Speedster production number question for LA/Vernon car

[studefan]

I have Mr. Quinn's article from the Feb 1998 Turning Wheels about 1955 Speedsters. There is a lot of good information there but I have some additional questions.

What was the last serial number of the Los Angeles/Vernon built cars. How close is Serial number 7807855 to the end?

The final assembly date on the production order is Sept 30, 1955. Isn't that the last day of production for the Speedsters at both plants?

Thanks

[StudeRich]

The Studebaker Parts Catalogs give the STARTING Serial Numbers for each year and Plant.

Los Angeles 1955 Presidents started at: 7,805,001

1956's started at 7,808,501

So 7,807,855 is near the end.

The way I see it, unless it is the first or last Car built, it kinda does not matter.

[Studebaker Wheel]

I have Mr. Quinn's article from the Feb 1998 Turning Wheels about 1955 Speedsters. There is a lot of good information there but I have some additional questions.

What was the last serial number of the Los Angeles/Vernon built cars. How close is Serial number 7807855 to the end?

The final assembly date on the production order is Sept 30, 1955. Isn't that the last day of production for the Speedsters at both plants?

Thanks

The last Speedster built in the Vernon (L.A.) plant was serial #7808481 (body #6H K7 1811) assembled on Sept 30, 1955. The number you provide 7807855 was actually assembled on June 10, 1955. To be sure about this check the body number, it should be 6H K7 1580.

[studefan]

Mr. Quinn, the body number matches what you cite. Please see attached production order.

What is interesting is that the production order says the "Date Written" was June 10, 1955. Another box on the production order says "Final Assembly Date" of Sept 30, 1955. This is 3 1/2 months apart. So, it looks as though the factory finished this car on the last day of production.

Given the information above, it appears that the production orders must have been generated when the car was finished, not when the order was "Written". They might not have started the car for some time after the order was written.

So, Mr Quinn, when would I say it was built? My current response would be that it was being built between June and Sept 1955 and finished on Sept 30, 1955, the last day of production. Would this be accurate?

Anything else interesting on this production order? Thanks.

[Studebaker Wheel]

Mr. Quinn, the body number matches what you cite. Please see attached production order.

What is interesting is that the production order says the "Date Written" was June 10, 1955. Another box on the production order says "Final Assembly Date" of Sept 30, 1955. This is 3 1/2 months apart. So, it looks as though the factory finished this car on the last day of production.

Given the information above, it appears that the production orders must have been generated when the car was finished, not when the order was "Written". They might not have started the car for some time after the order was written.

So, Mr Quinn, when would I say it was built? My current response would be that it was being built between June and Sept 1955 and finished on Sept 30, 1955, the last day of production. Would this be accurate?

Anything else interesting on this production order? Thanks.

The production order you have is not a copy of the original. I am attaching below an actual (microfilm) copy of a p.o. that was used for all the L.A. assembled Speedsters (which was not the same as South Bend cars). As you will note the form is totally different than the one you have. This was done by both Newman/Altman and later the museum to standardize the forms. They transferred info from the original and typed it on the new form and in the process sometimes mistakes were made.

The production orders were generated prior to the cars assembly and the “date shipped” was stamped or written in at the bottom at the time it departed. Since I do not have a copy of your cars actual p.o. I cannot say with certainty when it was shipped but the actual assembly date was shortly after the “date written,” in this case June 10. It is possible that the car did not find an interested dealer until Sept 30 though I cannot be sure of this. I might add that the Speedster was a tough sell and many were still unsold well into the 1956 model year (actually well into the 1956 calendar year!).

Your next question is probably, "Can I get a copy of the ORIGINAL production order?" The answer is NO, at least not at this time because the museum does not have a working microfilm reader/ printer (it reads but does not print).