Right Drive Larks sold in North America

[tstclr]

I picked up a brochure for the "Rural Route" 63 Lark which was available in right hand drive. Were there any made? Anyone on here own one?
Todd


63 Lark 2dr Sedan

[KevinSheen]

I wonder if that wasn't a vehicle produced for mail carriers out in the country. Kevin in the Stoogebaker

1963 Champ

[Roscomacaw]

Yes there were some built. A couple even survive in the hands of SDC members.
Rural-Routers. Easy enough to make since they were building such cars for export to countries where RHD is the norm!

BTW, I tried to get a job with the Post Office in the early 90s. It would have been a contract rural delivery route. I aced the tests but was told by the interviewer that I didn't really want the job! [?][B)] Go figure.
But even before I finished all the testing, I was thinking about the Zip Van that was sitting in a nearby junkyard. As a contract delivery person, you're responsible to provide your own delivery vehicle.
Alas, the job never materialized and the Zip Van disappeared when the yard was cleared to make way for a new freeway interchange![xx(]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[tstclr]

Yes, the brochure was geared towards rural mail carriers. It even showed a fully reclinable left (what would normally be the drivers) seat to store all your mail close at hand.
Todd


63 Lark 2dr Sedan

[JBOYLE]

The market is still out there so...

Subaru sells RHD wagons for mail carriers (my mail carrier (driver?) has one. Since Subarus are made in Indiana I wonder if they import just the RHD dashes or the whole cars?

And Jeep Cherokees were also made w/RHD for the contract carrier market. Since they've been discontinued, I don't know if Libertys are offered with it.

[Roscomacaw]

Out here alot of the contract carriers are still nursing the AM General postal jeeps along. Still running the venerable AMC 6 in them too.

Does anyone know if the AM General jeeps were built in the old Stude truck facility? Or were they built in Toledo???[:I]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[rockne10]

Don't know about the chassis but I think the bodies were installed at the Grumman plant in Montgomery, Pa.; at least in this part of the country.

[bams50]

I'm a rural carrier; use a 96 Century wagon during summer, and 94 Plym. Grand Voyager AWD this time of year...

Personally I don't care for the RHD; I hold mail on my lap, so the wheel would just be in the way...

Owner- IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)

[mbstude]

I know of one, it was owned by Stephen Cade of Stephen Allen's Auto. He offered it to my grandad a few years back, but we didn't buy it. It was a nice car, not restored though. Even had a nice dash, but it was backwards... (BTW, I found a decent one for my car in my grandpa's junkyard!!!). I don't know if he still has it or not.

Matthew Burnette, the 15 year old Stude nut.
[img] http://jnautoair.com/images/yelstude2.jpg [/img]
63 Daytona HT (my car)
57 Silver Hawk
51 Champ Starlight
63 GT Hawk
64 Commander Wagonaire
59 Scotsman P/U
79 Dodge Lil Red Express
65 Triumph Spitfire
MANY more Studes
And a few parts cars

http://community.webshots.com/user/mbstude101

[Skip Lackie]

quote:Originally posted by tstclr

I picked up a brochure for the "Rural Route" 63 Lark which was available in right hand drive. Were there any made? Anyone on here own one?
Todd


63 Lark 2dr Sedan

George Hamlin of Maryland owns one. I believe it was originally ordered by a funeral parlor in Penna that was located on a very busy one-way street where getting out on the left side of the car was difficult. George drove it around for a while with Australian plates on it.

[Transtar60]

The Studebaker dealer in Sellersburg IN(Sellersburg Motors) had one on their storage lot . A 1964 RHD Wagonaire, green in color . This car and a bunch of other normal Studes, trucks and about 20 Zip Vans were there in Sellersberg until about 1996 when they had an auction.