Richard Poe's 1963 R1/4-Speed Lark Custom featured in Muscle Car Review

[BobPalma]

Great News! Richard Poe's 1963 factory R1/4-speed Lark Custom 2-door is the topic of a full-page, color article in the June 2010 Muscle Car Review. I just got a call from cousin George Krem after George got his subscriber's copy in today's mail. George reported the article is the first one in the magazine, on Page 8!

The article was written by Richard himself, and is somewhat in response to a remark made in an earlier Muscle Car Review by the Editor, who snidely asked if Studebaker really made muscle cars. Richard's car had already been in the magazine once, in a last-page assortment of "Reader's Rides," so it was natural to blow it up to mini-feature status to answer the Editor's remark in the affirmative.

The article stresses that Richard's car is not supercharged. A caption with the engine room photo makes note of that fact, asserting that not all muscle Studebakers have superchargers...nor is it necessary to have one to have a fast Studebaker. (And considering the good assortment of Brand Xs that have seen Richard's tail lights at The Pure Stock Drags when he dips into the 13s, the point is well made for all nay-sayers.)

Congratulations, Richard. Well done. (Now, about that factory 1963 R1/ [originally] 4-speed Lark Custom on e-bay we were discussing a couple days ago.....) BP

[63larkr1]

[BobPalma]

Thanks Bob. I hope we can set the record straight about the R 1 and R2 Larks being muscle cars! The editor of MCR seems to me to have changed his mind and agrees with us. He indicated to me that he intends to have more Studebaker content in future PSMCDR coverage in MCR, and a feature or two. I think our Studebaker racers participation and our results at these events are the best arguments we have. We just need to keep it up.
BTW the Last time my car was in MCR was about 8 years ago, but I think the “Real Muscle” picture and write-up is what you may be thinking of a couple years ago in Muscle Car Enthusiast. We need to keep our cars out there for all to see.
Thanks again
Richard

Ah, yes, Richard; thanks for the clarification. It was in Muscle Car Enthusiast, not Muscle Car Review. In fact, I have that issue of Muscle Car Enthusiast here in front of me: December 2008, Page 82.

How ironic: The cover car on that issue is a restored 1964 GTO, with the headline for the feature article: "The Ringer Restored! 421 CID GTO that Fooled the Press in '64!" 'Ain't that the truth; the press and a lot of other people, too! <GGG>

Back to your current coverage: Double-teaming the Muscle Car Review Editor must have done some good for you to get these results. After his, "Are Studebakers real muscle cars?" swipe, I mailed him an entire January 2010 Turning Wheels, with the extensive report of the 2009 Pure Stock Drags, and a cover letter protesting his remarks about Studes, directing him to read the magazine with our compliments.

I never got any acknowledgement or feedback, but it's pretty obvious he did "take it in."

It's all good, all the way around. Carry on! BP