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In the comments section, a fellow mentioned his uncle buying what he thought was the last Studebaker built, an Olive Green Metallic '66 Wagonaire with the 230 six and off-white vinyl interior. He said the dealer kept trying to buy it back from him, but he didn't sell. Then someone kept calling him about the car, and the uncle said "If you buy me a Chrysler I like down at the dealer, we'll trade even up"--and the guy supposedly did. He knew the car supposedly ended up in a museum but he hadn't seen the car in decades it sounds like.
That story sounded familiar to me and I dug a little bit in the S.D.C. forum and found these pics--this is the car and it was in Harrah's collection in Reno but I don't know where it is now. The serial no. is mentioned in another thread. It is the next-to-last Studebaker built. The last Studebaker built is in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend.
Anyway, Olive Green Metallic was a spring color and is quite rare, and I like it with the white interior. What a nice, functional, 113-inch wheelbase station wagon--and again, only one of 940.
A friend has a 65 Ford convertible. He found a 289 engine frame in California and used it to replace his apparently rusted or damaged frame because his car has the original 289 cu in engine. I had to think back because my 67 Mustang had the 289 cu in engine with 3 on floor and was quick but not super fast. Add a lot of weight for a full size car and that has to be a slow car with the automatic transmission.
But it's original.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
there for being such a heavy car. Floor the thing and that trans wound out like
crazy up to some high speed I'd have thought not likely because of the
way the torque converter worked with the low gear.
A coworker offered the Chev to me at a low price when a lady rear-ended my 67 Mustang.
The car was stored in a cattle barn on the family farm. Sort of an extra car they
had kept rather than trading. The humidity from the cows and the sludge
in the winter meant it was already ahead of its time on rusting from when it
had been driven on the salted roads. Add a couple of scrapes on the car, and
it was a perfect filler car until my new Mustang came in.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I like '61 Chevrolets a lot. They're one of my favorite years. Funny how one thing I get hung-up on about them, is when you got the pushbutton radio, it spells "CHEVY" on the buttons. That disappeared for '62. I just think it's cheesy. It's not a Chevy van or Chevy II, it's a Chevrolet! Impala is a top-of-the-line! LOL I'd have to find one with a straight-line tuning radio!
I have serious lust for that car (as do most Studebaker guys). R1 engine, 240 hp, 10.25 to 1 compression, 4-speed, 50/50 split bench cloth seats, in-dash tach, Twin Traction, disc brakes. The R1 got you chrome valve covers and dipstick handle, and brushed-metal air cleaner. The styling is handsome for a 1964-model domestic compact. 109 inch wheelbase.
That’s really cool that Studebaker kept that car for people to be able to view.
The selling dealer never had a clue until a friend of his saw it in the Stude Museum with the dealer's name on the window sticker. That dealer, in his 80's by that time, took the bus to South Bend, walked in the museum and said, "I hear you have my car". His picture was taken with the car and an article appeared in newspapers about it. This was probably about 15 years ago.
Actually, this predated the Lark. In the mid-50s when Studebaker designed the previous line they put the sedans on the shorter wheelbase. I always thought they looked stubby and would have sold better if they had put them on the longer Hawk chassis.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
A long(er) wheelbase Lark was introduced for '61, the Cruiser. In '62, all four-door Larks had the same, longer wheelbase (four inches longer than two-doors).
I much-prefer the '62 and later Lark-types, and in two-doors especially like the '64. The '59 and '60 sold the best though. When parking any other domestic of the same year next to them, they really were a simpler style, even compared to Rambler, and were the best interior use-of-space out there.
On FB a guy just posted that he bought this solid '64 Daytona Hardtop in need of paint. Nice find I'd say.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
Agreed. Even the 23.6 mile last U.S.-built '64 Daytona has warpage at the top vinyl portion of the dash, above the glovebox.
This angle makes the car look like it has fins. It doesn't, but from overhead, the sculpturing around the decklid makes it look that way.
Looks like a Champ in the background:
Those wheel covers are the same ones my Cruiser came with. I like them but they have those ridiculous clips and you can't check the air in the tires without pulling the wheel cover away from the wheel.
That is definitely a Champ. My guess is that pic was taken after Stude was gone but the dealership kept their Champ service truck. I know a guy in FL whose grandparents and parents had owned a Stude-MB dealership and he has pics, too, of when Stude was gone but the dealership was still using their Champ.
Truth be told, the car does look better without fins, but it's making his '59 look like a '56 Power Hawk!
Also seen on W112 coupes and sedans in 1961 (but only at front for the sedan, as the rear becomes a flourish for the fin):
And of course it became a popular aftermarket item in the 70s.
Probably some concurrent evolution at play, as I doubt either one was really influencing the other.
As someone who sees MB kind of taking over the Packard position in the US market, these links and similarities are interesting to me.
With few exceptions, Euro styling lagged the US for a long time - 30s until the late 60s at least. Of course, the war didn't help European makes - but even looking at a 39 Ford compared to a 39 MB, one can see different paths. Then in the 70s to my eyes anyway, Euro designs started becoming more modern and set the pace for a long time.
Still a good looking design. But I must admit I like the Cruisers better than the Avanti. Just something about that compact design and Merc-like grille that makes me happy.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Too bad obnoxious Reggie is the owner!
The Champ gets good-natured grief about the wide bed being wider than the cab, but at least the styling blends well with the cab as far as feature lines and wheel openings. I'd have to have the long, wide bed, as above. The old style (exterior fenders; double-walled) bed was last offered in '62.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])