mile drags), Fridays it was Islip (eighth-mile drags) and Saturdays it was Westhampton (quarter-mile drags). Sundays were reserved for road racing and solo gymkhana events,” said Rosen in a magazine interview. “One Wednesday night I won Stock Eliminator at Roosevelt, blowing the doors off the undefeated local champ, Gary Stowe, in his 409 Impala. I also unseated the reigning Islip champ (modified 409/425 Chevy) the first time out. Judith and I raced the Skunk between four and five times a week.”

The Rosens’ dyno-tuned, Atlas-Bucron-shod street-driven split-window Fuelie coupe became the car to beat at Roosevelt in 1963. It also was a consistent Street Eliminator winner at Islip. That year Mr. & Mrs. Motion won the LISCA (Long Island Sports Car Association) Championship, and filled one room in their home with more than 100 trophies and awards! In addition to Judith racing alongside her husband, in the early years she helped build the speed shop business by working behind the counter, helping customers and selling speed equipment.

During 1965 and 1966 Joel Rosen campaigned not one but two national record-holding Cobras – the small-block MOTION Cobra and Clem Hoppe’s big-block King Cobra. While he did have help from Shelby-American’s Don McCain in converting his street 289 into a Motion Dragonsnake, Rosen prepared and campaigned the 427 Cobra without any outside support. After wrecking his 289 Cobra, he continued tuning and racing Hoppe’s Ridgefield, NJ-based King Cobra. However, the small-block Motion Cobra originally owned by high profile disc jockey, Bob Dayton known on-air as “Bobby Dee” is the one that started it all. Both Cobras were built and driven by Rosen, and set track, NASCAR and NHRA National records. Irwin Kroiz is the current caretaker of the King Cobra.

In 1967, JOEL ROSEN, AKA MR. MOTION and friend and editor of HI-PERFORMANCE CARS magazine, Marty Schorr, co-founded the Baldwin-Motion brand which grew to become one of the most successful builders and marketers of limited-production brand new Chevrolet Supercars. Rosen was one of the early (drag racing) adopters of Chevrolet’s big-block L88 road racing engine, fitting it into the first Baldwin-Motion 427 Camaro racecar, sponsored by Hi-PERFORMANCE CARS. The second application was the iconic KO-MOTION I967 Corvette. The L88 engine was available on any Baldwin-Motion Chevy. Baldwin-Motion offered the most performance and custom options of any Chevrolet or Ford specialty car builder, including Shelby-American!

Mr. Motion – the dyno-tuning speed merchant from Brooklyn – turned 427 & 454 engine swaps into an empire, building ultimate performance Chevrolets, many being exported to Canada, the Middle East, England, Norway and Germany. Joel Rosen’s story and the history of Motion and Baldwin-Motion are the subjects of a book, MOTION Performance Tales Of A Muscle Car Builder by Martyn L. Schorr, winner of the 2010 International Automotive Media Silver Award. It’s available on Amazon @ https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Performance-Tales-Muscle-Builder/dp/0760355606/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493151743&sr=1-1&keywords=MOTION Performance, Tales of a muscle car builder

When Baldwin-Motion started producing serious high-performance Corvette Stingrays in 1968, Rosen was befriended by the Corvette’s Godfather, Zora Arkus-Duntov. He later introduced Joel to Chevrolet’s head performance guy, Vince Piggins, a close personal friend of road racer Don Yenko who was also building 427 Camaros. Over the years, JOEL ROSEN, AKA MR. MOTION founded a number of companies, adding Motion Minicar (with Bill Mitchell and Marty Schorr), Phase III Publishing (with Marty Schorr), Motion Marine and Motion Realty to the Motion portfolio.

While best known for his signature Baldwin-Motion and Motion branded Chevrolet Supercars and AHRA-NHRA National Record holding A & B/Modified Production Gen 1 & Gen 2 Camaros, L88 Corvette, small & big-block Shelby Cobra racecars and Motion Minicar’s H/Gas Thunderbug, Joel Rosen’s passions also included a love of animals and marine life. He was an accomplished diver, underwater photographer, and during the 1980s was the largest breeder of rare boas and pythons in the U.S. He was an expert on breeding ultra-rare snakes, including the Australian black-headed Python, and often consulted for zoos here and abroad.

Fascinated by 18^th and 19^th century life in Japan, his years of studying Japanese culture led to him and Judith amassing the largest collection of rare vintage Ningyo dolls outside of Japan. Many of their dolls have been showcased in museums and shows in the U.S., and featured in prestigious books. Joel Rosen was considered an expert in the field.

Many years had passed since Motion and Baldwin-Motion’s glory days, but in 2005 Joel Rosen partnered with Joel Ehrenpreis and Larry Jaworske to bring the brands back to life. Marty Schorr was brought in to handle public relations, marketing communications and advertising.Rosen, center, and Larry Jaworske, right were the guiding forces behind MOTION, LLC’s 540 Camaro SuperCoupe and the new generation, limited-edition 1969 Baldwin-Motion SS-427 and Phase III big-block Camaros.The new 540 SuperCoupe, launched at the 2005 SEMA Show where it won GM’s Best Design Award, represents a quantum leap beyond anything previously badged Baldwin-Motion. An article in the April 2006 issue of MUSCLECAR ENTHUSIAST referred to the SuperCoupe as “America’s Greatest Supercar.”

The SuperCoupe, purchased at the 2006 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction by mega-collector Ron Pratte for $486,000 (including buyer’s premium) further validated the revival and value of the Motion and Baldwin-Motion brands. It paved the way for the second stage of the iconic brands: A limited build of 1969 SS-427 and Phase III Baldwin-Motion Camaros announced in March 2006. Total production of new Baldwin-Motion Chevys was capped at just 12 vehicles.

When the Gen V Camaro was introduced, Joel Rosen partnered with Howard Tanner at Redline Motorsports and Dan Carlton at DeNooyer Chevrolet to produce a new series of 2011 SS and Phase III Camaros with 427 and 454 engines rated at 525 to 800 horsepower. Just a few were built, with Rosen taking delivery of the first, a Phase III 427-SC powered by a serious 800 horsepower supercharged 454 big-block.

In 2021, JOEL ROSEN, AKA MR. MOTION made a decision to retire, selling his Phase III 427-SC Camaro to Chevrolet performance enthusiast, Kasey Alford. Alford also purchased all of Rosen’s archived Motion and Baldwin-Motion paperwork and is now the source for documenting high-performance cars built at Motion Performance. He is the new Mr. Motion and can be contacted at officialmotionperformance@gmail.com

Joel Rosen was a loving husband, father and grandfather and is survived by Judith, his spouse of 62 years, daughter Robin Sue Rosen, son Shawn Rosen, daughter-in law, Robin Rosen, and grandchildren Zachary, Travis and Bailey Rosen. His favorite pets – Ragnar (dog) and Archie (Kinkajou) also survive him. RIP Mr. Motion!

CHEVY 427 BISCAYNE: STREET RACER’S SPECIAL

BALDWIN-MOTION’S CHEVY 427 BISCAYNE: STREET RACER’S SPECIAL offered the most blast-for-the-buck, plus the element of surprise.

In 1978, Baldwin-Motion offered enthusiasts the largest selection of modified brand new Chevys in the field. In addition to its base 425-horsepower SS-427 Camaro and 500-plus-horsepower Phase III model, the Fantastic Five lineup included 427 Novas, Chevelles, Corvettes, or even a low-rent, full-size Biscayne. All nameplates could be fitted with a myriad of performance, comfort and convenience options. The selection listed in the Baldwin-Motion catalog included 25 Special Performance Options and over 35 Regular Production Options. Prices started at under-$3,000 for the 427 Biscayne Street Racer’s Special.

Overshadowed by the SS-427 Impala in the late-1960s, few enthusiasts were aware that Chevrolet was building a low-end, two-door “post” Biscayne that could be optioned with a 425 horsepower 427 big-block and four-on-the-floor. Even fewer were those who knew in 1968 that Joel Rosen, left, Baldwin-Motion was marketing an entry-level CHEVY 427 BISCAYNE: STREET RACER’S SPECIAL. Unlike typical recipients of swapped 427s, SS & Phase III Supercars, the SS-427Street Racer’s Special came with a dyno-tuned, factory-installed 427/425 big-block, close-ratio four-speed, Posi rear, F41 suspension with rear sway bar, HD radiator and distinctive badging. The cost: $2,998.00!

The overwhelming majority of production full-size Chevys with 427s were fitted with hydraulic-lifter 385-horsepower versions of the venerable big-block. Baldwin-Motion’s Biscayne came with the solid-lifter L72 Turbo-Jet 427 with 11-to-l forged aluminum pistons, solid-lifter .491/.495-inch-lift camshaft, 785-cfm Holley four-barrel on an aluminum high-rise manifold, dual-point ignition and tuned cast-iron exhaust manifolds.

In 1968 Joel Rosen and testers at CARS Magazine took the CHEVY 427 BISCAYNE: STREET RACER’S SPECIAL featured here to Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. The results were truly impressive, considering the hulking sedan weighed in at approximately 3,600 pounds and was shod with optional street performance tires. After a number of 13.88-14.00-second runs, Rosen played with the plugs and timing and ran a best of the day – a tick over 100 mph in 13.40 seconds! Running against the stopwatch, CARS staffers recorded a number of 6.4 to 6.8-second 0 to 60 mph sprints.

According to Rosen, “Most CHEVY 427 BISCAYNE: STREET RACER’S SPECIAL that we built actually had transaction prices in the mid-$4,000 price range. The base 427/425 Biscayne at $2,998.00 came with slow manual steering, non-power brakes and bench seating. Only dyno-tuning and status badging plus unique Baldwin-Motion options distinguished it from a factory stocker.”Rosen carried over the SS-427 Biscayne Street Racer’s Special for the 1969 model year ($3,098.88) and offered it along with an SS-427 Impala ($3,495.95). Both were rated at 450 horsepower. Options included an L88 aluminum head 427 and an all-aluminum ZL1, although records do not show that any were built.

The Fantastic Five lineup of super-performance Chevys offered something for everyone and reinforced Baldwin-Motion’s position as the most prolific Chevy Supercar builder in the marketplace. The bargain-priced member of the Fantastic Five – CHEVY 427 BISCAYNE: STREET RACER’S SPECIAL – could also be optioned for serious street or track racing.

For more information about the history & heritage of Baldwin-Motion and MOTION, check out, MOTION Performance, Tales Of A Muscle Car Builder, http://www.amazon.com/Motion-Performance-Tales-Muscle-Builder/dp/0760335389

MOTION MINICAR VW THUNDERBUG

After setting records for two years in Baldwin-Motion’s A/MP Camaro, in 1970 Bill Mitchell shrinks the Supercar and continues his winning ways driving the MOTION MINICAR VW THUNDERBUG.

New model introductions for 1970 reinforced Detroit’s accelerating love affair with performance. It was a new decade and carmakers continued seducing buyers with the most powerful Ponycars and Supercars yet. It was a boom year for Motown Muscle. And it was a record year for Baldwin-Motion and Motion Performance.

However, Joel Rosen had serious doubts about how long the horsepower wars would continue. By 1970 he had already established lines of communication with engineers at Chevrolet and Oldsmobile and he was getting mixed messages regarding the future of industry involvement with performance. While some engineers were optimistic about higher-output engines and racing packages, others forecasted a dim future. Some predicted that environmental and safety issues would sound the death knell for performance cars. They ended up being the true visionaries!

Concerned about the future, Rosen evaluated alternatives, eventually focusing on specialty vehicles powered by hot-rodded VW engines.“I felt strongly that we could apply our proven Motion branding and marketing philosophy to more affordable VW-powered vehicles,” said Rosen. It was a significant leap of faith for the man who believed that there really was no substitute for cubic inches. He would learn that less could actually be more!

Rosen partnered with Bill Mitchell and me in 1970, opening Motion Minicar adjacent to Motion Performance. It would remain an integral part of the Motion complex until 1975 when business slowed and Mitchell left to spend more time racing.

Following the successful Motion business model, Mitchell installed an engine dyno and built high-performance street VWs, dune buggies, and record-shattering racecars. I worked with Mitchell and Rosen to create the Thunderbug and Motion Minicar brands and the programs to market them. Mitchell developed a potent line of Phase III VW engines – from an 85-horsepower, 1.4-Liter daily driver to a 150-horsepower, 2.2-Liter Street Eliminator with 48-mm Webers.

Between Mitchell’s unstoppable MOTION MINICAR VW THUNDERBUG and Porsche-bodied racecars that dominated H/Gas competition from 1971 to 1973 and customized high-performance dune buggies, Motion Minicar became a major player in the emerging hot VW field. In late 1971 Motion Minicar dune buggies and a Phase III VW Thunderbug were featured on New York’s WNEW TV-5 Evening News. Popular TV sportscaster Lee Leonard put Minicar’s hottest vehicles to the test on Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach.

That TV spot led to the prestigious placement of Minicar dune buggies in the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Showroom on Fifth Avenue and 56th Street in New York City. The exhibit showcased creative applications of fiberglass-reinforced plastics. A diplomat from Haiti’s embassy happened to photograph the Minicar display. This started a chain of events that eventually lead to the building a dune buggy for Haiti’s notorious Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier. Papa Doc ordered it as a surprise birthday present for his son, Jean-Claude, better known as “Baby Doc.”

“When completed, I put the Metalflake buggy on our racecar trailer and delivered it to the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City where Baby Doc was celebrating his birthday. We gift-wrapped it with huge ribbons in front of the hotel and gave the keys to Haitian security officers. After the party it was crated and put on a freighter bound for Haiti,” said Mitchell.

It was the radically chopped, record-setting, VW-bodied MOTION MINICAR VW THUNDERBUG that catapulted Motion Minicar into the national limelight in 1972. A fiberglass-bodied, tube-frame H/Gas racecar, it replaced Minicar’s earlier 1970 Thunderbug that had a stock-height body. Sitting just 47 inches off the ground, the new Thunderbug’s body was secured to tubular steel rails with Dzus fasteners and could be completely removed in minutes. Its nose and primary body assembly tilted for suspension and engine access.

Power for the Gasser came from a 245 horsepower (at 7,300 rpm), Mitchell-built 2,180-cc motor. The 13.7-to-l “hand grenade” motor was fitted with Scat 82-mm forged steel crank, 92-mm forged aluminum pistons on Porsche rods, .500-inch-lift Thunderbug cam, ported and polished dual-port Thunderbug heads with 42-mm intake and 35.5-mm exhaust valves, a pair of 48 IDA Webers and a Vertex magneto. A close-ratio four-speed Porsche transaxle with 4.44 gears and ZF “locker” completed the powertrain. It was available as a crate engine for customers.

Mitchell started setting records with the chopped yellow MOTION MINICAR VW THUNDERBUG almost immediately after sorting it out. On April 29, 1972, he ran 116.88 mph in 11.09 seconds against an 11.51 record at the NHRA Division 2 Points Meet at Suffolk Raceway in Virginia. During the Eliminations, Mitchell posted unbelievable 11.04s-11.06s. During that weekend in Virginia, Bill Mitchell nailed a total of 16 IHRA and NHRA National Records! He set four ET and four MPH records, running in G, I, J and K/Gas at the IHRA Nationals on Saturday at Colonial Beach. The next day at the NHRA meet at Suffolk Raceway, Mitchell collected eight more records!

At the NHRA Points Meet at Suffolk, Motion ruled the day. Mitchell took the H/Gas win in the Thunderbug and Dennis Ferrara, driving the Baldwin-Motion big-block Camaro, won A/Modified Production. Both cars set records and ended up running against each other for Eliminator. Cubic inches ruled and the Camaro took the gold.

Bill Mitchell continued his winning ways, “owning” the NHRA H/Gas record in 1972 and 1973. In late 1973 Mitchell built a chopped 911 Porsche to replace the yellow Thunderbug. The Porsche, fitted with a fiberglass body and carryover Thunderbug race engine, sat on a Richie Sullivan chassis. The folks at NHRA were not happy when Mitchell started running the new car. It obliterated existing records, running consistent 10.20s. It was too quick, prompting NHRA to change the rules. Mitchell didn’t want to play NHRA’s game and retired the “slammed” Porsche.

By 1975 the hot VW business had run its course and Mitchell wanted to spend more time racing. In the spring of 1975, we closed Minicar’s doors. Mitchell continued to drive racecars for five years and then moved on to launch Bill Mitchell HARDCORE Racing Products and World Products.

For the full story on the MOTION MINICAR VW THUNDERBUG, Motion and Baldwin-Motion, check out https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Performance-Tales-Muscle-Builder/dp/0760355606/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493151743&sr=1-1&keywords=MOTION Performance, Tales of a muscle car builder

BALDWIN-MOTION PHASE III SS427 CAMARO

A rare, fully-documented ‘69 BALDWIN-MOTION PHASE III SS427 CAMARO, just out of a major collection, lands on Bring A Trailer. Let the bidding wars begin!

It’s not often that a real-deal Baldwin-Motion Camaro, complete with documentation, paper trail and a history of time spent in major Musclecar collections, comes up for sale. Quality cars, like this one, usually change hands through private sales. Most of the ones you see on auction sites have stories, stories without a good ending!

This one is the real deal. I personally know this car from times it was owned by the late collector, Steve Sandlin, and then in the incredible Kevin Suydam collection in Seattle, WA. Its current owner is having it showcased on BAT right now. BTW: I was the Baldwin-Motion brand’s co-founder with Joel Rosen in 1967 and author of https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Performance-Tales-Muscle-Builder/dp/0760355606/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493151743&sr=1-1&keywords=MOTION Performance, Tales of a muscle car builder

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS is said to be one of seven Phase III models modified by Motion Performance, Inc. of Baldwin, New York, during their partnership with Baldwin Chevrolet. The two companies partnered in 1967 and began offering customized high-performance Chevrolets through the Baldwin Chevrolet dealership franchise. Baldwin-Motion modifications on this example include a stinger-style hood, Holley four-barrel carburetor, Phase III electronic ignition system, an Edelbrock intake manifold, and a Mallory distributor as well as exhaust headers, a SureShift shift kit, raised suspension, traction bars, staggered five-spoke wheels, and dual electric fuel pumps.

Finished in Dusk Blue with white stripes over black and is powered by a 427-inch V8 paired with a modified TH400 three-speed automatic transmission. The 427-inch V-8 was installed by Motion Performance in place of the factory 396 V-8. A rotisserie-style refurbishment was completed before the seller acquired the car in 2022. This Phase III Camaro is offered in Pennsylvania with an order invoice, manufacturer’s literature, sales documents from Baldwin Chevrolet, a Protect-O-Plate, correspondence from Motion Performance, memorabilia, refurbishment photos, and a clean Arizona title in the seller’s name.

The BALDWIN-MOTION PHASE III SS427 CAMARO, finished in Dusk Blue with white hockey stick stripes was repainted during previous ownership. Features include a stinger-style hood, black SS front grille and rear tail panel, hood pins, a fender-mounted antenna, polished rocker moldings, SS427 badges, chrome bumpers, and a dual-outlet exhaust that exits below the rear bumper.

A Motion Performance invoice, sales documents from Baldwin Chevrolet, a Protect-O-Plate, manufacturer’s literature, documenting correspondence from Motion Performance, and two 1:18 die-cast models of the car are included in the sale.

Check out this incredible BALDWIN-MOTION PHASE III SS427 CAMARO @ https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-chevrolet-camaro-rs-ss-91/