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Postwar Studebakers

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Comments

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    AC wasn't even a factory option on fintails - you had to do it at the dealer or yourself. Power windows or seats also didn't exist.
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,596
    berri said:

    I hope you didn't loose any irreplaceable stuff like family pictures. That had to be just horrible, but you and yours were all safe hopefully. Things like that must change your perspective on life. Good luck getting resettled.

    Thanks for the wishes, Berri. Unfortunately the fire took out the electricity on its way to us, so we were running around gathering stuff using flashlights under orders to evacuate NOW. I got the box where we kept vital papers and my wife got the wedding album. That was about it. Luckily we did get the cats out. Only fair, actually, they had been telling us we needed to leave even before we got the evacuation order.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    I do like the look of the ‘63 Cruiser interior, clean and plush. Too bad the undermount ac wasn’t incorporated better, looks tacked on, but hey, it has the best of two worlds, sunroof and ac! With such a nice interior, were electric windows, locks, seats an option? Sharp car.

    The only Studebaker that ever had integrated air conditioning in the instrument panel was the Avanti.

    Power windows were also only available on the Avanti for '63.

    I want to say that early Mustangs still had the A/C tacked under the dash.

    I have owned four Studebakers over the years--'63, '64, and two '66's. Three had factory air, but none of them worked, LOL.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    bhill2, glad you're safe. I can hardly imagine it all.
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  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,596

    bhill2, glad you're safe. I can hardly imagine it all.

    Thanks, Up. It's kind of a surreal experience. Some things are irreplaceable and you have to get your mind around. Some stuff like family photos can be copied from other family members. Everything else can be replaced (partially because we had an unusually good experience with our insurance company). But the bottom line is that life goes on. And oddly enough, it can bring you closer to the people in your life who really matter.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    Thanks for posting ab348; I hadn't heard of that!
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Last regular-production (i.e., Lark-type or Hawk) built in the U.S. this day in 1963. I've posted the pic of the car many times here. Last truck was built December 27, 1963 and was sold to the U.S. government. Last Avanti was built 12/26/63 and still survives in original condition at the Crawford Museum in Cleveland. Avantis were assembled in the pickup truck building.

    This ended 111 years of production in South Bend.

    Engines continued to be built in South Bend for Hamilton, Ontario, production, through the end of the 1964 model year. Body stampings remained made in South Bend I believe until the final end of production in 1966.
    Military trucks and postal Zip-Vans continued to be produced until contracts were fulfilled, into 1964. Eventually, Kaiser took over Studebaker truck military production in South Bend.
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  • sdasda Member Posts: 7,579
    Dec 27,1963 my youngest sister was born! :D

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    At the time of the South Bend closure, Studebaker had 1,915 U.S. dealers. I have seen a number of 450 as of the time Canadian production ended March 17, 1966. Studebaker dealers were feeling reduced floor traffic after the JFK assassination less than a month previous, and this news did not bring people flocking in to buy Canadian-built Studebakers. Only Stude diehards continued to buy new cars at that point.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Just came across this color photo of the last Studebaker, period, coming down the line in Hamilton, Ontario, in March 1966. This car is also in the Studebaker National Museum and is the same color as my car (mine doesn't have a white vinyl top though), although the lighting in the photo makes it look different in color.

    From this angle, one can see how squarer the styling is compared to a '63.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    Here's a link to a pic of the car now. It was pretty loaded, with factory A/C, disc brakes, 50/50 reclining black brocade cloth interior, transistorized ignition, and white vinyl roof. It was assigned to an exec in South Bend who drove it 19K miles. In 1969 it was donated to the City of South Bend. I can remember it being displayed in the old museum building, still riding on snow tires.

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1966_Studebaker_Cruiser.jpg
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    In two doors, I prefer the squarer styling of '64-66 Studebakers. In four doors, give me a '63.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    The pic of the '66 from the rear shows how the interior is nearly as wide as the car itself. I'm reminded of Toyota Avalons from the back--I think one or two generations of the car ago.
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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280
    Here's a Christmas gift for @uplanderguy - a pair of bullet-nose Studebakers leading the way down Colorado Blvd in Pasadena, California in the late 1950s.


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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Thanks, ab!

    I have posted this ad before, but I like this ad, and it's the last ad for a Studebaker Avanti. On 12/26/63 the last Avanti was assembled by Studebaker. I had cut this ad out of (I think) a National Geographic magazine in the college library way back then. I've long-lost it though.
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  • sdasda Member Posts: 7,579
    ab348 said:

    Here's a Christmas gift for @uplanderguy - a pair of bullet-nose Studebakers leading the way down Colorado Blvd in Pasadena, California in the late 1950s.


    Great picture, and Sears was a big deal then.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    The bullet-nose cars were '50's and '51's and were the biggest-sellers in Studebaker history, although the highest one-year profit ever made by the company was in 1959, on the success of the first-year Lark.
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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280
    I found that same area on Colorado Blvd on Street View and the Sears building is still standing. It's either offices or residential apartments, not sure, and has had a reclad with stone and glass. Just next to it is the grandstand area for the Rose Bowl parade. That street has still quite a vibrant look to it unlike many old downtown shopping streets.

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I briefly owned a '51 Studebaker that I got out of a wrecking yard. I bought it because it had an "Edmunds" cylinder head with dual carbs! I can't say it was particularly "fast" but I played with it for an entire summer in Colorado. I hope it's still out there somewhere, being taken care of.

    More about Edmunds speed equipment:

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/flatheads-eddie-edmunds-vintage-speed-equipment.180271/

  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Pasadena is still a neat town
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280
    I found this ad for the '62 Daytona along with this pic of a model of the '62 Indy Pace Car, beautifully crafted.



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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    Jo-Han, in the '80's sometime, reissued thir '62 Lark convertible kit. That Pace Car model is lettered very accurately to the real car.

    In Larks, I really start liking them in '62, and to the end, liking '63 and '64 models--Hawks as well--the best of them all.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Someone on the S.D.C. forum posted that they visited the South Bend location of Studebaker International, the largest Stude parts vendor, on Dec. 26. I thought their move towards Indianapolis was further-along than it appears, but invariably someone will ask me "Where do you get parts?" and this link has pics that should answer that question. Most are N.O.S. but some are reproduction:

    http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?109259-Boxing-Day-photo-tour-of-SI-won-t-see-it-again-(warning-photo-heavy)

    Studebaker built WWII airplane engines in this building and the test cells are still at the back of the interior of the property. On Chippewa Avenue, a couple miles south of town.
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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280
    Here's what must have been a seldom-seen brochure:


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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited December 2018
    Perfect for those narrow alleyways.

    "Two perps in custody"


  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Our Ohio club's president, and a friend of mine, has two '61 Larks--a convertible and a four-door station wagon. I'm not crazy about the one-year-only side molding above the body feature line.

    The '64 Police Marshal in the Studebaker National Museum has a bench seat in front, but it's bolstered around the driver like a bucket. Really odd. Couldn't find a pic by Googling, but I didn't spend that much time on it.
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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280

    Our Ohio club's president, and a friend of mine, has two '61 Larks--a convertible and a four-door station wagon. I'm not crazy about the one-year-only side molding above the body feature line.

    Sounds like they felt they had to change something in the styling from the previous year. Have to agree that the molding on the '60 looks much better.

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  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    That Studebaker police car just looks funny to me. No doubt a reliable car, but given the average size and power of cars in that era, maybe better fit for parking patrol or traffic control.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Certainly no match for a getaway car with a Lark 6 cylinder automatic. I wonder if the "Marshall" came with a V-8?
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Recall that no other car the Lark's size was available with a V8 in '59 and '60--including a 4-barrel with dual exhaust. The Marshal was a V8.
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  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Did they sell many of them? I don't think I saw any, but saw a few Rambler Ambassador's of that era as police cars in Wisconsin. I'm guessing the Lark's were more local cop cars than county or state given their size and space, but don't know much about them?
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    berri said:

    Did they sell many of them? I don't think I saw any, but saw a few Rambler Ambassador's of that era as police cars in Wisconsin. I'm guessing the Lark's were more local cop cars than county or state given their size and space, but don't know much about them?

    I never saw any of these in the wild but I've read about AMC Javelin cop cars. 70's was a different era though.

    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I still have to laugh at those cop shows. After they chase the perp down, tackle him on concrete, taser him and cuff him, they then lead him to the police car and say "Watch your head"...LOL!
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    I have no idea how they sold. I'm guessing probably proportionally to what their share was in the general market--not great.

    My dealer friend said he had to hire a salesman in '59. Up until then, only he and his Dad were salesmen there.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    berri, re.: Ambassadors--you had to buy their largest, most expensive car in those years to get a V8.

    Whenever I'm in South Bend, I always think how amazing it is that that was the headquarters of an automobile manufacturer. I know it's been 55 years, though. AMC built in Kenosha but their headquarters was in Detroit.
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  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,415
    I had the same thought when I was in both South Bend and Auburn. They made cars here? Lots of cars? No way.

    Kenosha is almost more believable, kind of like a distant Chicago suburb.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Auburn, really a small town, and those magnificent automobiles came from there, albeit in comparatively small numbers. I can visit that place over and over again.
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  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Those Javelin cop cars had some aerodynamic issues at high speed. May be why most states ended up with Mustangs.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    I so-prefer the '68-70 Javelins and AMX's to that second-generation, for styling. And that funky instrument panel--the left part of the wraparound instrument panel in front of the driver was attached to the driver door, and the glove compartment door was on the side of the right-most wraparound section--so the driver could barely open it and definitely couldn't see in there.

    I do like the comparative rarity compared to Big Three pony cars.
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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280
    The 2nd-gen Javelin was a design exercise that really could have benefited from some sober second thought from a review committee. I imagine that the small size of the AMC design group probably prevented that.

    The glove box on the right side of the driver's "pod" was goofy. Worse actually than what Ford did in '69-'70 with the same style of dash for its full-size cars, putting the ashtray in a similar location. I thought the Ford dash looked really cool but I don't think the public at large responded well to it.

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    Auburn, really a small town, and those magnificent automobiles came from there, albeit in comparatively small numbers. I can visit that place over and over again.

    Auburn's best year was 1929, when 17,853 were registered around the country. By 1933, this was down to 5,000 or so.

    Looks like Studebaker's biggest year ever was 1950?
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    Stude's best sales year was indeed 1950, although as mentioned, they made the most money in their 114-year transportation manufacturing business, in 1959.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited December 2018
    ab348, the second-gen Javelin panel does indeed remind me of the '69-70 full-size Ford. The Ford's radio to the left of the speedometer? How ergonomic! :)

    Although, our '74 Impala had the heater controls to the left of the steering wheel, down low....not exactly typical.
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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    Back to the '62 Lark pace car again--while looking for something else this afternoon I came across this photo I bought a decade or more ago at the gift shop at the Indy 500 racetrack. That's 500 chief Tony Hulman in the front and Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert in the back.

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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    Colors are washed out in that pic. Can barely see the front fender "LARK" letters or the gold "Daytona" script in the 'checkmark' molding under "46".
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  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    ...it's patina UP ;)
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    edited January 2019
    for fin--came across this photo in a drawer, too. It's the old Freeman-Spicer dealership in South Bend. Just off the right of this pic is the railroad overpass next to the old Studebaker Administration Building and very, very near to where that old Ponton was when you stopped. This was the original Studebaker National Museum building from '83 to '05 and is now an empty lot. It was a Mopar dealer after Studebaker. Not sure how long they kept 'Benz. The M-B star is visible on the building but I don't see any cars, sadly. I think this pic is '62 or 63 as I see a '62 Lark parked on the street, and a Champ with the factory 'Conestoga Camper' on display and I'm thinking that started being an option in '62 or so.


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  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,860
    Sorry for the pic posting sideways....couldn't get it to do anything else.
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  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 20,280
    edited January 2019
    Let's see if this is now oriented correctly:




    I find it curious how many of their/customer cars are parked on the street.

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