Vietnam Vet and Paraplegic, Dave Ankenbauer got one of the BADDEST Baldwin Motion street 454 Phase III Corvettes ever built!

By K. Scott Teeters.
Photos by Dave Belk and the Family of Dave Ankenbauer

Dateline: 6-22-17 (This story was first published in the March 2012 issue of Vette Vues Magazine) – Dave Belk is a car guy with a taste for supercars – Baldwin Motion supercars that is. Belk is the owner of QC Networks, manufacturer of school gymnasium supplies, in Wheatland, Iowa. Car guys love to troll the internet, looking for interesting cars for sale. That’s how Dave found his latest supercar, a one-owner, Baldwin-Motion 1972 Phase-III 454 Corvette that had been in a garage since 1985 – nearly 26 years! What Belk didn’t realize was that he had just entered into the world of a most unusual and unique young man that is no longer with us.
Our young patriot’s name was Dave Ankenbauer, from Covington, Kentucky. In 1969, at the young age of 18, Ankenbauer enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and after basic training, it was off to South East Asia, Vietnam in-country. Dave Ankenbauer was a decorated foot soldier and a good sharpshooter. About a year into his service, Dave was shot in the back during a fire fight and left paralyzed. Needless to say, Dave also received a Purple heart. Dave Ankenbauer’s sister, Darla Sharp Ankenbauer described her brother this way. “He was extremely fearless, outgoing, and a huge risk taker. Right after he was paralyzed, Dave took a trip to Thailand, by himself. He was worry free and a very giving person. He was a true free spirit – a man’s man.”

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Motion Performance Survivor Story: Dave Ankenbauer’s 1972 Phase-III 454 ZL-X Corvette” →

Dateline: 7.11.11
Wanna Drive With the Exotics in 1969? Bring a Boatload of Cash!

I stumbled upon the Baldwin Motion experience almost at the beginning. Actually, I couldn’t miss it! While the particular issue of CARS Magazine is long gone from my collection, I remember it well. A screaming yellow ‘68 Phase III SS-427 Corvette with deep-dish Cragar mags, ‘65-’67 Corvette factory side pipes, a ‘67 427 Corvette hood scoop parted on top of the ‘68 427 hood dome, and a Pontiac hood-mounted tach! WOW!!!

A car such as this had never been in my face before! I bought the magazine and my best friend, Steve Grasso and I POURED over every detail of the cover story for weeks. I took my week’s allowance and sent away for my Baldwin/Motion performance Group catalog and Motion sticker. Two buck, with postage! Worth all 200 pennies, AND, unlike that issue of CARS Magazine, I still have the catalog.

What I didn’t know was that I had been initiated into the high performance world of Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen and Marty “Mr. VETTE Magazine” Schorr. Joel went on to build dozens and dozens of hyper- performance Chevys, and CARS Magazine editor Marty Schorr would not only produce those wonderful “in your face” Motion ads and catalogs, but he would later found VETTE Magazine.

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In June 2011 we launched www.BaldwinMotionReport.com and the first thing I posted was Continue reading “Vintage 1969 Baldwin/Motion Performance Group Catalog” →