Postwar Studebakers

thebean

Thanks, @texases

I appreciate the link/info.

uplanderguy

I know the owner of the red '64! He's the Archivist at the Studebaker National Museum! I can always tell his car by the wheels, and that the 'parallelogram/8' emblems are missing from the front fenders!

I particularly like the front end styling of the '64. I'll admit a good bit of the 'Mercedes bends' (to paraphrase from "Hotel California"!) are gone on the '64. I owned both '63 and '64 Daytona hardtops.

Brooks Stevens designed Larks and Hawks in the '62-64 years. Those years are my absolute favorite years at Studebaker.

Hard to tell, but the doors and the rear quarters are the same for '63 and '64. (Glass is different)

I have read over the years that Stevens spent less money making the '64 from the '63, than he did making the '63 from the '62. Studebaker definitely got more for their redesign bucks with the '64.

uplanderguy

I get no kick from saying this, but in the '63 photo above, the age of those gentlemen is about what I remember in our town, from folks who drove later Studebakers. For some reason, I picture the taller guy in the photo being the dealer owner or salesman, and the shorter fellow the owner/customer. My bet is that this wasn't his first Studebaker.

fintail

I was going to say something about that Stude pic relartive to the "old man car" discussion. Although some of these Studes could be ordered with equipment that wasn't stodgy.

uplanderguy

Seen by me on the "Low Miles, No Miles" FB page this morning, although it was posted a couple years ago. '65 Commander with six-cylinder; 15K miles. Nice pic.

Brooks Stevens was an industrial designer, and to my eyes, the Studes he designed in that period were clean and simple, lacking the "STYLING!!!!!" the Big Three cars tended to hit you over the head with. MHO only.

thebean

@uplanderguy, I agree fully. Even though the era of fins was gone by this time, a lot of the iron Detroit put out was indeed over styled. Look at the ‘65 Impala with the inefficient space usage, compared to this Stude. Much nicer proportions on the Stude and pleasing to the eye for those into simplicity, which I am.

uplanderguy

Well, I think the '65 Impala Sport Coupe is beautifully styled; probably the best full-size Chevy styling ever IMHO!

That said, I compare to the compacts Studes of that period were priced and marketed against--Chevy II, Falcon, Valiant--and I always think the Stude styling, in and out, has stood the test of time better, despite that in my lifetime I've seen many, many more of those cars than the Stude.

thebean

That’s fair. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

sda

Impressive for an orphaned car brought back to market with revisions.
https://youtu.be/DlzrENG2Nvc?si=q2Th6MSvJw8FBkqU

uplanderguy

I had seen that clip once before. Yeesh, that music!

Too bad it took that added lump on the hood to clear a Paxton blower on the Chevy V8...yuck.

I keep looking for the Stude 'pirate buckle' emblems on the C-panels, but they're not there! LOL. (They are still on the interior door panels, but the 'S' in the center is blacked out.) I always liked the instrument panel, seating, and door panels of Avantis.

Not conventional wisdom, but the cornering is pretty good per the video. I know a guy who was an engineer at Ford, who always said that with the suspension upgrades Avantis got, as well as Avanti-powered Larks and Hawks, the handling was at least as good as BIg Three stuff of the same time, even though no one would admit it. He had owned several of each.

fintail

A friend who is a streetview fanatic found a Stude hoarder in Portland. These are just some of it:

thebean

Holy moly! The sad part is I bet only a small fraction of those will ever be running, much less restored. ☹️

bhill2

For years, in the garage of a house across the street from my aunt, was a large heap of assorted garage junk on top of, and around, a baby blue Gran Turismo Hawk. I not only never saw it moved, I think it would be a major excavation project just to get it out.

uplanderguy

Wow, I love Studes, but I don't think I'd want to be his neighbor!

In Stude hierarchy, most would find the '57 Golden Hawk most appealing, but I'm not really a fan.

I like that '62 Lark Regal hardtop, and even though the Wagonaire looks rough, I like those cars.

EDIT: I also like the '53/54 Loewy coupe.

imidazol97

Few pictures from cruise in. I love the blue interior on the Wagonaire. The good ol' days.

The Avanti has round headlights which I think means it's the original Studebaker built Avanti.

I wonder if these are the cars owned by the Studebaker guru who passed away within the
last year... who lived in/near Xenia, OH.

imidazol97

Avanti

uplanderguy

I know that Wagonaire was the late Malcolm Berry's, and I assume the Avanti was as well. He was one of the nicest, best-regarded guys in Ohio Studebaker-dom.

uplanderguy

Jan. 3, 1964, Hamilton, Ontario

uplanderguy

Odd to me, that South Bend transport companies used Studebaker tractor trailers to move Studebakers, right up 'til the end, but the above pics show Ford trucks being used in Hamilton.

imidazol97

I thought Commander and Land Cruiser were two different trim levels on Studebakers around 1950. The Museum has a post about a Commander Land Cruiser complete with picture.




https://facebook.com/StudebakerMuseum/posts/pfbid02WeAmgQRDgCRUCnxo3UNb1X98MJcCoqDGfCZSViWqvhXq3goAUCCBfE5H9BFeNjSxl?__cft__[0]=AZW1GhqiqlvAQvZYZWHb9n-we9sMF_-FPUJ-ijMqI9s5S5RxHiTy8I3rzmM08VpF0iLmzbVqB8ZhGDU85ralSZsPOxtgAtlWNUEyqpx-U3nrh0Q5lob0p4Tnogyf23-NUL3RhSpxTKS1OhHV_T--n3Xexhz_OuBjL5D9fVL7Umj5SHYM0wvjS9wJVDCjt01EVtpNfLRSUaU_6lKuQhcs8Lbw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

uplanderguy

Back then, the Land Cruiser was the top-of-the-line model, and on a longer wheelbase than regular Commander sedans. In fact, those Land Cruisers are the longest wheelbase of any postwar Studebaker. I'm thinking 124" but I have to check. The suicide doors of that era Stude are neat IMHO.

UPDATE: 124 is the correct wheelbase for the Land Cruiser, four inches longer than other Commanders.

imidazol97

So the Land Cruiser is part of the Commander line? That's what confused me. I couldn't tell that from the old car brochures that I looked up. I thought Land Cruiser was a separate model.

fintail

Stude may live on in fond memories, but at least the Land Cruiser name is still alive and well

uplanderguy

So the Land Cruiser is part of the Commander line?

Yes it was.

uplanderguy

To a lesser extent, "Daytona" (last used by Stude in '66) and "Challenger" (last used in '64) got a new breath of life later, as did "Transtar" with International trucks.

I know I'm an old guy, and I tend to like simple styling, but there is not a single, solitary styling feature in that pic of the Toyota Land Cruiser that I find attractive! I know, I know, they're not going after guys like me.

imidazol97

Went to annual big car show in Greenville. Likely total over 400 cars downtown.
2 Studebakers. Different from the couple that have shown up the last few lean years.

I love the pickup truck!
I notice that both the pickup and the Commander have color matching rims.
And they both have original style wheels--none of this chrome racing wheel
stuff so many add to their car instead of wheel covers, hub caps. etc..

imidazol97

I have a few pics of Chrysler products that Andre1969 and others might like from that show, but
don't know whether to post them here or in the old classics forum.

kyfdx

imidazol97 said:

I have a few pics of Chrysler products that Andre1969 and others might like from that show, but
don't know whether to post them here or in the old classics forum.

Put them in the, "I spotted an obscure car" discussion

fintail

uplanderguy said:

To a lesser extent, "Daytona" (last used by Stude in '66) and "Challenger" (last used in '64) got a new breath of life later, as did "Transtar" with International trucks.

I know I'm an old guy, and I tend to like simple styling, but there is not a single, solitary styling feature in that pic of the Toyota Land Cruiser that I find attractive! I know, I know, they're not going after guys like me.

Surprised "Dictator" hasn't come back yet


Land Cruisers are cool for what they are, and definitely durable, but like outdoorsy stuff in general, have also become fashion accessories and virtue signals. I swear some of the shiniest cleanest vehicles in Spokane are 4 door Tacomas.

uplanderguy

imidazol, thanks for posting both of those Studes. Both completely gorgeous to my eyes; I can't nitpick a single thing...and you know me I think!

That coupe is stunning. Correct whitewall width and everything. I've seen the word "lithe" used to describe these cars, and it seems perfect. Such restraint in size, shape, and styling, for 1953 standards.

The truck is awesome. That era Stude truck had the cab step hidden inside the door, and the bed lacked the typical rolled-edge at the tops of the sides. Supposedly cab space inside is tight and the later Champ cabs were roomier.

Thanks much for posting; made my afternoon!

thebean

@imidazol97, I agree with you about that Stude pickup. Just pleasing to the eye. 👍

texases

That’s one low instrument panel on the pickup.

imidazol97

More views of the Commander

uplanderguy

Wow, just lovely from every angle.

uplanderguy

Richard Quinn photo, recently posted on FB, of Dalton Motors, 1707 N. Front St., Mankato, MN; 1963 cars in showroom including Avanti, barely visible, in center. Lack of signage indicates they did not take on M-B.

uplanderguy

A brief color video of the Avanti introduction event to the dealers, spring 1962, at Cleveland Burke Lakefront airport, provided by a fellow on FB whose Dad was a Cleveland-area Stude dealer. Pretty darn cool. My friend and hometown dealer was at this identical event as Greenville, PA was in Studebaker's Cleveland Zone, and took still pics mirroring some of this film which I made copies of.

Cool little piece of Stude history.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/3780725795519252/?group_id=2186306045037922&s=group&__cft__[0]=AZX9rDINkhbxFyOCztuGUWDMZ4MpIWciP-1emyPQ_rHYMhNn0sc8_dBmJyj6jF9jRjK62LKBl6lyVCeOooKOHLzZbWQ6F62jHHkLV-ZUQKBXnXcUbsdutfUp9JWe4MbFTJpW4jdRBKS2H39tLPVEf8IIJn_ZEI4SkFJ1AKN30Iv-pCA6EUG3huOpRX0Wk_KcahGwvB0LuPNl9al_l22quuvhbcmN-S18_rrONnwHULGbzg&__tn__=H-R

imidazol97

Nice write up article in current Classic Cars about 1963 Avanti, 12000 mi, R1 4-speed.

uplanderguy

Thanks for the heads-up; I'll have to check out that issue at the bookstore. I quit subscribing a couple years or so back.

Today is "International Drive Your Studebaker Day" (seriously). A lady on FB posted this pic of their two Studes, a '63 Avanti and '66 Cruiser, taken today while they had them out-and-about. Both cars look very original/authentic; I always appreciate that.

imidazol97

And it's 1957 all over again. It was a 3 Studebaker evening at the cruise in.
This was my reward.

imidazol97

Sorry for the color aberrations on some spots in the pictures. My 18-year old Sony 35 digital is dying. I need a good replacement for a few hundred. My phone cam takes better pictures now.

sda

The dash with a full set of gauges and brushed aluminum is timeless and impressive.

imidazol97

Another dash pic. I wonder about the radio...

texases

That dash isn't just 'brushed', it's 'engine turned', a very time consuming process. Latest version I saw with that was a Firebird Trans-Am (aside from the plastic wanna-be versions, that is). Might it be stainless steel instead of aluminum?

ab348

The radio says “Motorola Volumatic” on the dial. It appears to be period correct and the faceplate is a stamped piece but why it is as large as is I do not know. Did Studebakers come with their own branded radios?

texases

Here's how the brochure describes it:

uplanderguy

Yeah, that's an aftermarket radio. Studebaker had their own branded radios.

Magazines of the time praised that panel for it's simple design (in an era of 'Googie'), full instruments, and engine-turned panel.

Other than that, that's a pretty authentic-looking '57 Golden Hawk.

imidazol97

In 1957 I was in 8th grade, but still noticing cars. Hawks were way out of any aspirations I
might have had, but I remember them as something more than Thunderbirds.

imidazol97

It was a 5 Studebaker evening at Der Dutchman. Made my miserable day
end a whole lot better than it had been up to then.
I have more pics if anyone wants me to post them.





The blue on this car looks original. It's a gray blue. My Samsung phone camera makes it much brighter
than the color actually looked.

kyfdx

@imidazol97 In Plain City?

bhill2

imidazol97 said:

It was a 5 Studebaker evening at Der Dutchman. Made my miserable day
end a whole lot better than it had been up to then.
I have more pics if anyone wants me to post them.





The blue on this car looks original. It's a gray blue. My Samsung phone camera makes it much brighter
than the color actually looked.

imidazol97, is that blue 51 sedan a Commander? If so, it is the first car my parents owned that I remember. My dad bought it used from one of his professors. Theirs was kind of a lemon yellow, and oddly (I think) an automatic. After riding in it for a while, you invented new words when you touched a metal part like the door handle. My mom made dad open the door for her so she could hop out and discharge before touching anything.