Thanks to Dennis and Scott for this tour of Studebakers. In Los Angeles around 1952 my Dad bought a Studebaker and went drag racing. He started a machine shop named Precision Tool and Mfg and he also started Stu-V speed equipment. His name is John McKusick. I have a photo of a 52 Commander with trophies on the hood. Another photo of his 53 coupe at the dry lakes time trials. He special ordered a 1960 two door Lark. The Lark dusted everything at the stoplights except the big Torqueflite V8 Chryslers. My dad and my brother built a 259 cubic inch engine to try for a Bonneville modified engine stock body class record. The engine had a Racer Brown roller cam, a double oil pump, Corvette pistons (?) and a welded ram intake manifold with two 4 barrel carburetors. Sad to say, at Bonneville the car turned a bearing insert. The '60 Lark got it's 289 engine back and the machine shop prospered. I used it to haul steel parts to the heat treat company where I would see baskets of American made socket wrenches being treated. I got to use a 1959 Power Hawk in the late '60s. The back seat was not quite big enough for teenage romance. The wonderful girl and I wound up taking a bedspread and finding a fire road in the Los Angeles mountains. Years later, I inherited the white super Lark. Pop that car into low and stand on it. Best wishes to everybody that has Studebaker memories.
I lived in Phoenix for many years before retiring. There were car meets almost every weekend. Sanderson Ford had an all makes show and there were several Studebakers there. One was a GORGEOUS red 1964 Daytona Convert. It had a factory R1, A/C, beautiful black leather buckets, factory tach, AM/FM radio, build sheet. It was so damn beautiful. I also met a guy in 1990 who had a 64 GT Hawk, bought it new at Tanner Motors. It was blue with blue interior, R1, AM/FM, and he drove it every day to work. It was a stunning original well kept car. I really miss seeing Studebakers at our local shows here in Montana. A lot of rust free bodies and a few pop up now and then. 1 older guy had a 64 GT Hawk, bought it locally, it was a zone rep car. Nice, but the paint color was awful, really didn't have a lot of options (for a zone rep, one would figure he would have loaded it out). But it is in nice original condition.
My Great Aunt Maude who was my Grandmothers sister, came to see us when i was a little girl in TN from New Mexico. It was white & had suicide doors & blue interior. Shed bought it new. She never married so dont know what happened to it...i liked it then. In mid to late 50's. I wish i remembered year but i was a kid. Think started liking classics then...
Dad loved Studebakers. We had four during my teenage years. I learned to drive on a 53 Commander V8 stick shift. Never forgot that car. He even let me cool it up. 3" lowering blocks, spun aluminum Bonneville moon hubcaps, glasspac duel exhaust. I only had my learners permit at the time, but boy that was fun. Last one I remember was a 57 Golden Hawk with the Packard V/8 that he bought for 'Mom'. Just in time for me to be the head of the "crew." I still consider to be it the first muscle car. Aluminum engine turned dash with Stewart Warner gauges, Golden & Cream two-tone paint, it was one cool ride. Oh to have that Commander back in the driveway now...🥲
If any car company deserved a bailout , Studebaker who took America West was it. when it became evident that buggies and wagon sales were fading, they built cars and trucks that were unique. Raymond Lowey's designs were timeless- you look at late 40and 50's cars that may have been too good for us in the era when being different was frowned upon. We were all deprived of the vehicles that could have come our way.
@@califdad4 Just to a factory that already had been building Studebaker's for decades. The Corporation remained in the States long after auto production stopped. Pieces of it that weren't later merged into other companies still exist, like Studebaker Leasing.
@@neildickson5394 they owned all kinds of things that was more profitable than the car company. Like most auto builders at the time, they owned a TV appliance company also
“Cars too good for us in the era when being different was frowned upon.” ...now you’ve got car manufacturers putting out vehicles that look just like everyone else’s. Don’t strive to be different, because that’s too risky. Just stay safe. Stay afloat. What’s selling? Mimic that! Cars are so boring now! I blame the consumers. You vote with your dollar. That’s why all modern vehicles look alike and feel as if they only come in 2-3 colors.
The '48 convertible outside and the '50 under plastic both have replacement windshields. They were originally split, made of two flat planes. The last two years of the basic body, '51-'52, used a one piece windshield, and that often got retrofitted into the earlier ones.
My grandpa bought a 1957 golden hawk brand new. He drove it for a few years. After that, he parked it at his farm. Later on, he sold it because everyone else had one.
Dennis, Great video. I hope he has restored some that were under the plastic. The original 53 Starliner 2-door hardtop and the 1962-1964 GT Hawks were the best of the breed. Tacking on heavy grills, bumpers and fins did not improve the styling, but the Golden Hawk certainly evokes the "fins and chrome era".
omg.... Its the Studebaker Lark 62 Cruiser that I fell in love with and got me into cars. I was visiting San Francisco and randomly saw it parked on the side of the road and walking by I had to stop and take pictures and I felt my heart melt.
My Mom and Dad were married in 1959 and Dad went to the wedding in a ‘57 Golden Hawk. Dad was AMAZED at the power that thing had, but I had NO idea that car was pushing $6000 brand new back then! 😳 That was a LOT of money for a car and not that far from Cadillac territory.
$6,000.00, I think you might have been able to get one, for a little less, than that? Maybe if you wanted automatic transmission, power breaks, power steering, power windows, power seat adjustment, and air conditioning, it was probably, in that neighborhood?
Yes,they definetly were very expensive in their day! My Sky Hawk I bought a couple of years ago is a HK7 series,yup,the rarer model! I'm looking for a good frame so I can start my restoration I can be reached via call/text at 1 603 238 7515
I had 2 Champion trucks. A 57 and a 59, both were great. One was a 6 cyl, 3 -4 speed, and the other a 327 V-8.-3 in-the-tree. I sure miss them. I could pull a house down with them. Solid, strong and dependable. I lost them both to the LAPD impounds, along with several other vehicles. Being young and dumb, I didn't know I could get them back. I'd get another one if I could find one.
Studebaker V8's had a nice sound to them, had a Uncle with a cherry 62 Lark 2dr hardtop in red, really nice looking, 3 on the tree. then my other uncle got a 1964 Lark 4dr, both these cars were standard transmission with a V8. I still remember a couple in town with a white 62 Hawk, would love to have a hawk they are so good looking, especially the 60's models
My supercharged 1957 Golden Hawk is Azure Blue Metallic with white fins, has the stick shift OD transmission and 4.11 rear gears. A surprisingly quick car for 1957!
Hello Dennis! I am new to your channel and Love Studebakers! Really enjoyed this video. I owned a 62 lark cruiser that had been in my family since new. I sold it years ago and wish that I still had it. Brought back memories when you took Scott Cawley's Lark for a ride. I don't suppose he would want to sell that car? 38,000 mile original?? Wow! I also love the Golden hawks but that would be way out of my price range. Thanks so much for sharing!
Studebaker coupes first hit the showroom in Racine Wisconsin. it was love at first sight. I still think it is the most beautiful production car ever built.
I'm completely jealous, 80 Studebaker's. That black Champ is beautiful, and all the rest too. I wonder if anyone thinks that 62 Cruiser is a Mercedes. The grill was almost a direct copy while SPC and M-B were sharing showrooms.
My brother has a Studebaker truck frame that is still in good condition. He got it from my Aunt whose husband use to drive a Studebaker truck but the truck was all taken apart years ago before he passed away.
Um dos automoveis mais fabuloso que conheci, seja pelas linhas e pelo desenho que e diferenciado ou mesmo pela qualidade, e uma das maravilhas do mundo do automovel, indescritivel, etc., maneco - Porto Alegre-RS -Brasil.
,if management had heeded R Lowry,s advice in the late 50,s and produced more Hawks than Larks and bring the Avanti into production earlier than it did It May have survived long enough to be given some government help. Lowry was award that the Ford Mustang was close to production and aimed at the youth market. He hoped the Avanti would tap into that market alas it was not to be. I ha e had three Hawks and an Avanti (1982 model ) and they were all great cars 🚗 I 🚗🚗🚗🏎🏎🚕
This is a fantastic collection. Never owned a Studebaker. A 1954 Kaiser, but no Stude. Wanted a '53 coupe, but doesn't everyone...I thought the '55 model would look good if the chrome front end were painted body color. Just leave the grill bar chrome.
I had a black 57 golden hawk Studebaker three speed on the tree with a manual overdrive supercharged…! When I was around 16 or 17 years old my best friends father was vice president of our hometown Alpo dog food factory, and this golden hawk was the factory Company car….. ! The car started to get dilapidated from use and it sat in my friends parents front yard for probably three or four years…! One day I asked my friend Andy’s father if they would be interested in selling the car….??? He said sure I asked him how much it would take for it he sold me the 57 Goldenhawk for $75.00 I did not even have my license at the time yet ….! my dad after he got off work at the fire department took me over to Andy’s house , we started the car up and drove it home….!! Of course me being a stupid kid ….😜 I proceeded to Hot Hod the Hell Out of it …., and eventually, Tear it up….😳 just like I did every Neat car I ever got my hands on !!! , but that is another sad story…! Now that I am older and wiser all I can do is wish I had so many of these wonderful treasures back…
Hello! I enjoy your channel tremendously and am a huge Studebaker fan. I've left comments as well as other subscribers. It appeared that you had not responded to anyone. Just wanted to make sure your checking. Keep up the great work on your channel! Thank You so much.
Esses carros, sem dúvidas, são os melhores carros do mundo. Jamais serão fabricados carros semelhantes, material apropriado para que os carros durem por décadas sem que a sua qualidade e eficiências sejam comprometidas. Ótimos e lindos carros, uma obra de arte.
I as a Studebaker Owner for 30 years don't know anybody that owns Studebakers that refers to them as "Studies". I wish he'd call it by their name.......
Very nice cars. "Original" in appearance, yes. Original as in materials/condition? Very unlikely. Interior upholstery, carpeting, headliner and dash replaced. Body re paint. Pot metal re-chromed. Stainless reconditioned or re-produced as original. Not saying bad, only clarifying what truly is "original".
