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Report: THE Studebaker @ Mecum Indianapolis

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  • Report: THE Studebaker @ Mecum Indianapolis

    'Just returned from two 5 or 6 hour days (early afternoon to mid evening) at the enormous 2015 Mecum Indianapolis Collector-Car Auction. What a show!

    Unless I missed something, which is entirely possible with 2,000-odd vehicles having been there, I saw only one Studebaker , a sharp 1957 3/4-ton pickup with SBC power:





    It was a nicely-done truck and bid to $15,000, but did not sell. The reserve was higher than that, but I don't know the reserve or the seller. It was For Sale in The Bid Goes On Department / tent after crossing the block and drawing the $15,000 offer late, I mean really late, Friday evening.

    Another car reminded me of Studebaker's 1958 sedan effort to fit two headlights on fenders designed for one headlight; a custom Cadillac. Don't tell me George Barris never looked at a 1958 Studebaker sedan!



    At least half the cars there were modified or resto-mods.

    One that distinctly fell under the polite heading of, "Well, I probably wouldn't have done it that way," was this 1957 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery :



    (No, I didn't Photoshop that; it is right out of my camera with no editing!)

    My nominee for most Most Appealing Offering would be this cute rig:





    A 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood wagon clone, nicely fitted with a period 348 / 4-speed as would have been available. It was towing a 1957 Milcraft wooden runabout with Mark 55 Kiekhaefer-Mercury outboard with brass propeller to top it off, all done up just as cute as you please. I watched the whole rig (car, boat, motor, trailer) sell for $42,000. Well-bought if you ask me.

    Take that rig to any car show anywhere and if you happen to park next to a Hugger Orange 1969 Yenko Camaro, for which the owner may have paid twice the price of that wagon/boat rig, compare the smiles and crowd that '59 would draw while the Yenko owner fumes...

    Overall, a great show. Dana Mecum does a nice job. BP
    Last edited by BobPalma; 05-17-2015, 03:46 AM. Reason: spelling
    We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

    G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

  • #2
    Friend of mine from New Castle has been posting his pictures on Face Book from this event. Many nice rides, but you've bagged the only Studebaker.

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    • #3
      Only one Studebaker was there because Studebaker owner's are smart enough to keep a good car.

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      • #4
        Besides being smart and keeping our Studebakers, a lot of us are CASOs and don't like to part with all the fees and costs associated with towing a car to the auction and the emotions of not knowing how the bidding's going to go. I think most Studebakers are sold to other club members via word of mouth or club newsletter ads.

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        • #5
          It's had some cosmetic changes, but I'm almost certain that's Dave Lester's former truck.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by mbstude View Post
            It's had some cosmetic changes, but I'm almost certain that's Dave Lester's former truck.
            You are right, Matt. The front turn signals, grille bars, mirrors, pen stripes on the bed, Caddy tail lights, bed liner, tool box, Bronco rear bumper, and even the bumper sticker in the rear window all pretty well ID the truck as Goliath.




            'Can't remember for sure, but it brought either 18.5 or 19.5 K when I sold it on ebay. Dick S. may remember, he ran the ad for me.
            Last edited by Studedude; 05-17-2015, 10:27 AM.
            sigpic
            Dave Lester

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            • #7
              Agreed, Dave. It has to be "your" truck. When did you sell it?

              (My wife kids me about collector-car people...saying that, impossibly, a given vehicle remains so-and-so's vehicle even though they sold it three owners ago. It is kinda funny when you stop and think about it...rarely do we say, "That is so-and-so's former vehicle." ) BP
              We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

              G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

              Comment


              • #8
                I like the looks of it better when you owned it Dave!

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                • #9
                  Agreed, Dave. It has to be "your" truck. When did you sell it?
                  Gosh, how time slips away, Bob. I'm gonna say it was late 2006. Hard to believe it's been that long!

                  Originally posted by mbstude View Post
                  I like the looks of it better when you owned it Dave!
                  Thanks, I agree... but, then, I would, wouldn't I?
                  sigpic
                  Dave Lester

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                  • #10
                    I watched the part of the auction that was on TV - three days.
                    Bob P. - Did you drive a couple of Chevys acrross the block. From the limited view of the drivers, it looked like you.
                    Dave's ex-truck looked better before. To me, painting the top and grille and changing the wheels/wheelcovers were negatives.
                    Gary L.
                    Wappinger, NY

                    SDC member since 1968
                    Studebaker enthusiast much longer

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by studegary View Post
                      I watched the part of the auction that was on TV - three days.
                      Bob P. - Did you drive a couple of Chevys acrross the block. From the limited view of the drivers, it looked like you.
                      Dave's ex-truck looked better before. To me, painting the top and grille and changing the wheels/wheelcovers were negatives.
                      Agreed on Dave's truck, Gary.

                      I was not a driver this year. About five years ago, I was contacted by Mecum to see if our local Indy Chapter SDC could supply drivers and get paid $10 per hour for driving.
                      (Each driver got $10 per hour; what we did with it was our business.)

                      Sadly, I could only get three others, plus myself, to commit; total of four...and two of them have since moved to Florida permanently! All four of us did work and had a lot of fun, but they called a big, local Corvette Club the next year because the Corvette Club could supply more drivers; about 30, IIRC. We didn't get called back. BP
                      We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                      G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I appreciate the observations regarding Goliath's... uh... change. He never gave me any indication during our tenure together that he was... uh... uncertain of who he was.

                        I think he looks like a sissy now. (If he's still a he.)
                        sigpic
                        Dave Lester

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