Flash back to the 1970s. A Burnished Brown Chevelle with a white vinyl top, sporting redline tires and an SS grille? Sounds like a parents’ ride gussied up by a high school poseur. Anyone taking that first impression from this 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Baldwin Motion Phase III would be quick to part with whatever money they laid down on a street race. The epic partnership between Baldwin, New York Chevy dealer Baldwin Auto Company and nearby speed shop Motion Performance took Chevrolet performance to insane levels. This immaculately restored specimen is one of three “Phase III” 1969 Chevelles, and it can be yours with the high bid during the Mecum Auction in Kissimmee, Florida early January 2023. Mecum expects a hammer price on this sweet muscle car between $175,000 and $225,000. Check out more details and pictures here at Mecum. Thanks to reader Larry D. for spotting this rare and fearsome SS.
Multiple Chevrolet dealers leveraged the delicious COPO (Central Office Production Order) program to order batches of cars with big block motors unavailable through regular dealer showrooms. The Baldwin Motion partnership took things a step further, offering broader options like this two-tone Parchment interior and most notably the engine building and tuning expertise of Motion Performance, offering new car buyers a turn-key, GM-financed muscle car guaranteed to run 120 mph in 11.50 seconds or better in the quarter-mile. Wow! Thanks to Chevrolet and Supercars for some details. For reference, a 2022 Camaro SS runs the quarter mile at 118 in 12.1 seconds… on far superior modern tires.
You won’t see 11s on these tires, especially with the original 4.56 gears, but Motion’s Joel Rosen validated the speed shop’s installation of that gear set along with the hood-mounted tachometer, Sun gauge cluster below the dash, and the wood-rimmed steering wheel.
The dyno-tuned Phase III cars generally made 500+ HP, and the Baldwin Motion treatment did not come cheap, around $8000, more than the $7,110 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham, according to ConceptCarz.
Whether you’re a bidder on this super-rare Baldwin Motion Chevelle or an admirer from afar, its appeal cannot be denied. Turning buyers loose with a 120 MPH quarter-mile car invites legal liability even with today’s arsenal of safety features and advanced engineering. Doing that in 1969 was a whole different level of insanity. “Just sign this waiver, Mr. Ditchflipper, and you’re all set.” Would you bid on this hot Chevy with your PowerBall winnings?
I wouldn’t bid. At 62, I’m past any point of stoplight drags, and this specimen is the stuff of legends and is worth FAR, FAR too much run that way, anyway. This car needs a museum, like the one in FL. dedicated to muscle cars. (Maybe one of the other two Phase III’s is already there?)
If I had more money than sense i would buy it and park it in a air condition garage and spend my last few days admiring it, remembering of days gone by.
If I was rich I would only buy this with lots of documentation and also a certification from Rosen that this car is legit. There are alot of fakes out there…
You need to view the auction page, there is PLENTY of documentation.
I guess the Windshield Decal is original, looks sort of cheezy compared to the rest of the equipment and as far as the slush box, as my friend Milner from American Graffiti would say,
“Toad, what a waste of machinery”
actually it wasn’t Milner, got the pre-Alzheimers, one of Toad’s buddies
Frank
The windshield decal is added for the benefit of auction attendees to make it stand out, it isn’t a Motion item. Two things I find interesting is the hood tach appears to be from the Pontiac parts bin, with a sticker applied over the Pontiac name. The aftermarket Dixco tachs were taller, and had an adjustable redline pointer and had a different “face”. The biggest omission is the Hone Overdrive unit. With the OD engaged. A 4:56 gear set, as installed in this car would likely make the effective ratio around 3:25 or so.
Thanks, I’d heard of the Baldwin Motion models, didn’t realize they were this modified.
225k.for a 40k ss car..what an idiot..in these auctions..it’s just lookin for suckers.that dont.know what they are buying..
Um yeah, ok.
Randy U R correct,
Well there is an old saying ( more money than brains)
$225 is at the top end of the Mecum estimate, and with two drunk bidders with pockets full of cash, who knows what it could bring. It’s not exactly your average SS by any means.
If I had the cashola and was looking for the top dog Chevelle from the late 60’s, I’d get the Yenko SC Chevelle and would go out of my way to get it with the 4 speed, or the ‘70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6. The Baldwin Motion Chevelles are badass, but I just can’t tolerate a classic American muscle car with a slushbox. Takes all the fun out of the experience. Just my opinion, I know some folks will disagree, but a manual transmission is part of the fun that makes driving these cars a special occasion.
Drag cars are automatics. By 1965 the big 3 manufacturers had bullet proof automatics for drag racing. Many times the rear ends were left open, non posi, because the new car owner would yank out the rear end and suspension and put a 4 link w/a 9 bolt out back to hook on the track. These cars were modified soon as they got home. Factory stock means slow!
I already own a 69 SS chevelle, but if I had the money this would be in my garage. A 69 Baldwin Motion, Yenko, or COPO Chevelle are my dream cars.
Did anyone notice the lever on the passenger side of the transmission tunnel. I’ve never seen anything like it. I wonder what it does.
I believe it is for an overdrive system.
I don’t think there is a lever in photo…could just be part of the seat belt…
There is a lever there, easier to see if you enlarge the pic. I don’t know what it’s for though.
It is the actuating lever for the Hone Overdrive.
Right next to the shifter handle? I was thinking it’s the lever to slide the seat back and forth.
I agree with you I have a 68 El C0 That 69 Chevelle would look good In my garage
Rootbeer brown? White vinyl top? White seats and door cards? I would be embarrassed to drive this car. How many ways can you spell tacky?$225k….right…..
I guess your not ltalion. Brown was a color chosen out of respect to a certain BOSS back then
I’m not Italian either and have no idea what you are talking about but I am intrigued. Please tell us more.
This stumps me. Were the rims part of the set up package? It seems Chevy “SS” Rims would be the factory choice.
Real musclecar enthusiasts know that this legendary car has been on the cover of magazines many times and talked about by the musclecar community long before the car was restored. It is truly a one of a kind, being a Phase III with that drivetrain. A unique car like this is not for everyone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the bid level exceeds those expectations.
A real beauty, could bring top money, has Hone o.d. lever on right side of tunnel.
Mr. W. Fox, I’ve got a few years on you but would be proud as punch to be driving this piece of history with my granddaughter to show and shine 😀😀😀 And at this time of life be thankful for slush box lol
Wow. I find it hard to believe that someone could be on a car site such as this, and know so little about cars, that they could offer any kind of negative comment about this car. I am speechless. If I had the cash, it would be in my living room, so I could lay my hand on it while I watched Mannix, Starsky and Hutch, and even Batman, the TV show. I would also smoke em every now and then, just because I could. Slushbox? Who cares? I guess all of these car guys would also turn down a 70 Hemi Cuda if it had a slushbox. It’s not the transmission, it’s the car and the engine. A $40,000.00 car? Yeah, maybe 20 or 30 years ago. Today 40 thousand will get you a souped up VW………maybe, but not one of the ultimate muscle cars on the planet.
Great ride! Speed costs money, always has always will. Eight grand for an unruly hostile 427 Chevelle back then…hats off to the original gear head who ordered it!
I love those cars I have hours of cruising time in a 69 chevelle ss my buddy had.you would appreciate them more if you experienced driving one or owned one.i would drive it no matter what color they are looks cool. ps the advantage of an automatic is you don’t smell all the tire smoke coming up through the well broken in shifter boot.and I breathed a few burnouts