Our 15 year old son, Braden, and I got out our 1959 Lark VIII 2DHTP and cruised around town, running errands. We got lots of thumbs ups, and a few "Hey! Nice car!" comments, and even an offer to buy our car from a little old lady (mid-seventies) in a Walmart parking lot who rushed her 91 year old mother to get off the phone so she could wave us down and stop to offer to buy our car or trade for her early 90's Corsica. Unfortunately for her, we declined both offers.
But our best story comes from Sunday, 9/13/15 at 10:00 PM at a local QT (QuikTrip).
We stopped at QT to get some tea and donuts for the next morning. While we are choosing donuts, a middle-aged guy that looks like a baseball coach, comes in from the parking lot and almost yells into the lobby: "Are you guys the ones with the Studebaker?!?!?!" We gave him the thumbs up and said, "Yeah, That's us!"
He lit into a stream of expletives about Oh WOW! That is @#$% GREAT! Oh my @#@&*# God That is @#@@&&* awesome!, Then, stifling himself, thinking THAT word was too harsh, substituted a different expletive (almost as bad) #$%% That's Great! Don't go anywhere yet, I want to look at it before you leave!
We said "OK!" Look all you want!" He went out , put his stuff in his car, then came over and was leaning in the window, smelling deeply, waving his arms about how great it was, and how this was from "His Era" and he grew up with these things, they were #$(@*$& GREAT! He never owned one, but his first car was a 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix that was "18 !@#(@*#& feet long!"
After more waving of arms, lots more excited expletives, and how that is just great, go enjoy your car! You don't see many of those any more at all!, we got into our car, started it and drove out of the parking lot, laughing and bewildered about how this guy was SSSSOOOOOOO excited about seeing our car.
I've gotta say, in the 36 years of owning and driving Studebakers, I have NEVER encountered ANYONE more excited than this guy to have seen our car and enjoyed the few moments he got to see it. It was uplifting, yet kinda creepy to see someone that over-the-top about our Marque. Either way, he blessed us with a story and a memory that will last us a lifetime!
We try to make every day DYSD (except in winter), as we have to schedule who gets to drive the Stude on which day(s) that week. Braden drives it to school to share his Studebaker knowledge with all the other youth of the new generation. I am teaching him the fine art of automotive repair as we do the brakes, rear axle, and eventually the engine, carburetor and front suspension, so he can carry on the legacy that is....Studebaker.
But our best story comes from Sunday, 9/13/15 at 10:00 PM at a local QT (QuikTrip).
We stopped at QT to get some tea and donuts for the next morning. While we are choosing donuts, a middle-aged guy that looks like a baseball coach, comes in from the parking lot and almost yells into the lobby: "Are you guys the ones with the Studebaker?!?!?!" We gave him the thumbs up and said, "Yeah, That's us!"
He lit into a stream of expletives about Oh WOW! That is @#$% GREAT! Oh my @#@&*# God That is @#@@&&* awesome!, Then, stifling himself, thinking THAT word was too harsh, substituted a different expletive (almost as bad) #$%% That's Great! Don't go anywhere yet, I want to look at it before you leave!
We said "OK!" Look all you want!" He went out , put his stuff in his car, then came over and was leaning in the window, smelling deeply, waving his arms about how great it was, and how this was from "His Era" and he grew up with these things, they were #$(@*$& GREAT! He never owned one, but his first car was a 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix that was "18 !@#(@*#& feet long!"
After more waving of arms, lots more excited expletives, and how that is just great, go enjoy your car! You don't see many of those any more at all!, we got into our car, started it and drove out of the parking lot, laughing and bewildered about how this guy was SSSSOOOOOOO excited about seeing our car.
I've gotta say, in the 36 years of owning and driving Studebakers, I have NEVER encountered ANYONE more excited than this guy to have seen our car and enjoyed the few moments he got to see it. It was uplifting, yet kinda creepy to see someone that over-the-top about our Marque. Either way, he blessed us with a story and a memory that will last us a lifetime!
We try to make every day DYSD (except in winter), as we have to schedule who gets to drive the Stude on which day(s) that week. Braden drives it to school to share his Studebaker knowledge with all the other youth of the new generation. I am teaching him the fine art of automotive repair as we do the brakes, rear axle, and eventually the engine, carburetor and front suspension, so he can carry on the legacy that is....Studebaker.
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