Secret Service

[Buzzard]

I was watching the JFK-Lee Harvey Oswald investigation series and there was mention of "One day an FBI agent entered his garage and requested to use one of the Secret Service cars garaged there", a dark green Studebaker!
Anyone else see this?
Bill

[StudeRich]

So did they show the CAR? What was it?

I believe JFK's Staff had a Wagonaire.

[SScopelli]

Looks like the Govt. used Studies all over..
5-29-2017 9-38-22 AM by s blazel, on Flickr

[PackardV8]

Over the years, if a government RFQ was for a small quantity, odd equipment or short delivery, the big three wouldn't bother and would let the little guys have it. The Stude 4x4 US Navy pickups might be an example.

After Studebaker was gone, in the 1970s, AMC built US Army sedans and even some State of Alabama Highway Patrol pursuit Javelins. A bit of off-topic family trivia; my Aunt Evelyn wrote the bid for Bill Whiten Rambler in Ensley, AL which got the Javelin order.

jack vines

[8E45E]

Over the years, if a government RFQ was for a small quantity, odd equipment or short delivery, the big three wouldn't bother and would let the little guys have it. The Stude 4x4 US Navy pickups might be an example.

After Studebaker was gone, in the 1970s, AMC built US Army sedans and even some State of Alabama Highway Patrol pursuit Javelins. A bit of off-topic family trivia; my Aunt Evelyn wrote the bid for Bill Whiten Rambler in Ensley, AL which got the Javelin order.

The government would also award contracts to companies that were in financial trouble, or who had businesses in areas that were economically depressed. One reason Met-Pro got the contract to supply Zip-Van bodies was because that area of PA needed jobs at the time.

Craig

[Skip Lackie]

The government would also award contracts to companies that were in financial trouble, or who had businesses in areas that were economically depressed. One reason Met-Pro got the contract to supply Zip-Van bodies was because that area of PA needed jobs at the time.

Craig

Correct. President Eisenhower was concerned that S-P would go broke and directed executive branch agencies to buy as many vehicles as possible from Studebaker. Many of these were sold as surplus in the mid-70s, and it was not unusual at that time to see whole lots full of Stude cars and trucks for sale at GSA surplus sales. They went cheap. One of our Potomac Chapter members has an ex-Interior 62 wagon and an ex-FAA 7E28 truck. I once owned a fully-equipped 64 Cruiser that had been assigned to the Secret Service for the use of LBJ's daughters. A very nice car that Dan Webber got to 100 mph on the way to the Dallas meet in the 1970s.

In those days, the President could direct procurements to a given supplier for good reasons or bad. However, this practice was made more difficult in the 1970s and was made almost impossible by a 1984 law. Nowadays, a federal procurement can only be directed to a given supplier in a couple of ways: (1) Emergency (example: the reconstruction of the Pentagon building after the 9/11 attacks); or (2) By specific Congressional language. Procurements can still be set aside for minority-owned firms or those in depressed areas, but they're not restricted to a single supplier.