Studes in Roadside Americana photos

[8E45E]

In addition to the obvious 1963 Lark Regal 4-door, look 'way back along the extreme left edge of the photo. Is that the windshield of a 1953-up C/K, seen from the car's right front?

Directly above the '56 Lincoln Premiere sedan? I also believe you are correct!

Craig

[BobPalma]

Directly above the '56 Lincoln Premiere sedan? I also believe you are correct! Craig

I can't "make out" a Lincoln Premiere sedan, Craig, but I'll take your word for it. BP

[Alan]

#10134 Tommy Ivo's T in front with Norm Grabosky's T in the rear. Behind the 57 Chev is a 55 Stude. Santa Anna Drag Strip. Not going to guess on the year, will get flamed for missing it by a year.

[62champ]

C/K hiding in the bushes from a postcard sent in 1960, Aransas Pass, Texas. Apparently Little Bob's also featured a "Rattan room" for those special gatherings...

[spokejr]

Another snatch from MOTOROLOGY on FB.

[Steve D.]

1950 Los Angeles

Wilshire Blvd, & Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles. 3 Studebakers. Directly in front of the '50 Champion convertible is a '42 Champion. 1947 Champion at left.

[Stude-Preferred]

Wow, after I "Find the Stude", I love looking at the other cars in these period photos. When was the last time anyone saw a 1961 Plymouth Station Wagon? They were ugly, but it was in the "Different by Design" mode.
What a sporty 1st Gen Corvair Convertible, could it be a Monza?
Oh, it looks like Corvair is winning the small car sales race: Corvair 2, Lark 1

Keeping Studes Alive

Stude-Preferred
Atlanta GA

[Noxnabaker]

Here's some from A'dam:

[BobPalma]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]73343[/ATTACH]

Wow, after I "Find the Stude", I love looking at the other cars in these period photos. When was the last time anyone saw a 1961 Plymouth Station Wagon? They were ugly, but it was in the "Different by Design" mode.
What a sporty 1st Gen Corvair Convertible, could it be a Monza?
Oh, it looks like Corvair is winning the small car sales race: Corvair 2, Lark 1

Keeping Studes Alive

Stude-Preferred
Atlanta GA

We're certain there is a second Studebaker in that photo, Ken, besides the '63 Lark 4-door. Check the preceding posts for particulars. BP

[WinM1895]

Wilshire Blvd, & Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles. 3 Studebakers. Directly in front of the '50 Champion convertible is a '42 Champion. 1947 Champion at left. [ATTACH=CONFIG]73340[/ATTACH]

Pic shows northeast corner. Today MOCA (Museum of Modern Art) is located there. It was a department store, but I cannot recall the name, might have been May Co.

The Petersen Automobile Museum is located on the southeast corner. Back then it was an Ohrbachs department store.

btw: If y'all think the 1961 Plymouth is ugly (post #10147), you've never seen a 1960 Plymouth. Hideous!

Virgil Exner (who styled 1947/53 Studebakers when he worked for Loewy) gets the blame as he was ChryCo's director of styling, but he claimed he had nothing to do with it.

[8E45E]

When was the last time anyone saw a 1961 Plymouth Station Wagon? They were ugly, but it was in the "Different by Design" mode.

Have you looked at a Lexus grille lately?

Craig

[BobPalma]

have you looked at a lexus grille lately? craig

amen! bp

[Skip Lackie]

Have you looked at a Lexus grille lately?

Craig

I agee -- me too.

[jclary]

Have you looked at a Lexus grille lately?

Craig

I know this is a cherished long-running thread about pictures of our beloved Studebakers as seen on our roadways. And, we frequently, are inspired to stray into other conversations due to posted content. This is one of those occasions. From time to time, it seems that certain "group think" concepts catch on and become expressed across the board among designers. We have had conversations in the past about this phenomenon. These "open mouth" gaping voids of grilles in current cars is a good example. It is as if a collective brain detachment has infected designers as related to the front end of cars and the resulting effect has to just leave the space blank???

In their neverending quest to produce the most "wind tunnel" friendly product...
autos seem to have lost their individual distinction to only become rolling sleek wheeled turds.

So, when I see them on the interstate, equipped with all the latest electronics, blue tooth, collision avoidance, automatic lane sensors, etc...

The blank front-end design makes me think of this...The largest creature on earth roaming the oceans with a gaping mouth...living off the smallest creatures on earth by scooping them up by the tons.

If science can somehow figure out how to convert smashed bugs into instant supplemental energy by turning them into fuel...then it would really make sense.

[WinM1895]

From the dawn of the automotive age thru the 1930's, it was almost impossible to ID one car from another, unless you could see the grille.

Even then, it was difficult for most people, excepting the car "nuts."

1938 Graham grille was called the "shark nose." The car was so ugly, that Graham sales, already reeling from the Depression, dropped to almost nothing.

1950/51 Studebaker grilles were called "bullet noses" or "pencil sharpeners."

1952 Studebaker grille was called the "tater digger."

1958 Edsel grille was called a "horse collar," some people said it "looked like an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon."

But when it comes to ugly, nothing tops the Pontiac Aztec. What the hell was GM thinking?