Re: B-Motion Prod. #'s Bogus?
It is difficult to even estimate the number of cars Motion built but I believe he sold at least 50 1967 427 Camaros. An editorial in the Nov. 1967 CARS Magazine states that Motion built over 25 1967 427 Camaros and a few Chevelles in the first few months of 1967. In the same magazine there is a Motion ad thanking CARS Magazine for sponsoring the 1967 Motion SS-427 Camaro drag car which set two national AHRA records in 1967. They were: B/Hot Rod-F2 (122.44, 11.37) and B/ Modified Production-F2 (122.95, 11.33).
I believe that in order to race in AHRA classes you had to prove that your car was one of at least 50 cars built from an approved manufacturer. I have read that the Chevrolet Engineering Product Performance Group (Vince Piggin's covert racing dept.) supported the independents, who just happened to be tied in with Chevy dealers, to build at least 50 427 Camaros each to get them on the drag strip. Chevy needed to kick some Mustang butt to sell more Camaros. Bill Thomas Race Cars & Nickey/Harrell, Dana, Yenko/Harrell, and Motion/Baldwin, all had a previous history with race cars. As a side note, a guy named Mike Garfinkel who was a 1966 AHRA national champ., ran a 1967 427 Camaro sponsored by "Yenko Camaro Dealers" and by Dick Harrell. Harrell drove the car himself at the AHRA Spring Nationals in Odessa, TX.
I beleive Yenko sold at least 450 Supercars from 67 to 69 and Motion claimed in thier ads to be the largest Chevy Hi Performance dealer. I wonder how accurate Joel's records are. Don Yenko over stated his production numbers in an interview right before he died - or maybe just didn't remember them correctly.
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