My dad was a Studebaker man. Many a years as a kid were spent watching him toil over his Commander. Thanks for the video guys and more important, bringing tears to my eyes remembering him and his true passion for such a car and company. He loved his car with a passion which is what it all is about!
Nice story about your father. My dad's 2nd car was a 53' Commander. He traded in his 49' Buick for it when he was in the Navy. He loved that car - always said it was 20 years ahead of its time. He would drive it to and from his family home in Boston down to his ship in Newport RI when he was on liberty. He said that car would cruise 70mph and still get 27mpg with the V8. His father hated the car because when he sat in the back seat he would hit his head on the roof going over bumps - and in Boston that was often. Dad was also a photographer with a press camera and took some beautiful pictures of it, plus one shot of it with the right nose crunched. I'm so glad I've got all of his 4x5 negatives of those images plus hundreds more of his family and adventures throughout his life. I didn't come along till 64' when his single life was well in the rear view mirror, and he was driving a Comet wagon. Got 8mm home movies of that one. Tears in my eyes, too, buddy. Thanks, Steve, for all of the effort you put into these wonderful videos. They are a blessing.
If you were to park a 1953 Ford, Chevrolet, or Chrysler next to a 1953 Studebaker, one can see Studebaker design was way ahead of it's time. The Raymond Lowey designed Studebaker Avanti is an absolutely stunning design that still draws a crowd around it at auto shows to this day. The Studebaker Lark beat the Falcon, Corvair, and Valiant to the compact car market by 1 year. Thanks for sharing automotive history before a company such as Studebaker is completely forgotten.
He had me for forever at "Koeran conflict, wasn't a war, folks". The understanding of every angle of not just only the cars is priceless. This man is a gem. 💎
Hello JJsAutomotive, Thanks for watching and writing. I'm not interesting in stirring controversy, but after I saw the documentary "The Fog Of War" with Robert McNamara "confessing" to the errors he - and others - made during the 1952 - 1972 period, I was shocked at how the Korean "conflict" was allowed to proceed because by NOT calling it what it was - A WAR - congressional support for the aggression / engagement was not required! The President had full authority to go nuts! And speaking of NUTS, General Curtis LeMay was actually pushing, pushing and pushing some more for a PRE-EMPTIVE NUCLEAR STRIKE on "all American enemies". Holy s*%t!!! We all came THAT CLOSE to NOT being here. The thought of that beautiful 1953 Studebaker Starliner Coupe being reduced to smoldering ash by a nuke is disgusting - let alone the millions of people here on planet Earth. I feel that the U.S.A. is THE GREATEST NATION on Earth. I am proud to be here. But I'm also aware that certain Decision Makers are CRAZY and must be watched by the voting public at large. Even if its just shedding a sliver of light on the difference between a "war" and a "conflict". Thank YOU for getting the distinction and for writing. -Steve Magnante
Thanks Steve! My Father was a Studebaker dealer. First car was a Studebaker. Currently have my Father’s 63 Avanti with engine in process of being converted into R3 version.
Always appreciate these motorized history lessons 🙏 Virgil Exner ??!! Small world Look at that steering & suspension geometry & Access panels !! Thank you , Steve . Studebaker is grossly under appreciated for their , manufacturing contributions
I as I recall hearing The Studebaker company were developers of STP oil treatment. And after the company quit building cars, it continued on making several other products.
I think you summed it up perfectly with the word “dazzling”. The aerodynamics had to be pretty good as well with the sloped nose and swept rear. The OHV was years ahead of Ford/Chevy/etc. Interesting to learn about the actual designer. Thank you and Shane as always.
Thanks for the memories Steve! My grandparents had a ‘54 that I dearly loved. Every time we would go to visit them in rural southern Ohio, I would spend most of the time sitting in the car pretending to drive it! I was only about five or six but I still constantly think about it sixty years later! When the ‘75 Camaro came out with the wraparound rear window I could see just how much this car must have had an influence on the over all styling of the Camaro! Thanks Again!
Much bigger impact at Bonnevile on the salt than on the dragstrips. I remember seeing them all over the Hot Rod magazine coverage of Bonneville back in the '60s, the aero body dominated top end competition.
If you ever have a chance to go to Michigan's Mackinac Island you will find a museum of carriages and they have a few Studebaker carriages . The island has very few automobiles and the ones you will see are for emergency only. They have many horses and carriages and a mass amount of bicycles to rent for exploring the island. Watch your step with the horses and watchout for tourist on bikes. And don't forget to buy some fudge.
The best thing about any horse-drawn carriage is that its super easy to DOUBLE THE HORSEPOWER. Just hook up a second steed! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
When I was a kid, Dad had one of those in a fairly dark blue. Named the car Saphire. I later learned that a gudgeon pin retainer came out and the gudgeon pin scored the cylinder wall. The repair was to bore the one cylinder oversize. Replacement oversize pistons are built to the same mass as the originals, so for a street car this works. Sometime after that the car was sold and replaced with either a Hillman or Ford Consel named Sunshine due to the yellow paint. I think the Hillman fit between the Stude and the Consel. I would sure like to find a decent Commander Starlight Coupe today and drop a 354 Hemi in as a street rod. Tremec 3160 or Magnum transmission. The wheel covers had the little dish in the center that was brass plated.
I do? Should I keep them in water so they don't dry out? And which artist is running around without his eyes? How do I return them? JUST KIDDING. Seriously, Thank You for the kind words. Eye-Eye Captain! -Steve Magnante
Steve - another excellent presentation. I visited the Studebaker Museum in South Bend last month. Well worth the trip, I highly recommend it. It traces the Studebaker history, with actual vehicles, from wagons, to Presidential coaches to military vehicles, and obviously the Starliner, and everything in between. It even includes a few of the clay mockups. I never realized how extensive the Studebaker line was until I wandered through the halls. Even their pickup truck had beautiful lines. After leaving the museum, I opined the fact that they closed their doors in 1964. Their styling was on a great trajectory, but as with many things, it comes down to the $$. Fran
Interesting that just 7 years later the Chrysler Slant Six made more horsepower and torque than the Stude 232. Small valves and head ports was a bottle neck. I agree the 53 & 4 Hard Top is stunning and holds up well today. Great video!
My 5th grade teacher (Mrs. Hamel) had a '63 Avanti. She was "different". She told us she had a radio on her nightstand that she left on all night just on static, because she would "hear people from the heavens talk to her"
Wow! I never knew any Studebaker history. Had no idea that company was 100+ in 1950’s. I will definitely read more about Studebaker. Thanks for the insight!
In 1953 Studebaker managed to get the Museum of Modern Art to include this car in their “10 Automobiles” exhibit. The exhibit catalog, with pretty pictures, can been googled up in PDF form. This thing was rubbing shoulders with some expensive now metal at the show. Cunningham C3, Lancia, Aston Martin, Arnolt MG…. Probably the only still affordable car from the exhibit you can buy.
@@johnkelly8525 Mr. B. Here ! ☕️☕️ good evening ! Good luck on cam swap , I have done a few , for me one step over stock & dual exhaust, makes me a happy camper ! ⚙️🔩🔧🧰🛠️ 👍👍
l have another book about Bob Bourke, and he discusses the fact that the front clip did not fit properly to the rear part of the car when mating it in the assembly process, a very serious problem. The front clip was too narrow so it had to be recast and slightly modified in the first few weeks of assembly. The second thing is that management at Studebaker, being such a small company relative to the big three, guessed at the ratio of the ungainly 4-door and station wagons to the elegant coupe. Consequently, the coupe was built in very low numbers, so it was very difficult to obtain this body style -- the demand was high for the coupe but none to be found.
2 years ago, Three homes down from where I lived, (1/2mile) I noticed an old red car being rolled into the front yard. I'd never met nor been introduced to the fellow but my curiosity led me directly over and it was a Studebaker Avanti. No seats or carpet or anything like that, it was the body, steering wheel, engine and wheels. It had all windows and NO rust. and he said it was his father's that had passed and that it sat for 35 years in a garage shed in their back yard. 😏 He had just written "$1200" with a white shoe polish applicator on the front glass. I was excited and stressed at the same time because I wanted it, 😏 But didn't have the $1200 at the moment. And since I'd never met the guy, I wasn't comfortable with asking him to clean the "for sale" stuff off the window, that I'd be back in 2 weeks... Yep, she sold 2 days later. Or at least she was gone and I assume that someone snapped it up. That's a one that got away story for ya and something that I'll not soon forget. "Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity." ......Seneca, Roman Philosopher.
My memory tells me that the Studebaker board didn't allow a convertible version to be built as it would have been "too radical". I expect that a convertible would have competed with Chevrolet's six cylinder Corvette. That could have been an interesting time for Studebaker.
@@freqmgr I think this car, is far more stylish than the corvette, you’re right,one can only imagine what impact a convertible would have had on corvette sales!
The South Bend factory is 30 minutes from me and my Grandpa worked there as a welder back in the 50's. He may have had a part in helping to assemble the featured car!
My grandfather was a Studebaker salesman….! When I was a very little kid , we always had some model of Studebaker at the house( a Lark or a commander, or a Champion, ) for a few days…👍🏻❤️ when I was 15 I purchased a Black 1957 , 289 , three speed on the tree ,manual overdrive ,supercharged “ Golden Hawk “ , from one of my friends fathers that was a Old Company car for a dog food company…! For $50.00 I drove the wheels off of it… The speedometer went to 150 I think …! Good Lord, it was fast….! I wish I had it back now…🙏🏻🤔
About 1964/1965 I was going to buy a Packed Hawk. The speedometer went to 160. I let someone talk me out of doing that, he said the car was "too much" and would be dangerous for me. Oh well.
Steve, I believe the Studebaker frame dates from 1947 (model year) when they became the first U.S. carmaker to introduce a post-war design. GM, Ford and Chrysler were building 1942 models until their actual new cars showed up as 1949's. And, the supercharged 289 V-8 you mentioned being offered in the Avanti was also available in the Lark. Thank you for sharing so many diverse cars and trucks and their stories with us. I look forward to each new video and I hope you're still working on your Super Stock Dodge.
Great video, thank you. I am a Studebaker afficionado, I own three, including a 1955 President which is the same body style as shown in your video. These cars were so ahead of their time. The body was very modern and low slung. Compare them to the offerings of the Big Three, does a line of cars called "shoeboxes" (the 1955-57 Chevys) really sound appealing? I always look forward to your next video but tomorrow's sounds like a special treat.
I built that Miss Deal when I was a kid. I can remember standing in the model aisle trying to pick out a kit(mom saying hurry up) and finally picking the Miss Deal.
@@88SC That's right, a company called Atlantis has re-released the Revell "Miss Deal" as the "Jaw Breaker" (I think). Same plastic inside with a modernized box - perhaps to avoid some type of artist royalty or copyright claim. Regardless, I'm THRILLED when "rare old kits" are re-released by outfits like Atlantis and Round-2. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante I saw a guy had some original ones on facebook but I moved too late.I go to the local model show in the spring but haven't seen one for awhile. I'll take a look for the "jaw breaker" Thanks
You are so correct, it is one of the purest designs ever, so beautiful. As a little kid back when they were new, it was one of the cars that really caught my eye, the details, the conservative wheel covers, emblem on the quarter panel, and the sleek front design. A 53 coupe, with the framed side glass, turned out to be my first car. I had been heavily influenced by years of seeing Hemi powered Bonneville cars in the magazines. My allowance wasn’t adequate to finance the blown 392 I lusted for, so a 289 3 speed was the best I could do.
My grandmother drove an early 50's Bullet Nose. Thats when preschoolers can ride in the front seat and play with all the weird Studebaker switches and controls. I used to dream of building a custom Bullet Nose hot-rod and call it "RudeAwaker".
I built that AMT kit pure stock when I was about 12 years old. I still have it somewhere. If it ever turns up, it'll go right to the head of the line for restoration, with the requisite additional details that I add to any model that I've built for the past 20 or so years. I'll have to remember that the antenna goes on the LEFT side, not the RIGHT! If that model doesn't turn up by the time that I get the Studebaker itch (my wife wants me to build an Avanti model for her as well), I'll just have to find a reissue of the kit. AMT/Round 2 seems to bring it back about once in a decade or so.
@@ricklundin1154 Thanks Guys. If you liked today's video, you'll love what's in store for the rest of this week. More "obscure" stuff brought into the light! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I’ve seen them in magazines turned into Bonneville cars. I saw one on the street a couple years ago mildly customized, but I agree with you Steve they are so rare now I’d have to try to make mine stock, if I found one.
In my hometown a man named Jon Simonson was the first man to break 200 mph in a stock bodied car and used a 53 or 54 commander with a blown 454 chrysler hemi circa 1958 or so. The car still exists and can be seen at the long haul saloon in Grand Forks, ND if you get a chance. Still looks like it could do 200+ sitting there.
I bought one of these in 1963, in Massachusetts and already rusting badly, propelled by a mighty flat six. I had plans to put in a Chrysler V8, but college and growing up got in the way. I sold it in 1967 and have always regretted it. It was quite simply the most beautiful car I had ever owned.
Never seen a car. I've seen many Studebaker trucks in tree rows but never running and driving. Would be cool to see more of them (or even one) on the road.
I built the double whammy when i was 14. (I'm now 70) As I remember if you built it with that twin supercharged HEMI the hood was clear so you could see the engine through it. Thanks for the great memory!!!
Wow, a very impressive design for sure. Born in 1952, I probably saw a number of them growing up but never really paid much attention...too interested in the Vettes and T-Birds of the late 50's and so on. Beautiful car, that instrument panel is awesome! Thanks Steve!!! Another great show!!
Man that’s a sad sight! Seeing such rare beauty rotting away hurts! I can picture it in showroom condition!👌🥰👍that one sadly seems too far gone to save! Thanks for the history lesson Steve!
Hey Steve, well done sir. I will add that the coupe body was used for the 55 Speedster and 56 through 64 Hawks. In 53 they tried unsuccessfully to make a 4 door version out of the coupe body. They wound up designing a different body and graphing on the front and rear end treatments from the coupe design. This body was used from 53 to 66 with styling changes along the way. The Lark used this same main body. Keep up the good work
Studebaker had a good year in 1953, building 151,576 cars. The Commander accounted for 75,965 and the Starliner saw 19,236 roll out the door. In 1954 only 85,000 vehicle were produced and the company was purchased by Packard.
Yeah, looking at all the cars that era that were being produced. This one was quite revolutionary, absolutely! Besides, my dad had one, being a Studebaker guy. His last Stude was a new Studebaker Avanti, which he payed cash for in 1963, great memories growing up with it. Thanks dad : )
Since you're a model car guy I'd wondered if you'd mention the Double Whammy kit. As a kid in the 60's it was that kit that introduced me to the Starlite Coupe. I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.....well until a brand new white '70 Superbird pulled up in front of the house one day, but anyway..... I've wanted a '53-'54 'Baker Coupe for more than 50 years. My mind's eye these days says traditional black with 15" satin Torque Thrust wheels, but under the hood a late 392 mated to a 6spd manual. I'm now old so a cushy, comfortable black interior with all the amenities and no excess road noise or wind whistles is a must. I live in Texas and it would be a blast for cruising these endless 80-90 mph highways. Fwiw I was doing 90 on I-20 one day, got passed by a highway patrol and it was obvious he had his cruise control set.....
Thank you for posting this terrific video! I can feel your passion for this great American treasure which I share. way way ahead of its competitors in design and function. overdrive gearboxes in '53 and bulletproof bottom ends.
There was a former Studebaker dealership in Royersford, PA when I worked there in the mid-80's that still had its signage out front and probably a dozen various Studebaker cars on the property as well. 40 years on and I haven't driven past there in decades... I have to wonder if there's any chance that it's still there.
About 2 miles from me, somebody bought a closed party store, and another building, and filled them with Studebaker's. He has a small Studebaker sign on one building, that most people don't even see. Driving by it just looks like a vacant building.
My grandmother had 56 or 57. A silverhawk, i think.. it was a v-8, Manuel tranny with overdrive. I remember it being quite fast. But she wrecked it a couple of times, nothing serious but my Mom made her get rid of it.. Granny liked her beer too so I think that had to getting rid of the car.
I always loved the bullet nosed 1950 - 51 Studebakers because they were so strange looking plus when I was a kid I used to get to play in one. Spent a lot of time learning how to speed shift a three on the tree while sitting still when I was 10 years old. In 1955 and 56 you could get a Studebaker Hawk with the optional Packard V8 in 352 or 374 CI and they were really massive engines with 5 inch bore spacing VS Studebaker's 4.5 inch bore spacing. About the same difference between a Ford 289 small block and any of the FE big blocks.
The '53 coupe held the Pikes peak record until '56 and then it took a '56 4 door chevy to beat it, most people don't realize the 4 door tri-fives were faster and handled better than the 2 door tri-fives but that's a story for another day
Your title for today's episode, "Most Beautiful American Car"... No question about it. Personally, I would call it The WORLD'S most beautiful car, at least as far as its era goes. Lightyears ahead of what the Big Three were selling at the time. Bob Bourke has been ignored for way too long. Sure, Raymond Loewy was a great designer, but I hate how he would glom onto his employees work as if it were his own. A couple of things to note: Chevrolet had overhead valves all the way back in 1929, 22 years before Studebaker. The Studebaker overhead valve V-8 was the first OHV V-8 from the low-price American manufacturers, but Cadillac and Oldsmobile beat them to the punch as far as American OHV V-8s go as well. You mentioned that the basic body was used through 1964, but it carried on until the bitter end in 1966 as the basis for the compact Lark series. Strange but true. Most American compacts of the era were essentially scaled down full-size American cars as far as layout goes, but the Lark WAS a full-size car under the skin. The only other compact available in the U.S. in the early '60's with comparable interior room was the Corvair.
The ( S ) stamped into the package shelf may have helped stiffen the panel to dampen out drumming noises. Do you know how Ford got away with using "Starliner" for their 1960 & '61 hardtops when Studebaker had been using it for their coupes? My favorite '50's-'60's American car was the 1960 Ford Starliner (with the Interceptor package) in Orchid Gray as shown in their catalogs.
Hey Steve, this car I ever worked on I was about 10 or 11 years old my brother-in-law rebuild the engine in a 1951 or 52 Starlight coupe, always had a soft spot for a studebaker.
Although Studebaker was only interestested in building a swoopy-looking car and they probably didn't spend the time and money to do any wind tunnel testing, later, curious people did test them and confirmed their suspicions that, aerodynamically, it was every bit as slippery as it looked with a very low drag coefficient! Land speed racers still run them at Bonneville.
Man, there was a picture for a Stude concept car that never made it, but in 1955 they did a custom prototype for the Starliner coupe for that year with different gold plated mesh style grilles and spoked wire wheels with a slick Gloss Black paintjob, it looks like an updated 1954 Stude Commander coupe kinda for reference.. It just looks so slick just a shame it didn't make production because they were going a different way in front end styling but I think the twin grilles just looked so neat and I think the single big grille was a step BACK in style, and there are pictures floating about out there if you look for '1955 stude starliner prototype' . That would be my choice of body if I could ever afford a Pro Mod drag n drive type car, that and maybe the 1954 Corvette Wagon concept too, and more convenient for carrying gear also!
Amazing how much Studebaker did with so little resources. Same with AMC. I wish both had survived longer. Neighbor kid had a 63 Hawk with red interior. I still remember the decal on the dash that said, "This car built expressly for D----W------" Beautiful machine.
Raymond Loewy took credit for all designs that came out of his studio, especially if those designs were popular. This was his practice, regardless of who led or worked on the actual design teams. Loewy's policy of taking credit for everything his studio produced has caused confusion over the years since these designs were created.
Yes indeed. And lets not forget that other design greats like Bill Mitchell and Harley Earle were in charge of entire rooms full of underling designers who did the leg work. No harm, no foul but it goes to show the Boss often takes the credit. Not busting on this as it is often the Boss that has the good sense to hire the best young talent in the first place. We've all been part of this loop in one way or another. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
That reminds me of the Mustang origins. Google "Phillip Clark Mustang". Then again, if the bosses didn't hire those young designers the cars would have had no style.
My dad was a Studebaker man. Many a years as a kid were spent watching him toil over his Commander. Thanks for the video guys and more important, bringing tears to my eyes remembering him and his true passion for such a car and company. He loved his car with a passion which is what it all is about!
Great story we all can relate to a car story. It's the memories that give cars life.
Nice story about your father. My dad's 2nd car was a 53' Commander. He traded in his 49' Buick for it when he was in the Navy. He loved that car - always said it was 20 years ahead of its time. He would drive it to and from his family home in Boston down to his ship in Newport RI when he was on liberty. He said that car would cruise 70mph and still get 27mpg with the V8. His father hated the car because when he sat in the back seat he would hit his head on the roof going over bumps - and in Boston that was often.
Dad was also a photographer with a press camera and took some beautiful pictures of it, plus one shot of it with the right nose crunched. I'm so glad I've got all of his 4x5 negatives of those images plus hundreds more of his family and adventures throughout his life. I didn't come along till 64' when his single life was well in the rear view mirror, and he was driving a Comet wagon. Got 8mm home movies of that one. Tears in my eyes, too, buddy.
Thanks, Steve, for all of the effort you put into these wonderful videos. They are a blessing.
If you were to park a 1953 Ford, Chevrolet, or Chrysler next to a 1953 Studebaker, one can see Studebaker design was way ahead of it's time. The Raymond Lowey designed Studebaker Avanti is an absolutely stunning design that still draws a crowd around it at auto shows to this day. The Studebaker Lark beat the Falcon, Corvair, and Valiant to the compact car market by 1 year. Thanks for sharing automotive history before a company such as Studebaker is completely forgotten.
He had me for forever at "Koeran conflict, wasn't a war, folks".
The understanding of every angle of not just only the cars is priceless. This man is a gem. 💎
Hello JJsAutomotive, Thanks for watching and writing. I'm not interesting in stirring controversy, but after I saw the documentary "The Fog Of War" with Robert McNamara "confessing" to the errors he - and others - made during the 1952 - 1972 period, I was shocked at how the Korean "conflict" was allowed to proceed because by NOT calling it what it was - A WAR - congressional support for the aggression / engagement was not required! The President had full authority to go nuts! And speaking of NUTS, General Curtis LeMay was actually pushing, pushing and pushing some more for a PRE-EMPTIVE NUCLEAR STRIKE on "all American enemies". Holy s*%t!!! We all came THAT CLOSE to NOT being here. The thought of that beautiful 1953 Studebaker Starliner Coupe being reduced to smoldering ash by a nuke is disgusting - let alone the millions of people here on planet Earth. I feel that the U.S.A. is THE GREATEST NATION on Earth. I am proud to be here. But I'm also aware that certain Decision Makers are CRAZY and must be watched by the voting public at large. Even if its just shedding a sliver of light on the difference between a "war" and a "conflict". Thank YOU for getting the distinction and for writing. -Steve Magnante
Thanks Steve! My Father was a Studebaker dealer. First car was a Studebaker. Currently have my Father’s 63 Avanti with engine in process of being converted into R3 version.
That will be a great ride. :>)
Always appreciate these motorized history lessons 🙏
Virgil Exner ??!!
Small world
Look at that steering &
suspension geometry &
Access panels !!
Thank you , Steve .
Studebaker is grossly under appreciated for their , manufacturing contributions
I as I recall hearing The Studebaker company were developers of STP oil treatment. And after the company quit building cars, it continued on making several other products.
Yes, they did indeed live on with other products.
And Paxton superchargers were part of Studebaker.
I think you summed it up perfectly with the word “dazzling”. The aerodynamics had to be pretty good as well with the sloped nose and swept rear. The OHV was years ahead of Ford/Chevy/etc.
Interesting to learn about the actual designer.
Thank you and Shane as always.
Thats why you see quite a few running at Bonneville 😉👍
Thanks for the memories Steve! My grandparents had a ‘54 that I dearly loved. Every time we would go to visit them in rural southern Ohio, I would spend most of the time sitting in the car pretending to drive it! I was only about five or six but I still constantly think about it sixty years later! When the ‘75 Camaro came out with the wraparound rear window I could see just how much this car must have had an influence on the over all styling of the Camaro! Thanks Again!
Very Cool😊
Much bigger impact at Bonnevile on the salt than on the dragstrips. I remember seeing them all over the Hot Rod magazine coverage of Bonneville back in the '60s, the aero body dominated top end competition.
2 other Studebakers right near this on. Give us more on them. I love 'em!
If you ever have a chance to go to Michigan's Mackinac Island you will find a museum of carriages and they have a few Studebaker carriages . The island has very few automobiles and the ones you will see are for emergency only. They have many horses and carriages and a mass amount of bicycles to rent for exploring the island. Watch your step with the horses and watchout for tourist on bikes. And don't forget to buy some fudge.
Fudge! YUM!
The best thing about any horse-drawn carriage is that its super easy to DOUBLE THE HORSEPOWER. Just hook up a second steed! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
When I was a kid, Dad had one of those in a fairly dark blue. Named the car Saphire. I later learned that a gudgeon pin retainer came out and the gudgeon pin scored the cylinder wall. The repair was to bore the one cylinder oversize. Replacement oversize pistons are built to the same mass as the originals, so for a street car this works. Sometime after that the car was sold and replaced with either a Hillman or Ford Consel named Sunshine due to the yellow paint. I think the Hillman fit between the Stude and the Consel. I would sure like to find a decent Commander Starlight Coupe today and drop a 354 Hemi in as a street rod. Tremec 3160 or Magnum transmission.
The wheel covers had the little dish in the center that was brass plated.
Not only an automotive genius, Steve has the eyes of an artist.
I do? Should I keep them in water so they don't dry out? And which artist is running around without his eyes? How do I return them? JUST KIDDING. Seriously, Thank You for the kind words. Eye-Eye Captain! -Steve Magnante
A friend of mine had one these in black and he nicknamed it the Batmobile. 😊 it did kind of resemble the 1960s Batmobile.
Steve - another excellent presentation. I visited the Studebaker Museum in South Bend last month. Well worth the trip, I highly recommend it. It traces the Studebaker history, with actual vehicles, from wagons, to Presidential coaches to military vehicles, and obviously the Starliner, and everything in between. It even includes a few of the clay mockups. I never realized how extensive the Studebaker line was until I wandered through the halls. Even their pickup truck had beautiful lines. After leaving the museum, I opined the fact that they closed their doors in 1964. Their styling was on a great trajectory, but as with many things, it comes down to the $$. Fran
Interesting that just 7 years later the Chrysler Slant Six made more horsepower and torque than the Stude 232. Small valves and head ports was a bottle neck. I agree the 53 & 4 Hard Top is stunning and holds up well today. Great video!
“Ram Air for the people”. Another good one, Steve
My 5th grade teacher (Mrs. Hamel) had a '63 Avanti. She was "different". She told us she had a radio on her nightstand that she left on all night just on static, because she would "hear people from the heavens talk to her"
Wow! I never knew any Studebaker history. Had no idea that company was 100+ in 1950’s. I will definitely read more about Studebaker. Thanks for the insight!
These cars were ahead of their time. The Avanti was beautiful but as a kid I always wanted a Hawk. Did have a Scotsman once. Wish I still had it
In 1953 Studebaker managed to get the Museum of Modern Art to include this car in their “10 Automobiles” exhibit. The exhibit catalog, with pretty pictures, can been googled up in PDF form. This thing was rubbing shoulders with some expensive now metal at the show. Cunningham C3, Lancia, Aston Martin, Arnolt MG…. Probably the only still affordable car from the exhibit you can buy.
I always thought these cars were way ahead of the times, it would take a long time before aerodynamic cars like this to be relevant.
Mr. B. Here ! ☕️☕️🍩🍩 Morning to all 🇺🇸 6:00am Steve it’s very cool information, I saw these cars as a kid in Brooklyn, NY. Great video, thanks Steve !
Running late tonight 9.25 in Australia,been learning about cam shafts thinking of doing some work on my drive car
@@johnkelly8525 Mr. B. Here ! ☕️☕️ good evening ! Good luck on cam swap , I have done a few , for me one step over stock & dual exhaust, makes me a happy camper ! ⚙️🔩🔧🧰🛠️ 👍👍
l have another book about Bob Bourke, and he discusses the fact that the front clip did not fit properly to the rear part of the car when mating it in the assembly process, a very serious problem. The front clip was too narrow so it had to be recast and slightly modified in the first few weeks of assembly. The second thing is that management at Studebaker, being such a small company relative to the big three, guessed at the ratio of the ungainly 4-door and station wagons to the elegant coupe. Consequently, the coupe was built in very low numbers, so it was very difficult to obtain this body style -- the demand was high for the coupe but none to be found.
2 years ago, Three homes down from where I lived, (1/2mile) I noticed an old red car being rolled into the front yard. I'd never met nor been introduced to the fellow but my curiosity led me directly over and it was a Studebaker Avanti. No seats or carpet or anything like that, it was the body, steering wheel, engine and wheels. It had all windows and NO rust. and he said it was his father's that had passed and that it sat for 35 years in a garage shed in their back yard. 😏 He had just written
"$1200" with a white shoe polish applicator on the front glass.
I was excited and stressed at the same time because I wanted it, 😏 But didn't have the $1200 at the moment. And since I'd never met the guy, I wasn't comfortable with asking him to clean the "for sale" stuff off the window, that I'd be back in 2 weeks... Yep, she sold 2 days later. Or at least she was gone and I assume that someone snapped it up.
That's a one that got away story for ya and something that I'll not soon forget.
"Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity."
......Seneca, Roman Philosopher.
Avanti’s are fiberglass, so there’s never going to be any visible rust. You need to check the frames, though.
My memory tells me that the Studebaker board didn't allow a convertible version to be built as it would have been "too radical". I expect that a convertible would have competed with Chevrolet's six cylinder Corvette. That could have been an interesting time for Studebaker.
@@freqmgr I think this car, is far more stylish than the corvette, you’re right,one can only imagine what impact a convertible would have had on corvette sales!
The South Bend factory is 30 minutes from me and my Grandpa worked there as a welder back in the 50's. He may have had a part in helping to assemble the featured car!
I remember the Studebaker Hawk 😮
My grandfather was a Studebaker salesman….!
When I was a very little kid , we always had some model of Studebaker at the house( a Lark or a commander, or a Champion, ) for a few days…👍🏻❤️ when I was 15 I purchased a Black 1957 , 289 , three speed on the tree ,manual overdrive ,supercharged “ Golden Hawk “ , from one of my friends fathers that was a Old Company car for a dog food company…! For $50.00 I drove the wheels off of it…
The speedometer went to 150 I think …! Good Lord, it was fast….! I wish I had it back now…🙏🏻🤔
About 1964/1965 I was going to buy a Packed Hawk. The speedometer went to 160. I let someone talk me out of doing that, he said the car was "too much" and would be dangerous for me. Oh well.
@@freqmgr 😄 This is exactly why I never take advice...! Ha Ha Ha
Steve, I believe the Studebaker frame dates from 1947 (model year) when they became the first U.S. carmaker to introduce a post-war design. GM, Ford and Chrysler were building 1942 models until their actual new cars showed up as 1949's. And, the supercharged 289 V-8 you mentioned being offered in the Avanti was also available in the Lark. Thank you for sharing so many diverse cars and trucks and their stories with us. I look forward to each new video and I hope you're still working on your Super Stock Dodge.
Aaaaaaaaa, the good ol' Studebaker 🙂
Great video, thank you. I am a Studebaker afficionado, I own three, including a 1955 President which is the same body style as shown in your video. These cars were so ahead of their time. The body was very modern and low slung. Compare them to the offerings of the Big Three, does a line of cars called "shoeboxes" (the 1955-57 Chevys) really sound appealing? I always look forward to your next video but tomorrow's sounds like a special treat.
My parents had the president what an 🍀awesome car 😎✌️
Shout out to Bernardston Auto Wrecking in bernardston Massachusetts for preserving all these cars for steve to share. 😎
My parents married in 1953. Their china was designed by Loewy. We still use it for large gatherings.
I believe my Mom still has her set of Loewy china from when my parents married in 1955! I think that China was a wedding gift. And it is beautiful...
I built that Miss Deal when I was a kid. I can remember standing in the model aisle trying to pick out a kit(mom saying hurry up) and finally picking the Miss Deal.
Model isle….. those were the days!
It’s recently back out on the shelves again if you’re interested. Different box art and decals, but it’s the same kit.
@@88SC That's right, a company called Atlantis has re-released the Revell "Miss Deal" as the "Jaw Breaker" (I think). Same plastic inside with a modernized box - perhaps to avoid some type of artist royalty or copyright claim. Regardless, I'm THRILLED when "rare old kits" are re-released by outfits like Atlantis and Round-2. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@88SC I still build @ 66 years old.I'm not Steve Magnate level tho...😉
@@SteveMagnante I saw a guy had some original ones on facebook but I moved too late.I go to the local model show in the spring but haven't seen one for awhile. I'll take a look for the "jaw breaker" Thanks
Well Steve it looks like someone used some of the Parts, Hood ,doors trunk lid, Good to see it was used.
That wrecking yard has ALOT of very cool and rare cars and trucks! And most are almost complete!
My '31 Plymouth has the side vents behind the front wheel openings. They work pretty well!
The z tread snow tires on that car were the best for traction on the rear wheel drive cars , but noisy especially with studs.
You are so correct, it is one of the purest designs ever, so beautiful. As a little kid back when they were new, it was one of the cars that really caught my eye, the details, the conservative wheel covers, emblem on the quarter panel, and the sleek front design. A 53 coupe, with the framed side glass, turned out to be my first car. I had been heavily influenced by years of seeing Hemi powered Bonneville cars in the magazines. My allowance wasn’t adequate to finance the blown 392 I lusted for, so a 289 3 speed was the best I could do.
Loving the early 53-54 Studebaker you presented a lot of interesting facts not known by most, even guys that owned them. Nice job.
Wonderful car! Look at the massive drum brake on the truck behind Steve.
My grandfather had a Studebaker truck,as a kid in the early 70s,I was impressed by it
My high school best friend's dad owned a red and white 1953 Commander. I loved getting rides in that car because it looked so sleek.
Morning Steve. Yep absolutely stunning car. Saw quite a few in the NYC/Long Island area back in my youth.😮
My grandmother drove an early 50's Bullet Nose. Thats when preschoolers can ride in the front seat and play with all the weird Studebaker switches and controls. I used to dream of building a custom Bullet Nose hot-rod and call it "RudeAwaker".
I like the name! But don't make it too trick or it might became a "STEADY BREAKER"! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I built that AMT kit pure stock when I was about 12 years old. I still have it somewhere. If it ever turns up, it'll go right to the head of the line for restoration, with the requisite additional details that I add to any model that I've built for the past 20 or so years. I'll have to remember that the antenna goes on the LEFT side, not the RIGHT! If that model doesn't turn up by the time that I get the Studebaker itch (my wife wants me to build an Avanti model for her as well), I'll just have to find a reissue of the kit. AMT/Round 2 seems to bring it back about once in a decade or so.
My grandfather had a 4-door 1962 Studebaker!
Best car videos Ever Period! Nobody tells it like Steve!
Absolutely!!! Especially an obscure subject like this one. A subject like this one also produces some very worthwhile comments. Well done all around!
@@ricklundin1154 Thanks Guys. If you liked today's video, you'll love what's in store for the rest of this week. More "obscure" stuff brought into the light! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
One wagon every seven minutes? Wow!!
I’ve seen them in magazines turned into Bonneville cars. I saw one on the street a couple years ago mildly customized, but I agree with you Steve they are so rare now I’d have to try to make mine stock, if I found one.
There is one of the Bonneville cars at the Studebaker Museum in South Bend.
This car and the 55 Chryslers C-300. Just beautiful.
In my hometown a man named Jon Simonson was the first man to break 200 mph in a stock bodied car and used a 53 or 54 commander with a blown 454 chrysler hemi circa 1958 or so. The car still exists and can be seen at the long haul saloon in Grand Forks, ND if you get a chance. Still looks like it could do 200+ sitting there.
NOBODY, NOBODY is as AWESOME as you..... So intelligent.... so COOL!!!,
Mr presach , very interesting class today. Thankyou , I love studebakers
I bought one of these in 1963, in Massachusetts and already rusting badly, propelled by a mighty flat six. I had plans to put in a Chrysler V8, but college and growing up got in the way. I sold it in 1967 and have always regretted it. It was quite simply the most beautiful car I had ever owned.
Never seen a car. I've seen many Studebaker trucks in tree rows but never running and driving. Would be cool to see more of them (or even one) on the road.
I built the double whammy when i was 14. (I'm now 70) As I remember if you built it with that twin supercharged HEMI the hood was clear so you could see the engine through it. Thanks for the great memory!!!
Wow, a very impressive design for sure. Born in 1952, I probably saw a number of them growing up but never really paid much attention...too interested in the Vettes and T-Birds of the late 50's and so on. Beautiful car, that instrument panel is awesome! Thanks Steve!!! Another great show!!
Man that’s a sad sight! Seeing such rare beauty rotting away hurts! I can picture it in showroom condition!👌🥰👍that one sadly seems too far gone to save! Thanks for the history lesson Steve!
Fantastic video Steve! Always appreciate your knowledge!
👍👍💯🇺🇸
Hey Steve, well done sir. I will add that the coupe body was used for the 55 Speedster and 56 through 64 Hawks.
In 53 they tried unsuccessfully to make a 4 door version out of the coupe body. They wound up designing a different body and graphing on the front and rear end treatments from the coupe design.
This body was used from 53 to 66 with styling changes along the way. The Lark used this same main body.
Keep up the good work
Studebaker had a good year in 1953, building 151,576 cars. The Commander accounted for 75,965 and the Starliner saw 19,236 roll out the door. In 1954 only 85,000 vehicle were produced and the company was purchased by Packard.
A mate had an early coupe with a supercharged stude V8 . The Paxton blowers were connected to Stude through the Granatelli Brothers. (STP,NOVI etc )
Yeah, looking at all the cars that era that were being produced. This one was quite revolutionary, absolutely! Besides, my dad had one, being a Studebaker guy. His last Stude was a new Studebaker Avanti, which he payed cash for in 1963, great memories growing up with it. Thanks dad : )
Since you're a model car guy I'd wondered if you'd mention the Double Whammy kit. As a kid in the 60's it was that kit that introduced me to the Starlite Coupe. I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.....well until a brand new white '70 Superbird pulled up in front of the house one day, but anyway..... I've wanted a '53-'54 'Baker Coupe for more than 50 years.
My mind's eye these days says traditional black with 15" satin Torque Thrust wheels, but under the hood a late 392 mated to a 6spd manual. I'm now old so a cushy, comfortable black interior with all the amenities and no excess road noise or wind whistles is a must. I live in Texas and it would be a blast for cruising these endless 80-90 mph highways. Fwiw I was doing 90 on I-20 one day, got passed by a highway patrol and it was obvious he had his cruise control set.....
Thank you for posting this terrific video! I can feel your passion for this great American treasure which I share. way way ahead of its competitors in design and function. overdrive gearboxes in '53 and bulletproof bottom ends.
Don't see many of those anymore, great video, that has been there a while
Back in the 1980's there was a garage in Exeter NH that still had a full set of Studebaker signage. I wonder if it's still there.
There was a former Studebaker dealership in Royersford, PA when I worked there in the mid-80's that still had its signage out front and probably a dozen various Studebaker cars on the property as well. 40 years on and I haven't driven past there in decades... I have to wonder if there's any chance that it's still there.
About 2 miles from me, somebody bought a closed party store, and another building, and filled them with Studebaker's. He has a small Studebaker sign on one building, that most people don't even see. Driving by it just looks like a vacant building.
I'm still amazed at Studebaker's styling! I can see their influence in other styling cues still today!
Morning Steve....i always liked the stude commander 53/54 and the bullet nose of the same era
My grandmother had 56 or 57. A silverhawk, i think.. it was a v-8, Manuel tranny with overdrive. I remember it being quite fast. But she wrecked it a couple of times, nothing serious but my Mom made her get rid of it.. Granny liked her beer too so I think that had to getting rid of the car.
I always loved the bullet nosed 1950 - 51 Studebakers because they were so strange looking plus when I was a kid I used to get to play in one. Spent a lot of time learning how to speed shift a three on the tree while sitting still when I was 10 years old. In 1955 and 56 you could get a Studebaker Hawk with the optional Packard V8 in 352 or 374 CI and they were really massive engines with 5 inch bore spacing VS Studebaker's 4.5 inch bore spacing. About the same difference between a Ford 289 small block and any of the FE big blocks.
The '53 coupe held the Pikes peak record until '56 and then it took a '56 4 door chevy to beat it, most people don't realize the 4 door tri-fives were faster and handled better than the 2 door tri-fives but that's a story for another day
Your title for today's episode, "Most Beautiful American Car"... No question about it. Personally, I would call it The WORLD'S most beautiful car, at least as far as its era goes. Lightyears ahead of what the Big Three were selling at the time. Bob Bourke has been ignored for way too long. Sure, Raymond Loewy was a great designer, but I hate how he would glom onto his employees work as if it were his own.
A couple of things to note: Chevrolet had overhead valves all the way back in 1929, 22 years before Studebaker. The Studebaker overhead valve V-8 was the first OHV V-8 from the low-price American manufacturers, but Cadillac and Oldsmobile beat them to the punch as far as American OHV V-8s go as well. You mentioned that the basic body was used through 1964, but it carried on until the bitter end in 1966 as the basis for the compact Lark series. Strange but true. Most American compacts of the era were essentially scaled down full-size American cars as far as layout goes, but the Lark WAS a full-size car under the skin. The only other compact available in the U.S. in the early '60's with comparable interior room was the Corvair.
If you close both eyes and squint I see a 66 barracuda. These are way better tho. Good looking cars!
The '54 Studebaker coupe was always pretty nice to me. Love that Raymond Loewy design.
This is the best video you've done so far! Love it!
They were a beauty in there day
As they are today
The ( S ) stamped into the package shelf may have helped stiffen the panel to dampen out drumming noises. Do you know how Ford got away with using "Starliner" for their 1960 & '61 hardtops when Studebaker had been using it for their coupes? My favorite '50's-'60's American car was the 1960 Ford Starliner (with the Interceptor package) in Orchid Gray as shown in their catalogs.
Hey Steve, this car I ever worked on I was about 10 or 11 years old my brother-in-law rebuild the engine in a 1951 or 52 Starlight coupe, always had a soft spot for a studebaker.
My Uncle bought a Studebaker dealership in the 50s, with moonshine money. He went broke.
Although Studebaker was only interestested in building a swoopy-looking car and they probably didn't spend the time and money to do any wind tunnel testing, later, curious people did test them and confirmed their suspicions that, aerodynamically, it was every bit as slippery as it looked with a very low drag coefficient! Land speed racers still run them at Bonneville.
I saw one just the other day in Kenosha, Wi. I was in my 52 Plymouth so it certainly was a flashback.
Cowboy Kent Rollins reworked his Studebaker chuck wagon not too long ago. Great video and thank you for sharing.
Them cars back then had style to the max.
Yes. Masterpiece of design, ahead of its time.
Man, there was a picture for a Stude concept car that never made it, but in 1955 they did a custom prototype for the Starliner coupe for that year with different gold plated mesh style grilles and spoked wire wheels with a slick Gloss Black paintjob, it looks like an updated 1954 Stude Commander coupe kinda for reference.. It just looks so slick just a shame it didn't make production because they were going a different way in front end styling but I think the twin grilles just looked so neat and I think the single big grille was a step BACK in style, and there are pictures floating about out there if you look for '1955 stude starliner prototype' . That would be my choice of body if I could ever afford a Pro Mod drag n drive type car, that and maybe the 1954 Corvette Wagon concept too, and more convenient for carrying gear also!
Another interesting and great video....only missing the requisite poke at motor trend....
Amazing how much Studebaker did with so little resources. Same with AMC. I wish both had survived longer. Neighbor kid had a 63 Hawk with red interior. I still remember the decal on the dash that said, "This car built expressly for D----W------" Beautiful machine.
The Studebakers always rotted out along that seam between the back of the front fender and the front door post.
I knew a guy that had a 1957 golden hawk. Cool cars
I remembes seeing a few of these at the drag strip back in the 70s.
Steve your knowledge amazes me!
Those were soo much better than the previous bullet nose that preceeded it!
Have a great day Steve.
Thank you for all you do.
You're in Studebakerland! I hope to see more of this particular classroom on the Bernardston campus this week. I redeem my "E" tickets!
Raymond Loewy took credit for all designs that came out of his studio, especially if those designs were popular. This was his practice, regardless of who led or worked on the actual design teams. Loewy's policy of taking credit for everything his studio produced has caused confusion over the years since these designs were created.
Yes indeed. And lets not forget that other design greats like Bill Mitchell and Harley Earle were in charge of entire rooms full of underling designers who did the leg work. No harm, no foul but it goes to show the Boss often takes the credit. Not busting on this as it is often the Boss that has the good sense to hire the best young talent in the first place. We've all been part of this loop in one way or another. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
That reminds me of the Mustang origins. Google "Phillip Clark Mustang". Then again, if the bosses didn't hire those young designers the cars would have had no style.
Great looking cars for the time.
Great video and use of the thesaurus adjectives Steve!!!
Always a pleasure to watch!! Your channel is the best vehicle history classroom in existence!
I sure love my great uncles new Studebaker‘s. He bought a brand new in the spring of 64 one of the very last ever built in south bend Indiana