Although we are dedicated to the 1969 Ford and Mercury Aero Cars we occasionally like to step out and take a look at other rare Blue Oval cars. Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s there was a dealership in New York that was the place to go for hot Chevy’s. It was Motion Performance. It seemed like every magazine on the rack had a Motion Performance Chevy on the cover but there was one Ford that I never knew about until recently and it is for sale!
Many of us old dudes are familiar with the successful drag racing history of Motion Performance cars and Baldwin Chevrolet. Joel Rosen has long been noted for collaborating in the production of the first muscle car era’s most formidable big-block Chevy street and drag machines. Those Camaros and Corvettes graced the pages of virtually every performance magazine of the late 60s. Until recently, I never knew of the Motion Mustang but I certainly knew of the red and black Motion Performance Corvette!
Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the words Motion Performance were prominent in most car magazines. “Hi-Performance Cars” magazine had a special connection with Motion Performance through Editor Marty Schorr. As a result, the “Cars” magazine was the go-to mag for anything Motion. Schorr also did all of Motion’s marketing and ads. He also was on the ground floor of creating the concept of Motion Performance with Motion owner Joel Rosen.
It was a 1965 Ford that became one of the most accomplished cars ever associated with the Motion name. Chevrolet liked to refer to its new Camaro has the “Hugger” for its presumed road hugging suspension. This 1965 Ford Mustang K-code fastback was labeled as the “Hugger Mugger” for “mugging” all those “Hugger” Camaros!
This particular Ford did not come out of Baldwin Chevrolet. Fred Reimer purchased it new at Schnurmacher Ford in Hewlett, New York. In 1965, Reimer and his childhood pal Fred Greco campaigned it in search of Camaros to embarrass. The pair soon met another Ford drag racer, Larry Smith, who also was the service manager at Motion Performance. Smith introduced them to Motion owner Joel Rosen, and before long the Mustang was wearing Motion sponsorship on its flanks. I still wonder why a Chevy performance dealership would sponsor a Ford to challenge its own cars. Maybe he just wanted a Ford on the track for his Motion Cars to beat up on. If so, it did not work.
The Hugger Mugger Mustang still wears the gaggle of “kill stickers” it earned on the drag strip, accompanied by other period decals gathered from the National Council of Mustang Clubs, Ford’s “Muscle Power” from the old Muscle Parts program, and the Motion Supercar Club.
After a successful race history, they retired the car in 1974 and placed it in storage. In 2005, Fred Greco became the sole owner and returned it to its original racing configuration. A few years ago, it was sold by Mecum Auctions to Travis Meester. Today, it remains mostly unrestored except for the new Rangoon Red paint and new lettering by the original artist, Gary “Local Brush” Kupfer.
After a series of 289 engines, Smith fitted the Mustang with then-new Boss 302 heads. The Shelby hood, side scoops, and quarter windows are Day Two items added by Reimer in 1966. Only the engine, tires, and rear gears differ from the original racing setup. The engine is now a Tony Cary built Ford Racing Boss 302 using the Boss 302 heads and intake installed by Smith in the late ’60s. A vintage Hurst Super Shifter operates the original Toploader 4-speed, which transmits power to the 9-inch rear end equipped with a Holman-Moody nodular center section incorporating a Detroit Locker differential with 4.30:1 gears and 31-spline axles. Most of the original racing gear is still present, including a Moroso cable-driven tachometer, Stewart Warner gauges, Lakewood traction bars, and Mallory dual-point distributor. Vintage 14-inch ET wheels are up front and 15-inch Astros with new M/T slicks at the rear.
Here is your chance to own a piece of history. This Motion Mustang is for sale or trade!
If you are ready to step up to this Hugger Mugger Mustang, now is your chance. The owner is looking to sell this piece of history and may even consider an interesting trade. The asking price is $114,000, which seems reasonable for a car with a rich, unique history. If you are interested, contact Travis Meester at f355fts@gmail.com.
