Postwar Studebakers

fintail · September 2023

sda said:
My 62 Galaxie was similarly equipped. In addition, no back up lights, door mirror, windshield washers. You took your life into your hands if you approached a corner too quickly or for that matter anything too quickly. Horrible handling, slow steering and brakes that would put you into another lane if stomped on. It was reliable, however! And my first car!

I can't recall if the Fairlane had back up lights - those might have been mandated with the 1968 safety regs? I do remember I was no fan of driving the car, as the steering seemed impossibly heavy, combined with a not Honda-like clutch, it was intimidating for a new driver. My dad, who was skilled at such things, loved it though, IIRC he would just leave it in 2nd for in-town driving. The 289 was a sweet engine and I don't recall that car giving him any trouble although it was a low mileage car (maybe 60K miles at 25 years old when he got it).

uplanderguy · September 2023

A fellow on a Stude FB page just posted these wonderful photos of his parents coming back home from picking up their new '62 Lark at South Bend, headed for SLC. He took the pics. I love pics like this.

I like the clean look of no outside mirror, but hard to imagine today driving without one.

uplanderguy · September 2023

I had posted this pic a year or whatever ago, but similar cool pic. Guy's grandfather picking up his new '62 Champ pickup at South Bend. Already had the snow tires put on for the drive home to Iowa!

Iowa reminds me that I've heard a fair amount of stories regarding small-town/rural Studebaker dealers in the midwest who did well with trucks into the sixties and were dismayed when production ramped up in Canada without trucks. One dealer from whom a friend's '64 Cruiser was sold new, in Nebraska, sold a new '63 truck which was used as a fire truck in the small town for many years.

imidazol97 · September 2023

Saw a single Studebaker at an annual cruise in that likely had 300-350 cars
a few Saturdays ago. It's amazing that the steering wheel was in such good condition.
A Commanding vehicle.

uplanderguy · October 2023

Nice car, thanks for posting. I like the '50 Commander instrument panel.

imidazol97 · October 2023

I had never realized (or I've long forgotten) that the Champion and Commander had different instrument panels.

Michaell · October 2023

A great what-if story about Studebaker.

sda · October 2023

Not sure of the year, saw a nice turquoise with matching interior Avanti while I was filling up the Passat. It had what looked to be stock full wheel covers, whitewalls, and a sticker on the bottom left of the backlight stating Avanti Air Conditioned or something similar. I was hoping to speak to the owner and take a pic but he was preoccupied.

uplanderguy · October 2023

Michaell, thanks for that link. Interesting.

uplanderguy · October 2023

This car was spotted in Oklahoma this past weekend supposedly. My favorite angle of an Avanti.

explorerx4 · October 2023

@uplanderguy,
Not sure if you've seen this but it popped up on YT, so I thought I'd post it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErgdKNHo8yE

uplanderguy · October 2023

Thanks for posting! The '53 coupes are beautiful, but I absolutely love the '64 Gran Turismo Hawks.

Someone once said putting a '53 Stude coupe next to a '53 Chevy was like Ava Gardner standing next to Kate Smith, LOL.

uplanderguy · October 2023

My sister sent me this pic, taken at their house about 15 years ago I think. My old '63 and their '49 convertible.

My last Stude, the Cruiser, was the most-original, lowest-mileage Stude I've owned. But that white Skytop with factory Avanti R1 power was my favorite Stude and I owned it 23 years. I like this angle of the car, from the rear.

imidazol97 · October 2023

Saw an interesting classic Studebaker at a recent show. Suicide doors. Big surprise is it was a Champion. I expected it to be a high line model like a Land Cruiser.

imidazol97 · October 2023

Several months ago saw a 1930 Studebaker at a Fairfield/Hamilton OH show.
It's postwar, so I hope it fits here (post WW1, that is).

ab348 · October 2023

Saw posted on a local-to-me Classic Car FB group (link seems hard to find now) of a ‘54 Loewy coupe, light blue and white, looks restored to mostly original and pretty nice. In all my years going to local shows I’ve never seen this car. One interesting but puzzling thing stated was that it was made in Canada and has a maple leaf emblem on the glove box door. I didn’t know they made the Loewy models in Canada. The big change is that the ad says the original 1953 flathead 6 was replaced with a 1957 version with dual-carb intake, an aftermarket cam, and other hop-up parts, though still a flathead. Hmmm. Asking $25,000 Cdn.

If I can ferret out the link I’ll post it here.

EDIT: Found the link! I saw the pic and thought it was a ‘53 but it’s actually a ‘54 with a ‘53 grille:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/756146661109263/permalink/6951218638268670/?sale_post_id=6951218638268670

uplanderguy · October 2023

Thanks. Yes, the Hamilton plant built all regular postwar Stude cars, other than Avantis, and did not build the Gran Turismo Hawk in '64 so when South Bend shut down in the '64 model year, only Lark-types were being built there so that's all that continued through '66. The Avanti and Hawk and trucks add interest IMHO but volume was so low by then that it didn't make money sense to build them in Hamilton.

Yes, please do post the link if you find it!

uplanderguy · October 2023

I also can't recall that last time I've seen a suicide-door Champion. The Land Cruiser of those years had the longest wheelbase of any postwar Studebaker.

imidazol97 · October 2023

I rode in a Land Cruiser of that era with those doors 1948? 1949? era. I had to stand on the back floor because the other couple's two daughters, and the 4 adults were all in the car going somewhere to a wake, a home visit, something.

It was before 1951 or so because my parents drove a post war Chevy. It was 1951 when we bought a 1-year old 1950 Studebaker.

bhill2 · October 2023

uplanderguy said:
I also can't recall that last time I've seen a suicide-door Champion. The Land Cruiser of those years had the longest wheelbase of any postwar Studebaker.

How about suicide-door Commanders? Is it four-doors in general that don't show up? My parents had a 51 suicide door Commander. The first car I remember. My father loved it. Mostly I remember that if you slid across the seat and touched the door handle you yelled and your ears lit up.

explorerx4 · October 2023

Stude Show'n Shine from down under popped on my YT feed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb2sUSZDrBw

uplanderguy · October 2023

I am about 99% sure that the white Lark at left in the snapshot of the video, above, is my old car.

uplanderguy · October 2023

RE.: Suicide-door Commanders in that '47-52 era Stude:

Seems like at shows, Starlight coupes are mostly seen, or the long-wheebase, luxury Land Cruiser.

I rarely see either Champion or Commander four-door 'suicide' door models.

imidazol97 · October 2023

I am always learning something on this Studebaker topic. I did not realize the modern 1950 STudebaker
and later had suicide 4-doors. If I knew that as a kid, I long ago forgot, and I don't recall seeing one at a car show. It's always 1949 and earlier Land Cruisers that are 4-doors.

So I did some looking already. Wow. It's like a big hole in my Studebaker knowledge.

1952

uplanderguy · November 2023

Someone posted this pic from the '63 Chicago Auto Show on FB. Supercharged Lark Regal two-door sedan with aftermarket wheels and stripes. Note M-B display in background. I could surely like to own this Lark now.

fintail · November 2023

I wonder if the car still exists somewhere.

Sign appears to say something along the lines of US Premiere of the 230SL, which indeed was a 1964 MY debut.

uplanderguy said:
Someone posted this pic from the '63 Chicago Auto Show on FB. Supercharged Lark Regal two-door sedan with aftermarket wheels and stripes. Note M-B display in background. I could surely like to own this Lark now.

uplanderguy · November 2023

Neat factory photo

texases · November 2023

Good way to highlight the car/people, but it's about the most casual factory shot I've seen - 2x4s?

kyfdx · November 2023

Seems like that isn't the shot they used, just the set-up for it?

uplanderguy · November 2023

Not used in a brochure, but I've seen it before.

I think it does show off some beautiful lines of the car not usually seen...particularly for a car introduced in mid-'62.

fintail · November 2023

really shows off the hood scoop/bulge

uplanderguy · November 2023

...and how that bulge lines up with the top of the instrument panel there.

I think this pic also shows off the long-hood/short-deck styling, and curved side glass, features not common that early.

fintail · November 2023

I never noticed how the bulge lines up with the instrument cluster. Nice detail.

I know the design was very well received by design aficionados when new, such a departure from the clutter craziness of just a few years earlier.

uplanderguy · November 2023

I know this is not a fair comparison, but I have a factory video they did for dealers for the '64 model year introduction and it shows an Avanti merging on a Chicago-area freeway and a red, four-door, low-line 1959 Ford with dog-dish caps drives by. It's almost comical seeing it next to the Avanti.

fintail · November 2023

It's funny how many complete changes in design happened in that era. By 1964, that 59 Ford, which was applauded as a modern restrained design when new, was completely obsolete in terms of design elements. Today, a 5 year old car can be barely distinguishable from new.

YT suggested this old Motorweek for me last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF62U1fjXbk

I kind of like the blue one he is posing with.

uplanderguy · November 2023

I never liked the post-Studebaker Avanti's lack of front-end rake and reduced-radius front wheel openings. That said, the styling is still not bad by '85 standards.

uplanderguy · November 2023

This came up on my FB memories today. Wish I still had it; I put it under the glass on my desk and the colors soon bled. It's real; it was given to me by a Stude historian who knew people with Studebaker in the '60's in South Bend.

I always say this, but although the car line was old-school in ways, that last Corporate logo looks fresh even today IMHO.
No photo description available.

thebean · November 2023

@uplanderguy, how about some impressions on your new C8? I know it’s not Stude content, but since a Stude was sold to get it, I think that’s close enough. 😀

uplanderguy · November 2023

@thebean, I will.

I'm proud to own it. I think it is a great value for the engineering. I have about 600 miles on it after about seven weeks or so of ownership.

The exhaust sound is wonderful. It's a throaty growl and when you start the car, it could wake up the neighbors!

The steering is very precise (it oughta be!). I second-guessed myself a million times on my choice of white with red interior, but I like it a lot. The red interior is fairly luxurious IMHO, and the interior is what I think is American--for instance, bright-metal trim in the right places.

I haven't really "gotten on it" yet. They limit the RPM's the first 500 miles as a break-in thing, and they tell you that break-in for the transmission is 1,500 miles--well, at least they tell you to not track the car before that mileage. At 500 miles, the redline on the tach changed!

I bought the hardtop convertible at wife's insistence. To see it in operation reminds me of a '57-59 Ford Sunliner and my cheap nature makes me think, "Man, I hope that never breaks"!

I bought only one option--the front end lift which lifts the front a couple inches when you push a button, for aprons, etc. You can save the location which is nice. I'm glad I got that. I had to buy the 2LT trim to get that option, which mostly includes some electronic safety equipment (emergency braking, etc.).

I'm not doing this to brag, please know that, but the sticker price for this '24 was $84,590. By-far the most expensive car I owned, but everyone seems to think they're over $100K. Of course, it is possible to exceed that, but my dealer told me he has sold pickups that cost as much as some C8's. You can still get the standard coupe in 1LT trim (still very nice) for under $70K sticker.

uplanderguy · November 2023

I've posted this in past years, but I like this pic from about 60 years ago. Late summer/early fall '63 pic in front of the Studebaker Administration Building in South Bend. President Egbert's '64 R3 Avanti out front, and it looks like fintail stopped by!

thebean · November 2023

@uplanderguy, thank you very much for that post and update. Very interesting. I really like the red interior. 👍

fintail · November 2023

uplanderguy said:
@thebean, I will.

I'm proud to own it. I think it is a great value for the engineering. I have about 600 miles on it after about seven weeks or so of ownership.

The exhaust sound is wonderful. It's a throaty growl and when you start the car, it could wake up the neighbors!

The steering is very precise (it oughta be!). I second-guessed myself a million times on my choice of white with red interior, but I like it a lot. The red interior is fairly luxurious IMHO, and the interior is what I think is American--for instance, bright-metal trim in the right places.

I haven't really "gotten on it" yet. They limit the RPM's the first 500 miles as a break-in thing, and they tell you that break-in for the transmission is 1,500 miles--well, at least they tell you to not track the car before that mileage. At 500 miles, the redline on the tach changed!

I bought the hardtop convertible at wife's insistence. To see it in operation reminds me of a '57-59 Ford Sunliner and my cheap nature makes me think, "Man, I hope that never breaks"!

I bought only one option--the front end lift which lifts the front a couple inches when you push a button, for aprons, etc. You can save the location which is nice. I'm glad I got that. I had to buy the 2LT trim to get that option, which mostly includes some electronic safety equipment (emergency braking, etc.).

I'm not doing this to brag, please know that, but the sticker price for this '24 was $84,590. By-far the most expensive car I owned, but everyone seems to think they're over $100K. Of course, it is possible to exceed that, but my dealer told me he has sold pickups that cost as much as some C8's. You can still get the standard coupe in 1LT trim (still very nice) for under $70K sticker.

I too think you picked a good color combo, very classic, especially for a Corvette. In the latest Hagerty Driver's Club magazine, Leno column has a good quote about the C8: "Take the C8 Corvette; it's built out of aluminum and magnesium in a union shop paying a union wage and it's under $100,000. Europeans can't do that. Heck, nobody else can do that."

I'd say the car is a huge bargain for what it is.

And I too like that Studebaker admin building pic for obvious reasons. I think we may have discussed it, is the flag touched in, or did they have a huge flag like that?

ab348 · November 2023

uplanderguy said:

The steering is very precise (it oughta be!). I second-guessed myself a million times on my choice of white with red interior, but I like it a lot. The red interior is fairly luxurious IMHO, and the interior is what I think is American--for instance, bright-metal trim in the right places.

Congrats, Bill. One question: I could have sworn I’ve seen some of those where the dash and other interior parts are upholstery color, so red in your case, but I see yours is black. Is that an option?

imidazol97 · November 2023

uplanderguy said:
....and it looks like fintail stopped by!

Was Fintail old enough to drive at that point?

fintail · November 2023

imidazol97 said:

uplanderguy said:
....and it looks like fintail stopped by!

Was Fintail old enough to drive at that point?

Someone born when that photo was taken would probably have been in junior high when I was born

bhill2 · November 2023

Oh Lordy, Fin. You know how to make a guy feel old (OK, with good reason). I was in junior high when that photo was taken.

uplanderguy · November 2023

Greg, mine is the standard interior; the solid color interior is an option. I think it's part of the 3LT package and gives you a leather-topped instrument panel. I hear the term "dipped" used also to describe the solid interior color. Honestly, some people in hotter areas have had their leather dash in a place or two, bubble. First, I wasn't going to spend the money, but secondly, I think the solid red everywhere inside is a bit much.

uplanderguy · November 2023

fin, I remember us talking about that flagpole in the 1963 photo. It does look airbrushed doesn't it, but there is still that flagpole in that very location on the building, with nothing on it now.

That building is largely original inside, but the deterioration is sad. I wish someone would rescue it. There is some evidence of homeless inside. I was in it most recently this past June. The president's office is in that upper left corner. His private bathroom with shower still has all the original fixtures.

It's too small to see, but the water tower in the pic had the same logo as on Egbert's business card I posted here a few days ago. I've seen other 1963 photos of it.

uplanderguy · November 2023

RE.: The C8--outside my Studebakers (and some may included them in the following comment, LOL!), I've always driven pretty pedestrian cars. I've often assigned the oldest/cheapest car in our stable to myself as my daily. When our two daughters were young, it was not uncommon to hear, "Do we have to ride in Dad's car? Can't we take Mom's?". Hers were far-from-extravagant, but usually newer and nicer than mine.

Funny, now, everyone wants a ride or drive in Dad's car! LOL

Daughter and son-in-law saw it for the first time ther other day, and took it for a half-hour ride. Younger daughter just saw it for the first time too, and went for a short ride with me, then took it yesterday with her friend from NYC who came to our house for Thanksgiving. They actually drove it in thirties weather with the top down.

uplanderguy · November 2023

Unrelated to cars, but has anyone seen Fox's commercial for the Ohio State/Michigan game? They actually have audio of Eisenhower's speech to D-Day troops. GIve me a ..... break!

Postwar Studebakers

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