Product Description

It was a driver's dream: Along with the full factory warranty, your car came with a guarantee of 11.5-second quarter-mile times. It was also Joel Rosen's dream, and in 1964, he set out to make it a reality. First he built fast cars. Then, taking a page from Ford's "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" strategy, he built a reputation by beating all comers on drag strips and in street races. By 1967, Rosen's Motion Performance was the place to go if you wanted a true muscle car--and, if you ordered a Baldwin-Motion Chevrolet, a muscle car with a full factory warranty. Motion Performance tells the inside story of how it all happened. Brilliantly illustrated with period pictures and modern color photos, the book takes readers along as Cobras, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, even Volkswagen Beetles roll into the shop to get torn down and rebuilt into cars unbeatable on the streets and drag strips. Marty Schorr gives a first-hand account of seven years of high-performance life--and of how it all came to a screeching halt at the hands of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. A once-in-a-lifetime tale of power and speed, told by one of the principals who put that performance within reach, Motion Performance makes the story of a briefly and thrillingly lived dream available to everyone.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27894 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780760335383
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

From the Inside Flap
In 1964, Joel Rosen and Marty Schorr decided to turn their high-performance dreams into high-performance reality. Calling the new entity Motion Performance, they started building some very, very fast street cars. To take things to the next level, Motion followed Ford's adage "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" and raced its cars at drag strips on weekends and on the streets at night. Those cars beat all comers and Motion started building a reputation.

By 1967, Motion Performance was recognized as the place to go if you wanted to build serious strength into your muscle car. To expand the franchise, Rosen and Schorr formed a legendary relationship with Baldwin Chevrolet, allowing any gearhead of the day to buy an 11.5-second car off the lot--and it came with a full factory warranty.

No other aftermarket muscle car tuner took the hands-on, no-stone-unturned approach followed by Motion: cars were rolled into the shop, torn apart, then rebuilt with the highest-quality components available at the time.

For 10 years, this high-performance flame burned on. Cobras, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, even Volkswagen Beetles were transformed into unbeatable cars that ruled the streets and drag strips. Then one day it all came to a screeching halt. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency threatened to levy fines of up to $50,000 per car Motion Performance sold. And that was that, the end of an amazing chapter of high-performance history.

This is the inside story of how the cars were built, who they were built for, and how they ruled the street and strip. And it's the story of the twenty-first-century resurrection of the Baldwin-Motion brand. Richly illustrated with both period and modern photography, author Marty Schorr knows where the bodies are buried and tells us how they got there.

From the Back Cover
In 1964, Joel Rosen and Marty Schorr set out to make muscle car history. Motion Performance tells the inside story of how it all happened, from racing Corvettes on the streets and drag strips of the East Coast to teaming up with Baldwin Chevrolet to create the legendary Baldwin-Motion muscle supercars; from the EPA shutting the whole thing down to the whole thing being reborn forty years later with the debut of the Baldwin-Motion 540 Camaro SuperCoupe. Brilliantly illustrated with period pictures and modern color photos, this book takes readers on a wild ride as Cobras, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, even Volkswagen Beetles roll into the shop to get torn down and rebuilt into cars unbeatable on the streets and strips. It's a once-in-a-lifetime tale of power and speed, told by one of the principals who put that performance within everyone's reach.

Customer Reviews

Must read for fans of everything Motion
I found this book to be very informative and extremely interesting. I have been a fan of all things Motion since I was a young boy and I was thrilled when I heard about this book coming out. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book and read it cover-to-cover in the first 2 days.
Great stories from the author and wonderful, never before seen photographs.

Motion Performance:Tales of a Muscle Car Builder. Awesome!
I just received my copy, It is a Great Read, Nicely done hardcover(No dustjacket) Inside has nice artwork, B&w And Color,ads, History, How Joel Rosen and Mrs.Rosen Built Motion along with Baldwin Chevrolet, The Camaros,The Novas,Chevelles,Biscaynes,Corvettes! I love the Corvette Coverage, Oldham's Introduction is Great, Schorr's Writing is informative.Just like Oldham Said, In the 60's if you were under 30, you were either an Hippie or a Muscle Car/Racer. This book is a Must for any Corvette,Chevy,Gm Or Muscle Car Person!

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
I enjoyed the book. It was a nice read, keeping ones interest with
Marty's style of writing. A good story teller approach that clears
up many unanswered questions of the phenom know as Motion Performance.
I remember alot of the photos from back in the day and enjoyed the ones
that I never saw. I was very pleased to see the tribute that was paid
to Charlie Snyder and the Ko-Motion Corvette, and the resurfacing of
this truly legendary car thanks to Glen Speilberg.
Loved the inner cover art of both Motion and Baldwin Chevy.
That would make a great wall covering in a "car guys" garage.
best of luck with the sales Marty.

Bill Giaccio
Queens County, New York