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Thanks for posting. That's out at the old Studebaker Proving Ground in New Carlisle, IN, about 15 miles west of South Bend on Route 2. When you drive around the road by the trees, there'll be little signs to tell you what letter you're by ("S", "T', etc.).
Bosch (Bendix previously) runs the Proving Ground, and lets Studebakers on the high-speed three-mile oval during our club's every-fifth-year International Meet in South Bend. It's great fun...banked curves and all that.
It's also fun to drive in a huge caravan of Studebakers of every type and year, from South Bend out there, waving to people in lawn chairs that dot the entire drive. In 2007, when I last participated in it, we had South Bend police escort us out of town so no one would get into our 'parade' so to speak....very courteous of them.
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Wow...I do remember hearing that Kenosha was the oldest plant in the U.S. in the '80's, but I didn't know it was THAT old! Interesting stuff...thanks for the link.
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Saw a brown Commander on a flatbed being moved. Fairly deep brown, 4 door. I'm guessing 1965 because the full wheel covers had 5 or 6 radial ridges that match up with those shown in a 65 brochure.
Body and paint looked perfect along the left side and rear that I was able to get a look at.
Also cheapskates on those lower line models, from what I have been told :shades:
I looked up the fintail's original owner some time ago and found a genealogy listing, I think he was in his 60s maybe, when the car was new. The owners manual has several kooky old man kind of annotations about features that irked or confused him. He only averaged about 4K miles/year for almost the first decade of the car's life.
When I first seriously 'dove into' the Studebaker hobby, in the '80's (although was always intrigued by them due to our small but strong hometown dealer), I was surprised at how many Studebakers I saw with no radios. Even convertibles and Daytonas. You'll note that the red '64 Daytona that was last off of the line and ordered for a retail customer, had disc brakes, 4-speed, and an R1 engine but no radio!
For some reason, I think of '60's Studebakers, for the most part, as a rural or small-town type of car. Our town was under 10K people but there seemed to be a few Hawks and a fair amount of Larks that even being born in '58 I'm able to remember. I like their different styling and size from the norm then, and some of the things they offered that became par-for-the-course later (discs, PRND21 auto trans, inside hood release, reclining seats, complete instrumentation, etc.).
Here's an Avanti I'd like to own, but I'd have to replace that aftermarket mirror with the factory one:
Saw a brown Commander on a flatbed being moved. Fairly deep brown, 4 door. I'm guessing 1965 because the full wheel covers had 5 or 6 radial ridges that match up with those shown in a 65 brochure.
Body and paint looked perfect along the left side and rear that I was able to get a look at.
Interesting...you live in Columbus, right? Always interested to hear a late-model Stude generally so close to me! LOL
The '64 and '65's are indistinguishable from the outside...easiest way to tell is open the hood and see if it's a Stude engine ('64) or Canadian GM engine ('65). The color you describe is Bermuda Brown, available both years. Here's a rusty '64 that sounds like the one you saw (except for condition):
I looked up the fintail's original owner some time ago and found a genealogy listing, I think he was in his 60s maybe, when the car was new.
You probably know this, but it's easy to look in the Social Security Death Index ('SSDI') if you have someone's name and town. That's actually, specifically, where I found out the birth and death dates of the Stude original owners I mentioned earlier. I've used it before to look up former neighbors and school teachers, too, sadly.
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I just looked there...I can't remember the spelling of the guy's name, but if it is what I think, he was 72 when my car was new.
Funny note about the lack of radios - in ALL period MB, the cars were built with no radio, they were dealer or owner installed options. The cars left the factory with a delete plate. My car didn't gain a radio until it was several years old (I have the receipt).
I can see basic Studes as small town cars, but I imagine a fair amount of the sportier variants made it to the coasts.
Dayton area. This car was going from US 35 to I75 NB. It likely was a long haul since it went through the metro completely. I was too excited to get a look at the truck's logo to see where the truck was from. I don't even remember if the car had plates.
Interesting about no factory radios in Benzes. Stude offered them. What's weird I think, although sorta nice, is that from '62 (I think) and later, Larks with no radios didn't have a 'filler plate' or block; that section of the dash was different. Specifically, '63-66 dashes had a horizontal metal trim piece there in which the radio fitted within that trim piece. If no radio, there was an unbroken trim piece there so it wasn't necessarily obvious where the radio went--except that the car didn't have one!
Ridiculous, but in '53 and '54 Studebakers, otherwise beautiful cars I think, the no-radio blank plate actually had five things to resemble pushbuttons and it said "RADIO" across them--when there wasn't a radio!
I enjoyed this article, but is should have said something about Bendix which began in South Bend and was the largest employer in South Bend when Studebaker quit auto production. http://www.ask.com/wiki/Bendix_Corporation When I was a kid we had a Bendix washing machine and I had an uncle who worked at Bendix (but not where they produced washing machines).
Before Bendix, Singer had major manufacturing facilities for the wood sewing machine cabinets. The supply of wood for wagons and sewing machine cabinets in the areas was why Studebaker and Singer located in South Bend. http://centerforhistory.org/learn-history/business-history/976-2
The South Bend Singer plant was established in 1868. Sewing machines used to be housed in wooden cabinets and the cabinet is what was made here in South Bend. The South Bend plant in 1868 produced 1,000 cabinets a week. Twenty years later, the plant was producing 10,000 sets per day, while over 2,000 people were employed in various departments.
The acres and acres of hardwood trees found around the countryside outside South Bend provided the material in which the sewing machine cabinets could be easily and cheaply produced. =====================================================
Larks with no radios didn't have a 'filler plate' or block
I still have the blank plate from my 1960 Lark which I kept when I put a radio in it. It is the only part of the car I still have. I am not disagreeing with what you said because your statement was about later Larks. My radio blank says "Lark" on it.
There was once an interview with Michael Landon and he said that his first car was a 1939 Studebaker Champion and when it quit running he would still take girls there and they would listed to the radio, which still worked.
I am adding to this post because while looking for information about Michael Landon and his first Studebaker I came across this excellent photo of Ian Flemming and his Avanti. http://www.madddoodler.com/
That's amusing, so a no-radio car had an entirely different dash panel, then. Doesn't sound too efficient. On a MB, it was just a plate with the same model designation script as on the trunklid. This would carry on until the early 70s, when the company finally relented (with some engineers kicking and screaming, I bet), and started offering standard radios.
Look in this '64 dash ('63-66 similar), and that horizontal trim strip in the center extends over the glovebox door when closed. If equipped with a radio, the radio was cut into that center trim piece. Without it, instead of a 'block' or 'delete plate', one got an uninterrupted trim piece there. I'm sure the radio hole was right behind it...the one-piece trim strip just covered it.
Also cheapskates on those lower line models, from what I have been told
I may have told this story before, but after my Uncle bought my Aunt the least expensive model 1960 Lark IV which had an automatic transmission as the only optional equipment. It only had a sun visor on the driver's side, no radio and no outside rear view mirror.
He later bought a 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne and said on one than one occasion that for approximately the same price as the Lark, he got a full size Chevrolet with a radio, an outside rear view mirror and sun visors on both sides of the car. The point is that you got a whole lot more car for the money when you bought from the big three automakers.
A smaller car does not necessarily mean a lower price and when you try to bring down the price by eliminating equipment that others include as standard, you end up with a reputation for cheap cars at high prices. Before I was old enough to appreciate model year changes, I thought that the 1955 models were the expensive models and that the 53-54s were the cheap ones.
My South Bend family members bought four-door Studebaker sedans and station wagons because they got them cheap at employee discounts. Those cars did not impress me and I thought of most them were funny-looking. But I do remember the first time I saw a gold and white 1956 Golden Hawk and the first time I saw an Avanti and I was very impressed that Studebaker also built such wonderful cars. The Studebakers I really like now and then were quite rare when they were new.
I enjoy looking even at the cheap, later Studebakers, for those are the ones that sold best I think. Same way in that I get tired of looking at red convertibles with fender skirts at all old car shows.
I'd be happy with that 318-mile, six with stick, no radio or power anything, '64 Commander that sold for a bit over $13K last year at auction. Of course, I'd rather it was a Daytona hardtop, but....
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I'd be happy with that 318-mile, six with stick, no radio or power anything, '64 Commander that sold for a bit over $13K last year at auction.
I was thinking the same thing when I saw that car. I appreciated the simplicity and ease of maintenance. In fact, I would rather have that car than the 1963 R-1 Avanti powerd Lark cruiser that was posted later. I now appreciate any Scotsman I see too. For the same reason, I would not want to own a 1956 Golden Hawk now. Who needs the complications and expenses caused by a Packard V-8 and ultramatic transmission? Not me, not now. But I was much more impressed by the Golden Hawk when I was younger.
I was at a meet where a 1959 Silver Hawk was parked next to my Commander. My initial reaction was that it was not as good as my car or the other Hawks. But then I noticed how easy it would be to change the spark plugs which were sitting there in plain view on the top of the cylinder head. I would not have to move the battery box and power steering hoses out of the way to do that and could get the job done in less than 15 minutes.
The Silver Hawk did not have power steering, power brakes, power windows or a power seat, so there was nothing to go wrong or maintain. I spend a lot of time and effort maintaining equipment that the Silver Hawk does not even have. I no longer care that the top speed of the Silver Hawk is probably 85 mph because my own personal speed limit is now less than that.
When I was a kid and young man I would have favored the 1956 Golden Hawk. Now I would rather have a Silver Hawk. . . but not as much as a 1964 GT Hawk. I am not that old yet. :shades:
A '59 Silver Hawk still had a nice interior, didn't it?
I used to flatly dislike 'finned' Hawks. But in hindsight, some other '61 cars still had fins or even goofier styling touches, but that Hawk body, in its ninth year, still looked longer and lower than most of 'em!
The Keystone Region S.D.C. raffle car this past year, at the York, PA swap meet, was a Colonial Red '60 Hawk. It was just beautiful...really 'grabbed' me. First '59-61 Hawk that had ever done that to me.
I would still love a '64 Gran Turismo Hawk, dark color with half vinyl top, full gauges, and Powershift on the floor, some time.
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> red convertibles with fender skirts at all old car shows.
and with continental kits.
Indeed!!
I'll have to see if it's still there, but there was a black '64 Hawk on eBay just a few days ago, mounted on wire wheels (looked nice) but had a continental kit! Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder if that thing could be removed without damage to the rear of the car.
Without it, doesn't seem like a bad price for such a nice car. Those are my favorite Studebakers of all.
BTW, that serial number, 64V-19841, is awfully close to the end of production. All V8 Lark-types and Hawks had the same range of serial numbers, and the very last car (red Daytona in the Stude Museum) is serial 64V-20202--only 361 V8 cars later. (Serial nos. started at 64V-1001.)
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When we were in high school, a buddy bought a 1956 Chevy from a good friend of his uncles.
This old guy had gone through the owner's manual page by page underlining things and making notes in the margins.
He handed my buddy a thick log book where he had carefully written down every penny he had spent on that Chevy. Every tank of gas, where he bought the gas and his mileage. Every tire repair, every penny.
He told my buddy..." NOW YOU KEEP THIS BOOK UPDATED!"
Yeah...sure he did.
He did manage to lower that nice Chevy to the ground and have a nice set of duals installed.
I suppose what is important to some is of zero value to others!
I gotta say, even though it goes against my general dislike of mainstream stuff...I could sure enjoy a nice '56 Chevy!! First car I remember my parents owning. A '57? Personally, not interested!
I like original owner documentation, but gas fill-ups and stuff...meh.
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I've never had the urge to track gas purchases, but do keep all repair records, tires, etc. I have a ton of stuff for the fintail going back to its first break in service.
I've seen 5 year old 100K when new cars for sale with NO history.
I keep all repair and maintenance receipts, even for my daily drivers, and turn them in with the car when I trade. When I've looked at the cars later on the used car lot, all that stuff's been thrown away by the dealer.
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Yeah, as long as there weren't credit-card receipts attached, I wouldn't worry about it.
I can remember a couple times when somebody called my Dad about a car he traded in at the Chevy dealer. They'd actually write the previous owner's name in the corner of the "OK Used Cars" label in the window, along with the asking price. Of course, we lived in a town of less than 10K people too. Dad never minded.
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I did the same with my previous car - had a large expandable envelope full of paperwprk. I am sure it was tossed soon after I handed over the keys. I understand there's perceived risk to some by having a name and address just sitting there, but I would at least like proof of service history when buying a used car, especially a complex highline model.
When people would proudly hand me a thick folder of receipts on used cars they were trading in I had to tell them that they could keep it or I wold be happy to shread it for them.
Kinda sad in this day and age there is a need to do these things.
When I bought our 1998 BMW 'vert two years ago, the private seller woudn't give me his records. I was a little miffed that he would think I would do something to him.
I still bought the car.
I once lost a sale on a used Odyssey. During the test drive, they guy's wife was pawing through the glove box and she managed to find ONE receipt.
It was from a body shop and they had done 1200.00 worth of body work.
1200.00 is nothing but it managed to queer the sale!
I would think it wouldn't be hard to simply cut out or black out the previous owner's info. But, most shoppers probably don't care and the salespeople seldom get asked, so that's how it goes. BMW guy sounds dopey - you're buying the car from him,so you already know his name and address.
I'd have a hard time dealing with foot-down wives :shades:
I think in the 13 plus years I was in the business I MAY have been asked about service records twice so for most, it isn't that big of a deal.
We did such a comprehensive nit picking inspection on all of the used cars we sold and we went over these line by line with the people buying. We hid nothing.
Most times I've traded in, they haven't spent more than five minutes looking my car over, although I typically buy new where I've serviced my existing car and let them know that. When I traded our Uplander on our Malibu this last time, the salesman said, "Any lights come on when you start it up?" I said "no". That's all he asked me.
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I've always asked. Come to think of it, when I bought my W126, from a local MB dealer, they gave me a pile of papers - I had asked, of course. It was a one owner car, and even had the window sticker, which was something for a 10+ year old car. But for the cars since then nothing, although MB used to put the first owner's info in the owners manual. They don't do that anymore.
When I bought the E55, I had it inspected by a shop as the seller knew nothing - but otherwise, I have used my own gut feeling. I ended up trading it - not worth the hassle to sell something so odd by myself. Manager gave it a look over and saw no problems, which is what I expected - I am fairly meticulous.
Heck, I have all the service records for my 1989 Cadillac Brougham going back 24 years! When I traded my 2002 Cadillac Seville STS, I handed the salesman a binder with all its records for anybody who might be interested in my trade. He was also the same guy who sold me the car and my current 2007 DTS.
On late model Honda trades we wouldn't bother driving them. No reason to.
On other cars the drive consisted of a quick run up the street to make sure the transmission was OK, a quick U turn and back in less than three minutes.
I could see some Caddy people wanting the records, due to an older more detail oriented clientele. The way it used to be for Euros too. It's probably more important to keep up on things with an S-class than with a Civic.
I remember them. The Studebaker Zip Van was so named because it arrived with the first Zip codes in 1963. I also remember there was a John F Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory based upon a letter that was proven to be fake because it had a zip code before zip codes existed.
What I don't know is if the vans were powered by other engines after Studebaker quit production of the Skybolt Six in June 1964.
I absolutely remember them--my Dad worked at the Post Office in our town and they had them. I believe I've read that the Post Office used them 'til around 1970.
I've read that they were equipped with Studebaker 6-cylinder engines, Flightomatic trans, and Twin Traction and that Studebaker won the bid to produce the mail trucks. You could drive them standing up. Nice, big one-piece windshield. The sliding window on the one side, I've heard that mail employees referred to as 'the guillotine' for the way it would slam shut on a stop!
The bodies were built in Lansdale, PA by a company whose name escapes me, but the truck is a Studebaker design.
Other than military trucks, they were the last vehicles built in South Bend by Studebaker, I believe...1963-64.
I do not believe that Zip Vans were ever assembled with other than Studebaker engines.
As an aside, I always liked Studebaker's final logo and script, as shown in the photo of the manual, above. The block lettering and 'ying/yang' emblem look to me like something from a later period of time, instead of the early sixties.
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I wonder what transmissions the Zip Vans used for the following reason.
When I had my 1955 Studebaker Automatic Drive transmission rebuilt, the mechanic who did the work said that he was able to use postal vehicle transmission parts. This would indicate that the earlier transmission might have been used. The mechanic did not specialize in Studebakers so he probably would not have known about the Studebaker Zip vans.
I also wonder why they would include twin traction for such a low power engine, but that might be for snow conditions.
Speaking to an earlier post about some of the low price Studebakers having a sun visior only on the driver's side of the car, the latest Turning Wheels says that the 1964 Challengers only had the sun visior and arm rest on the driver's side. These items were optional equipment for the passenger's side. This was worse than my 1960 Lark which had arm rests on both sides as as standard equipment.
"Studebaker's mid-'50s coupes -- including the gorgeous Commander Starliner -- were tantalizing but frustrating. Early cars used flimsy steel for the frame, resulting in undesirable flexibility. Fit and finish were poor and spotty build quality disappointed (and alienated) would-be buyers.
But damn it, they looked great, especially considering the limited resources the automaker had at its disposal. Raymond Lowey's '53 Studebaker Commander Starliner design still stands on its own merits today, and all the coupes of the era have a dedicated following.
Unfortunately, spare Studebaker parts have remained tough to come by even as reproduction companies have stepped in to make nearly everything -- including entire bodies -- for better-known marques.
Enter Georgia's Goodmark Industries, which says its new rear quarter panels for 1953-1962 Studebaker coupes should be ready by June.
Studebaker model naming conventions can get a bit confusing, but that range encompasses the C-K body Commander, Champion, Hawk, Flight Hawk, Golden Hawk, Power Hawk and Sky Hawk, according to Goodmark.
Goodmark currently produces repro panels for Fords, Dodges, Mercurys, Buicks and more, but the addition of Studebaker means their lineup will now include one independent (unless you count Jeep, that is). Whether they produce more Stude parts remains to be seen, but the company reports that demand for replacements is strong.
Here's hoping for future roadways full of old cars built with brand-new sheetmetal. Spotting a Starliner coupe or two on the way in to work would certainly make our commute a bit brighter."
Interesting post, thanks for posting. I believe that the author understates the availability of Studebaker parts, but I welcome production of reproduction body parts even if I don't need them at this time.
The author also understates the different Hawk models by not including Silver Hawk, Packard Hawk and GT Hawk which stayed in production until the 1964 model year, not 1962. Seems like one size should fit all of them.
The criticism of the quality of the early models is fair enough. Studebaker could not build the coupes and hardtops fast enough in 1953, so they installed a body conveyer system at the factory to speed up production in 1954, but by that time they could not sell them fast enough. They had a similar problem with the Avanti ten years later. Early introduction, then they can't deliver enough cars during the excitement, then public interest wanes. It followed a similar story with the coffin nose Cord 810 and the Chrysler Airflows of the 1930s.
Did Chrysler and Cord have a flood of orders they couldn't fill when the Airflow and 810 were first introduced? I don't recall ever reading that, but, then, I wasn't around at the time.
Did Chrysler and Cord have a flood of orders they couldn't fill when the Airflow and 810 were first introduced ?
The stories of the Cord 810, the Chrysler Airflow, the Studebaker 1953 Lowey Coupes and the 1963 Studebaker Avanti are remarkably similar. Early announcement of streamlined cars, followed by late production followed by early production problems.
The [Chrysler Airflow] was introduced months (in January, 1934) before it was put in production, and production peaked at only 6,212 units in May 1934 — very late in the year and barely enough to give every dealer a single Chrysler Airflow. The factory had not accounted for significant manufacturing challenges and expense due to the unusual new Airflow design, which required an unprecedented number and variety of welding techniques. The early Airflows arriving at dealerships suffered from significant problems, mostly the result of faulty manufacturing. According to Fred Breer, son of Chrysler Engineer Carl Breer, the first 2,000 to 3,000 Airflows to leave the factory had major defects, including engines breaking loose from their mountings at 80 mph (130 km/h). http://www.ask.com/wiki/Chrysler_Airflow?o=2800&qsrc=999 =====================================================
The new [Cord 810] caused a sensation at the New York Auto Show in November 1935. The crowds around the 810 were so dense, attendees stood on the bumpers of nearby cars to get a look. Many orders were taken at the show, but the cars were not ready to deliver until February. Cord had rushed to build the 100 cars needed to qualify for the show, and the transmission was not ready. Even so, Cord took many orders at the show, promising Christmas delivery, expecting production of 1,000 per month. The semi-automatic transmission was more troublesome than expected, and 25 December came and went with no cars built. The first production vehicles were not delivered to New York City until April 1936. In all, Cord managed to sell only 1,174 of the new 810 in its first model year, as the result of mechanical troubles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_Automobile
Comments
Bosch (Bendix previously) runs the Proving Ground, and lets Studebakers on the high-speed three-mile oval during our club's every-fifth-year International Meet in South Bend. It's great fun...banked curves and all that.
It's also fun to drive in a huge caravan of Studebakers of every type and year, from South Bend out there, waving to people in lawn chairs that dot the entire drive. In 2007, when I last participated in it, we had South Bend police escort us out of town so no one would get into our 'parade' so to speak....very courteous of them.
Body and paint looked perfect along the left side and rear that I was able to get a look at.
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I looked up the fintail's original owner some time ago and found a genealogy listing, I think he was in his 60s maybe, when the car was new. The owners manual has several kooky old man kind of annotations about features that irked or confused him. He only averaged about 4K miles/year for almost the first decade of the car's life.
For some reason, I think of '60's Studebakers, for the most part, as a rural or small-town type of car. Our town was under 10K people but there seemed to be a few Hawks and a fair amount of Larks that even being born in '58 I'm able to remember. I like their different styling and size from the norm then, and some of the things they offered that became par-for-the-course later (discs, PRND21 auto trans, inside hood release, reclining seats, complete instrumentation, etc.).
Here's an Avanti I'd like to own, but I'd have to replace that aftermarket mirror with the factory one:
http://bringatrailer.com/2012/02/25/clean-1964-studebaker-avanti/
Here is my favorite model Studebaker of all, a '64 Hawk with vinyl top:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carphotosbyrichard/6691207001/
Neither the Avanti or the Hawk pictured are a very dramatic color, but both look very authentic to me, a big deal IMO.
Body and paint looked perfect along the left side and rear that I was able to get a look at.
Interesting...you live in Columbus, right? Always interested to hear a late-model Stude generally so close to me! LOL
The '64 and '65's are indistinguishable from the outside...easiest way to tell is open the hood and see if it's a Stude engine ('64) or Canadian GM engine ('65). The color you describe is Bermuda Brown, available both years. Here's a rusty '64 that sounds like the one you saw (except for condition):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rexgray/4637300101/
I think the styling has held up...almost looks stately in profile IMHO.
I know I'm biased, but here's a '65 Chevy II 4-door for comparison:
http://www.americandreamcars.com/1965chevynovaii042307.htm
You probably know this, but it's easy to look in the Social Security Death Index ('SSDI') if you have someone's name and town. That's actually, specifically, where I found out the birth and death dates of the Stude original owners I mentioned earlier. I've used it before to look up former neighbors and school teachers, too, sadly.
Funny note about the lack of radios - in ALL period MB, the cars were built with no radio, they were dealer or owner installed options. The cars left the factory with a delete plate. My car didn't gain a radio until it was several years old (I have the receipt).
I can see basic Studes as small town cars, but I imagine a fair amount of the sportier variants made it to the coasts.
Dayton area. This car was going from US 35 to I75 NB. It likely was a long haul since it went through the metro completely. I was too excited to get a look at the truck's logo to see where the truck was from. I don't even remember if the car had plates.
The car looked perfect.
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Ridiculous, but in '53 and '54 Studebakers, otherwise beautiful cars I think, the no-radio blank plate actually had five things to resemble pushbuttons and it said "RADIO" across them--when there wasn't a radio!
http://www.autotraderclassics.com/classic-car/1954-Studebaker-Commander-959769.x- html
I enjoyed this article, but is should have said something about Bendix which began in South Bend and was the largest employer in South Bend when Studebaker quit auto production. http://www.ask.com/wiki/Bendix_Corporation When I was a kid we had a Bendix washing machine and I had an uncle who worked at Bendix (but not where they produced washing machines).
Before Bendix, Singer had major manufacturing facilities for the wood sewing machine cabinets. The supply of wood for wagons and sewing machine cabinets in the areas was why Studebaker and Singer located in South Bend. http://centerforhistory.org/learn-history/business-history/976-2
The South Bend Singer plant was established in 1868. Sewing machines used to be housed in wooden cabinets and the cabinet is what was made here in South Bend. The South Bend plant in 1868 produced 1,000 cabinets a week. Twenty years later, the plant was producing 10,000 sets
per day, while over 2,000 people were employed in various departments.
The acres and acres of hardwood trees found around the countryside outside South Bend provided the material in which the sewing machine cabinets could be easily and cheaply produced.
=====================================================
Studebaker’s existence continues to influence business in the South Bend - Mishawaka area today. http://www.ask.com/wiki/AM_General?o=2800&qsrc=999
I still have the blank plate from my 1960 Lark which I kept when I put a radio in it. It is the only part of the car I still have. I am not disagreeing with what you said because your statement was about later Larks. My radio blank says "Lark" on it.
There was once an interview with Michael Landon and he said that his first car was a 1939 Studebaker Champion and when it quit running he would still take girls there and they would listed to the radio, which still worked.
I am adding to this post because while looking for information about Michael Landon and his first Studebaker I came across this excellent photo of Ian Flemming and his Avanti. http://www.madddoodler.com/
That fake radio is pretty funny.
Cars that had no radio had a blank insert in the place where the radio would be. I took mine out when I got a radio and saved the blank.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjb4photos/7143686819/in/photostream/
I may have told this story before, but after my Uncle bought my Aunt the least expensive model 1960 Lark IV which had an automatic transmission as the only optional equipment. It only had a sun visor on the driver's side, no radio and no outside rear view mirror.
He later bought a 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne and said on one than one occasion that for approximately the same price as the Lark, he got a full size Chevrolet with a radio, an outside rear view mirror and sun visors on both sides of the car. The point is that you got a whole lot more car for the money when you bought from the big three automakers.
A smaller car does not necessarily mean a lower price and when you try to bring down the price by eliminating equipment that others include as standard, you end up with a reputation for cheap cars at high prices. Before I was old enough to appreciate model year changes, I thought that the 1955 models were the expensive models and that the 53-54s were the cheap ones.
My South Bend family members bought four-door Studebaker sedans and station wagons because they got them cheap at employee discounts. Those cars did not impress me and I thought of most them were funny-looking. But I do remember the first time I saw a gold and white 1956 Golden Hawk and the first time I saw an Avanti and I was very impressed that Studebaker also built such wonderful cars. The Studebakers I really like now and then were quite rare when they were new.
I'd be happy with that 318-mile, six with stick, no radio or power anything, '64 Commander that sold for a bit over $13K last year at auction. Of course, I'd rather it was a Daytona hardtop, but....
and with continental kits.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I was thinking the same thing when I saw that car. I appreciated the simplicity and ease of maintenance. In fact, I would rather have that car than the 1963 R-1 Avanti powerd Lark cruiser that was posted later. I now appreciate any Scotsman I see too. For the same reason, I would not want to own a 1956 Golden Hawk now. Who needs the complications and expenses caused by a Packard V-8 and ultramatic transmission? Not me, not now. But I was much more impressed by the Golden Hawk when I was younger.
I was at a meet where a 1959 Silver Hawk was parked next to my Commander. My initial reaction was that it was not as good as my car or the other Hawks. But then I noticed how easy it would be to change the spark plugs which were sitting there in plain view on the top of the cylinder head. I would not have to move the battery box and power steering hoses out of the way to do that and could get the job done in less than 15 minutes.
The Silver Hawk did not have power steering, power brakes, power windows or a power seat, so there was nothing to go wrong or maintain. I spend a lot of time and effort maintaining equipment that the Silver Hawk does not even have. I no longer care that the top speed of the Silver Hawk is probably 85 mph because my own personal speed limit is now less than that.
When I was a kid and young man I would have favored the 1956 Golden Hawk. Now I would rather have a Silver Hawk. . . but not as much as a 1964 GT Hawk. I am not that old yet. :shades:
I used to flatly dislike 'finned' Hawks. But in hindsight, some other '61 cars still had fins or even goofier styling touches, but that Hawk body, in its ninth year, still looked longer and lower than most of 'em!
The Keystone Region S.D.C. raffle car this past year, at the York, PA swap meet, was a Colonial Red '60 Hawk. It was just beautiful...really 'grabbed' me. First '59-61 Hawk that had ever done that to me.
I would still love a '64 Gran Turismo Hawk, dark color with half vinyl top, full gauges, and Powershift on the floor, some time.
and with continental kits.
Indeed!!
I'll have to see if it's still there, but there was a black '64 Hawk on eBay just a few days ago, mounted on wire wheels (looked nice) but had a continental kit! Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!
Found it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1964-RARE-Studebaker-Gran-Turismo-Hawk-ONE-OWNER-- - Amazing-Condition-Beauty-/300890573872?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item460e79cc30
I wonder if that thing could be removed without damage to the rear of the car.
Without it, doesn't seem like a bad price for such a nice car. Those are my favorite Studebakers of all.
BTW, that serial number, 64V-19841, is awfully close to the end of production. All V8 Lark-types and Hawks had the same range of serial numbers, and the very last car (red Daytona in the Stude Museum) is serial 64V-20202--only 361 V8 cars later. (Serial nos. started at 64V-1001.)
This old guy had gone through the owner's manual page by page underlining things and making notes in the margins.
He handed my buddy a thick log book where he had carefully written down every penny he had spent on that Chevy. Every tank of gas, where he bought the gas and his mileage. Every tire repair, every penny.
He told my buddy..." NOW YOU KEEP THIS BOOK UPDATED!"
Yeah...sure he did.
He did manage to lower that nice Chevy to the ground and have a nice set of duals installed.
I suppose what is important to some is of zero value to others!
I like original owner documentation, but gas fill-ups and stuff...meh.
I've seen 5 year old 100K when new cars for sale with NO history.
I can remember a couple times when somebody called my Dad about a car he traded in at the Chevy dealer. They'd actually write the previous owner's name in the corner of the "OK Used Cars" label in the window, along with the asking price. Of course, we lived in a town of less than 10K people too. Dad never minded.
Kinda sad in this day and age there is a need to do these things.
When I bought our 1998 BMW 'vert two years ago, the private seller woudn't give me his records. I was a little miffed that he would think I would do something to him.
I still bought the car.
I once lost a sale on a used Odyssey. During the test drive, they guy's wife was pawing through the glove box and she managed to find ONE receipt.
It was from a body shop and they had done 1200.00 worth of body work.
1200.00 is nothing but it managed to queer the sale!
Guess what I did with that receipt?
I'd have a hard time dealing with foot-down wives :shades:
We did such a comprehensive nit picking inspection on all of the used cars we sold and we went over these line by line with the people buying. We hid nothing.
When I bought the E55, I had it inspected by a shop as the seller knew nothing - but otherwise, I have used my own gut feeling. I ended up trading it - not worth the hassle to sell something so odd by myself. Manager gave it a look over and saw no problems, which is what I expected - I am fairly meticulous.
On other cars the drive consisted of a quick run up the street to make sure the transmission was OK, a quick U turn and back in less than three minutes.
What I don't know is if the vans were powered by other engines after Studebaker quit production of the Skybolt Six in June 1964.
I've read that they were equipped with Studebaker 6-cylinder engines, Flightomatic trans, and Twin Traction and that Studebaker won the bid to produce the mail trucks. You could drive them standing up. Nice, big one-piece windshield. The sliding window on the one side, I've heard that mail employees referred to as 'the guillotine' for the way it would slam shut on a stop!
The bodies were built in Lansdale, PA by a company whose name escapes me, but the truck is a Studebaker design.
Other than military trucks, they were the last vehicles built in South Bend by Studebaker, I believe...1963-64.
I do not believe that Zip Vans were ever assembled with other than Studebaker engines.
As an aside, I always liked Studebaker's final logo and script, as shown in the photo of the manual, above. The block lettering and 'ying/yang' emblem look to me like something from a later period of time, instead of the early sixties.
When I had my 1955 Studebaker Automatic Drive transmission rebuilt, the mechanic who did the work said that he was able to use postal vehicle transmission parts. This would indicate that the earlier transmission might have been used. The mechanic did not specialize in Studebakers so he probably would not have known about the Studebaker Zip vans.
I also wonder why they would include twin traction for such a low power engine, but that might be for snow conditions.
Speaking to an earlier post about some of the low price Studebakers having a sun visior only on the driver's side of the car, the latest Turning Wheels says that the 1964 Challengers only had the sun visior and arm rest on the driver's side. These items were optional equipment for the passenger's side. This was worse than my 1960 Lark which had arm rests on both sides as as standard equipment.
"Studebaker's mid-'50s coupes -- including the gorgeous Commander Starliner -- were tantalizing but frustrating. Early cars used flimsy steel for the frame, resulting in undesirable flexibility. Fit and finish were poor and spotty build quality disappointed (and alienated) would-be buyers.
But damn it, they looked great, especially considering the limited resources the automaker had at its disposal. Raymond Lowey's '53 Studebaker Commander Starliner design still stands on its own merits today, and all the coupes of the era have a dedicated following.
Unfortunately, spare Studebaker parts have remained tough to come by even as reproduction companies have stepped in to make nearly everything -- including entire bodies -- for better-known marques.
Enter Georgia's Goodmark Industries, which says its new rear quarter panels for 1953-1962 Studebaker coupes should be ready by June.
Studebaker model naming conventions can get a bit confusing, but that range encompasses the C-K body Commander, Champion, Hawk, Flight Hawk, Golden Hawk, Power Hawk and Sky Hawk, according to Goodmark.
Goodmark currently produces repro panels for Fords, Dodges, Mercurys, Buicks and more, but the addition of Studebaker means their lineup will now include one independent (unless you count Jeep, that is). Whether they produce more Stude parts remains to be seen, but the company reports that demand for replacements is strong.
Here's hoping for future roadways full of old cars built with brand-new sheetmetal. Spotting a Starliner coupe or two on the way in to work would certainly make our commute a bit brighter."
The author also understates the different Hawk models by not including Silver Hawk, Packard Hawk and GT Hawk which stayed in production until the 1964 model year, not 1962. Seems like one size should fit all of them.
The criticism of the quality of the early models is fair enough. Studebaker could not build the coupes and hardtops fast enough in 1953, so they installed a body conveyer system at the factory to speed up production in 1954, but by that time they could not sell them fast enough. They had a similar problem with the Avanti ten years later. Early introduction, then they can't deliver enough cars during the excitement, then public interest wanes. It followed a similar story with the coffin nose Cord 810 and the Chrysler Airflows of the 1930s.
I don't think that Chrysler had that problem. They couldn't give the Airflows away. Just to far ahead of their time.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
The stories of the Cord 810, the Chrysler Airflow, the Studebaker 1953 Lowey Coupes and the 1963 Studebaker Avanti are remarkably similar. Early announcement of streamlined cars, followed by late production followed by early production problems.
The [Chrysler Airflow] was introduced months (in January, 1934) before it was put in production, and production peaked at only 6,212 units in May 1934 — very late in the year and barely enough to give every dealer a single Chrysler Airflow. The factory had not accounted for significant manufacturing challenges and expense due to the unusual new Airflow design, which required an unprecedented number and variety of welding techniques. The early Airflows arriving at dealerships suffered from significant problems, mostly the result of faulty manufacturing. According to Fred Breer, son of Chrysler Engineer Carl Breer, the first 2,000 to 3,000 Airflows to leave the factory had major defects, including engines breaking loose from their mountings at 80 mph (130 km/h).
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Chrysler_Airflow?o=2800&qsrc=999
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The new [Cord 810] caused a sensation at the New York Auto Show in November 1935. The crowds around the 810 were so dense, attendees stood on the bumpers of nearby cars to get a look. Many orders were taken at the show, but the cars were not ready to deliver until February.
Cord had rushed to build the 100 cars needed to qualify for the show, and the transmission was not ready. Even so, Cord took many orders at the show, promising Christmas delivery, expecting production of 1,000 per month. The semi-automatic transmission was more troublesome than expected, and 25 December came and went with no cars built. The first
production vehicles were not delivered to New York City until April 1936. In all, Cord managed to sell only 1,174 of the new 810 in its first model year, as the result of mechanical troubles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_Automobile