57 Transtar at show. 53,000 original miles

[AlexM]

I saw this truck at the Ventura Nationals on the 31st. A farmer bought it new for his wife and she never liked it. Mostly it sat in the garage. He even bought a camper cover for it. The lid was taken off and carefully stored all those years. It, and the bed look like new. It also had thing on the visor, which I think he called a mileage minder. It was a lit mirror, and had areas to write mileage and other note in grease pencil. The present owner was told those are extremely rare. 3 speed, overdrive

[BobPalma]

Geeze, Alex; that truck is a sweetheart. It's one thing to chance on a "little-old-lady's" rarely-used passenger car, but a deluxe truck? I suppose thank goodness she didn't like it; a gold lining on a cloud, rather than a silver one.

I'm not sure the Mileage Minder was an authentic Studebaker accessory, but wouldn't bet against it. Has anyone seen one in a Studebaker Accessories catalog of the era? BP

[kurtruk]

Sure that truck ain't a restoration? Looks a little too perfect to be over 55 years old...

Have seen mileage minder mirrors with the Studebaker logo, the red ball logo, and the '47 Champion hood badge design, but not lighted. SI offers the red ball style.

[showbizkid]

Wow, what a rare bird! Nice!

[Dick Steinkamp]

Nice find, Alex!

I'm not sure the Mileage Minder was an authentic Studebaker accessory, but wouldn't bet against it. Has anyone seen one in a Studebaker Accessories catalog of the era?

I've got an unlit, beat up, older one that was probably sold by Studebaker dealers...

[krob]

Nice truck but I'll vote for it being restored. The sun visor is a style and fabric that doesn't look 1957 and not a style for a truck.

[studegary]

This reminds me of a friend that bought a new 1957 pickup that he thought his wife could/would drive. He got it with "everything" including two-tone, V8, automatic, radio, heater. His wife didn't use it. He drove it for a few years and then replaced it with a Dodge. Much later (1970s), we located the pickup. The engine was then worn out. He bought the pickup back and we put a 289 from a 1957 President Classic in it. I have since lost track of that pickup. The original owner now has the big "A" and would not remember anything.

[52-fan]

Ditto on the mirror. I've seen a number of them, but not with the light. I guess you would have to say it was rare.

[BobPalma]

Yes, the apparently built-in light is the discriminating factor.

Note the light switch directions etched on the glass; it's not like it was orginally a simple mirror with notation provisions, to which someone added a piggy-back mirror. Rather, it appears to have been made and marketed as one unit. An interesting piece, for sure. BP

[Mark57]

Very Nice, but

I saw this truck at the Ventura Nationals on the 31st. A farmer bought it new for his wife and she never liked it. Mostly it sat in the garage. He even bought a camper cover for it. The lid was taken off and carefully stored all those years. It, and the bed look like new. It also had thing on the visor, which I think he called a mileage minder. It was a lit mirror, and had areas to write mileage and other note in grease pencil. The present owner was told those are extremely rare. 3 speed, overdrive

It is a very nice truck and as you can tell I think the colour scheme is great as well! However, it is not a stock '57... it has the '59 placement for the parking lamps and the V8 logo is on the door - where it was placed starting in '59 (4E models). In 57/58 (3E series) the V8 emblem was placed on the side of the hood back near the door pillar. So, it is either a '59 or it has been redone at some point in time. It is hard to tell, but the door script also looks like "Studebaker" to me, not "Transtar" - another sign of a '59 (4E series) truck. Either way, a very nice ride.

[StudeRich]

It makes you wonder how probably honest people end up spreading these urban legions. Original, low mileage? I don't think so.

[kurtruk]

To be fair, the OP Alex, and for that matter the owner, didn't actually say it is "Original, un-restored." At least not here. But the words used, and the story told leave us with that assumption. Intentional or not.

[dean pearson]

Nice find, Alex!



I've got an unlit, beat up, older one that was probably sold by Studebaker dealers...

Wow so Studebaker also invented digital display!

HaHa!

Dean.

[AlexM]

Now that you mention it, it might have said 59. There were many hundreds of cars at the show and should have wrote it down.

[AlexM]

I'm sure it was repainted. The paint was like new, or even better than new.
Probably all new upholstery too. The farm it was on was very rural and there could have been mice or other things to damage it.
I tried blowing up the picture but still couldn't see the year for sure, but it looked more like a 9 than a 7.