Postwar Studebakers

fintail · September 2021

Just a slight Christine vibe there, I wonder if any of them are red

uplanderguy · September 2021

Just back from the 57th annual Studebaker Drivers' Club International Meet in Indianapolis. A few cars I liked at the show there:

uplanderguy · September 2021

Fell in love with this unusual-factory-color (Bermuda Brown with white vinyl top) '64 Hawk.

uplanderguy · September 2021

'53

uplanderguy · September 2021

Better pic of the wagon.

thebean · September 2021

I had no idea Stude had a wagon model named Broadmoor. I’ve never seen or heard of this before. Love all the pics. Thanks for showing.

sda · September 2021

@uplanderguy , Did you show the Cruiser?

uplanderguy · September 2021

I did not take it there. I hate driving a late-model down I-71, everybody driving 90 and passing me at 75 like I'm standing still! Plus, on I-70 we were stopped for nearly an hour due to an accident.

Next year's national meet is in South Bend in May. I am planning on driving it there.

It used to be that the goal was to put consecutive nationals in other areas of the country, but I think lately it's just what region of the S.D.C. will offer to put one on. Plus, South Bend is every fifth national meet and 2022 is the fifth year.

The Broadmoor is what the President Station Wagon was called. I guess Stude was doing what Ford was doing in that regard with their wagons.

imidazol97 · September 2021

uplanderguy said:
I did not take it there. I hate driving a late-model down I-71, everybody driving 90 and passing me at 75 like I'm standing still! Plus, on I-70 we were stopped for nearly an hour due to an accident.

Was that backup at western border of Ohio at MP 6 or 7 for a semi that laid his truck down into the construction trench where a new ramp bed was being prepared just inside the Indiana border? We got in that backup when going to an Amish store on Wednesday I believe it was.

uplanderguy · September 2021

Yes, that was it, and on Wednesday for us too!

After that delay, we saw traffic backed up for a few miles going eastward. We decided yesterday to start on U.S. Route 40 and didn't get onto 70 until Richmond. 40 was a pleasant drive; glad we did it.

fintail · September 2021

That wagon is something, don't recall seeing one of those before, even at the museum.

When I had to drive the fintail across the state last year, I made it a point to stay off the interstate - took state highways for the entire journey (fortunately there's one that has a similar west-east route to I90. The old car is much happier loafing along at 60 with light traffic than fighting with the masses at 75.

uplanderguy · September 2021

An Avanti from its best angle IMHO:

There was a turquoise '63 at the show that is still owned by its original owner.

'64 Hawk interior shot:

Nice '55 medium-duty truck:

'62 to '64 Diesel, very rare:

uplanderguy · September 2021

An interesting side trip to the national Stude meet was we drove 1 1/2 hrs. north and east to tiny Fairmount (pop 3K-something), the hometown of James Dean. I got interested in Dean two years ago while moving my daughter to San Luis Obispo, CA. By accident we drove by where his fatal accident in his Porsche Spyder was, marked by a memorial, and earlier had driven by a Texaco station with large cutouts of Dean on the property. Later found out that place (Blackwell Corners) was the last place Dean stopped, for a Coke and an apple.

The small museum in Fairmount is chock-full of Dean memorabilia, from his school days to his acting days in L.A. and NYC. Really amazing stuff.

His cousin still lives in the house both were raised in at the same time. At the museum, they told us that he doesn't mind photos being taken, but asks that you go to the second driveway, near the barn, which we did. Very tidy white, large farmhouse, tidy white barn, tidy white outbuilding, perfect lawn, and recent F-150 in the driveway.

lemko1968 · September 2021

1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk

uplanderguy · September 2021

Very, very nice authentic/original condition!

uplanderguy · September 2021

The fog lights are from an earlier Stude and to me the Golden Hawk looks better without them.

lemko1968 · September 2021

1957 Studebacker Golden Hawk:

lemko1968 · September 2021

1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk:

uplanderguy · September 2021

Gran Turismo Hawks are my favorite Studebakers! Brilliant revision of the basic '53 bodyshell!

I'll deduct a few points for the red wheels (should be off-white), but etra points for it being an Avanti-powered R1 engine, both by the looks of the engine AND the emblems near the bottom of the front fenders!

lemko1968 · October 2021

1950 Studebaker.

lemko1968 · October 2021

Rough 1951 Studebaker Champion

lemko1968 · October 2021

1952 Studebaker

lemko1968 · October 2021

1955 Studebaker President

lemko1968 · October 2021

Studebaker Lark VI. Not sure what year.

uplanderguy · October 2021

My wife always liked the bullet-nose '50 and '51's, but I don't at all. The '50 was the best-selling Studebaker model year ever built.

Such was the general advanced styling of the '47, that it basically could run until '52 and to my eyes, look about as contemporary as what everybody else was doing then.

That Lark is a '61.

uplanderguy · October 2021

The '55 sedan looks low and small compared to the three-box-styling of other cars that year, but this model, the President State Sedan, is on a long 120.5" wheelbase, 5 1/2 inches longer than a '55 Chevy sedan, although it doesn't look like it.

kyfdx · October 2021

uplanderguy · October 2021

I was just going to post that link!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-studebaker-lark-daytona-convertible-v8-3/?fbclid=IwAR3f8htch0OP6eNtQUxGguf6KY6kx5mEVVcYaGeLkCQ4PmlZcmb8Y1jgvqw

That car isn't in perfect condition, but for authenticity, I really can't nitpick anything. Daytona, sliding roof, disc brakes, Blue Mist, reclining seats, bumper guards in right position, "LARK" letters on front fenders, white wheels, correct wheelcovers!

At first I thought the front seat was a cheap recovering, but the brightness/contrast almost hides the (correct, factory) pleats in the white inserts. On Daytonas that year you got your choice of white vinyl inserts, or matching (would be blue here) inserts.

Someone added the chrome valve covers, although Studebaker dealers sold an 'engine dress-up kit' that included those.

In '63's, the clock was in the center instrument position and the speedometer was on the right. In '64 the speedometer was put in the more-logical center position. On this '63, the clock is to the right so somebody changed them.

uplanderguy · October 2021

UPDATE: New-car sales invoice pictured in the ad shows that the original customer requested the dealer switch positions of the speedometer and clock, LOL!

He traded in a '56 Stude wagon for this '63.

kyfdx · October 2021

It's really pretty.

thebean · October 2021

It appears that the seller is the Petersen Museum in LA. At least that’s the impression I get from looking at the comments on the seller’s history. I guess that means the car hasn’t been driven in a while. Not sure if that’s good or bad, but at least you can be sure it’s the real deal. Love it!

uplanderguy · October 2021

So different than anything else for sale at the time.

uplanderguy · October 2021

Very authentic 1960 Champ 1/2 ton pickup. I could like owning this one. Just seen on FB.

ab348 · October 2021

That’s nice, and in a good color. I like the exposed fender box better than the enclosed style too.

uplanderguy · October 2021

In the exposed-fender box I like the short box like this one.

lemko1968 · October 2021

1937 Studebaker fire engine

lemko1968 · October 2021

1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk

lemko1968 · October 2021

1956 Studebaker wagon

lemko1968 · October 2021

1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

lemko1968 · October 2021

1937 Studebaker

uplanderguy · October 2021

Thanks lemko; I'll assume these are Hershey Studebakers. I had an invite to go with a friend in his motorhome but had promised my wife we'd spend Friday out in Put-In-Bay and she and I hadn't gone anyplace together since I retired in late August, LOL.

I love that white Hawk, even though it's a '63 with '64 wheelcovers. The '56 wagon and green '37 I know I have seen before. Both are gorgeous and authentic.

fintail · October 2021

I like the wagon, I don't think I've ever seen one in person with that side trim before.

lemko1968 said:
1956 Studebaker wagon

uplanderguy · October 2021

The Blue Mist ‘63 Lark Daytona Wagonaire shown above just sold for $32,000.

uplanderguy · October 2021

This short ad cracks me up. The implication is that this woman won't climb into a Cadillac, Lincoln, or Thunderbird with a stranger, but will with a Gran Turismo Hawk!

https://www.facebook.com/StudebakerMuseum/videos/518731759005042

fintail · October 2021

Too bad they didn't include a then-new MB hardtop coupe, but I suppose that might have even been just on the cusp of competition.

uplanderguy · October 2021

Yeah, that might've been too close to comparing to a car their own dealers sold.

kyfdx · October 2021

uplanderguy · October 2021

Nice Hawk! I can only nitipick that the wheels aren't white (behind the wheelcovers), and I was never a fan of the accessory door-handle guards.

kyfdx · October 2021

uplanderguy said:
Nice Hawk! I can only nitipick that the wheels aren't white (behind the wheelcovers), and I was never a fan of the accessory door-handle guards.

Yeah, it was very pretty. Big show, and that's the only Stude I noticed

uplanderguy · October 2021

At a general show, it's not unusual for there to be like one Studebaker. I kind-of like that.

Growing up Chevy, I never knew what 'low production' of a particular model really meant until I got into Studebakers. I laugh when I see an ad for some type of GM car where it says "Rare...only 11,000 made", LOL.

Postwar Studebakers

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