March 17th 1966 - The Last Studebaker

[Stu Chapman]

Again, it's anniversary time....53 years since the last Studebaker rolled off the line in Hamilton Ontario.

Sad anniversaries always bring back many memories and this certainly is one of those. Studebaker will never be forgotten.

Stu Chapman

[Scott]

I'm always sad to hear how it happened. I wonder, too, how it would have unfolded if current laws and practices were in place back then.

Again, it's anniversary time....53 years since the last Studebaker rolled off the line in Hamilton Ontario.

Sad anniversaries always bring back many memories and this certainly is one of those. Studebaker will never be forgotten.

Stu Chapman

[studegary]

Again, it's anniversary time....53 years since the last Studebaker rolled off the line in Hamilton Ontario.

Sad anniversaries always bring back many memories and this certainly is one of those. Studebaker will never be forgotten.

Stu Chapman

Stu - As you know, there are fewer and fewer of us that purchased them when they were still being built. "Studebaker will never be forgotten", but the people that remember Studebaker is a decreasing number.

[Noxnabaker]

The only good thing I know & remember about it is that almost nobody in Sweden knew about it.

[Mark57]

Well Stu, my (partly restored) '66 Commander is enjoying the first couple of days of Spring. A couple of pictures for you to remember the '66 models.

[6hk71400]

A 66 has always been on my list. I did own a 65 Cruiser and it was my Arizona daily driver for years. Should have kept it but someone begged me to sell it which I did for a bargain price. He did not keep it for 6 months.

Bob Miles
Pacific Southwest Zone Coordinator

[HOXXOH]

Two of my favorite Studebakers were both white with black vinyl roofs and they were both final years. '64 GT and '66 Daytona.

[8E45E]

Stu - As you know, there are fewer and fewer of us that purchased them when they were still being built. "Studebaker will never be forgotten", but the people that remember Studebaker is a decreasing number.

Given the earliest age for obtaining a driver's licence is 16 years of age, one would now be 69 years old to have been able to walk into a Studebaker dealership in 1966 and order one brand new. Admittedly, I don't know of too many 16 year olds who have walked into any dealer selling any make and buying a brand new car, though I have seen some 18 year olds receive brand new cars as school graduation presents, believe it or not.

Craig

[Chris Pile]

Had a ball driving my '66 Wagonaire for several years before selling it to another SDC member in Owensboro, Kentucky (you figure out who it is). Old ladies would wave while I drove by, and at the store or gas station they would come over to tell me how cute it was. Kids liked to climb the tailgate ladder and wave at Mom and Dad from the open roof. At the car shows, guys would marvel at the McKinnon motor and the front disc brakes.

Weirdest comment: One guy thought I had done a good job customizing my Chevy II wagon.....

[studegary]

Given the earliest age for obtaining a driver's licence is 16 years of age, one would now be 69 years old to have been able to walk into a Studebaker dealership in 1966 and order one brand new. Admittedly, I don't know of too many 16 year olds who have walked into any dealer selling any make and buying a brand new car, though I have seen some 18 year olds receive brand new cars as school graduation presents, believe it or not.

Craig

I said purchase a Studebaker when they were still being built. I did not say purchase a new Studebaker when they were still being built. I purchased several Studebakers when they were still being built. They were all two or more years old. When I was a young adult, a neighbor friend did get a brand new 1960 Lark VIII convertible just before he turned sixteen and got his driver's license.

[8E45E]

I said purchase a Studebaker when they were still being built. I did not say purchase a new Studebaker when they were still being built. I purchased several Studebakers when they were still being built. They were all two or more years old. When I was a young adult, a neighbor friend did get a brand new 1960 Lark VIII convertible just before he turned sixteen and got his driver's license.

Wouldn't that amount to almost the same answer, whether one bought a Studebaker new or used? To drive it legally one would have to be 16 years of age, which would still make the youngest legal owner/driver 69 years old in 2019. (I know here, one can get a learner's permit at 14, but someone 18 years old or over with a valid drivers licence would have to be your passenger, but you would still have to be 16 years of age minimum to register and insure it in your name.)

Craig

[JRoberts]

Given the earliest age for obtaining a driver's licence is 16 years of age, one would now be 69 years old to have been able to walk into a Studebaker dealership in 1966 and order one brand new. Admittedly, I don't know of too many 16 year olds who have walked into any dealer selling any make and buying a brand new car, though I have seen some 18 year olds receive brand new cars as school graduation presents, believe it or not.

Craig

No, but I can remember as a 15 year old drooling over a new Avanti on the local lot.

[studegary]

Wouldn't that amount to almost the same answer, whether one bought a Studebaker new or used? To drive it legally one would have to be 16 years of age, which would still make the youngest legal owner/driver 69 years old in 2019. (I know here, one can get a learner's permit at 14, but someone 18 years old or over with a valid drivers licence would have to be your passenger, but you would still have to be 16 years of age minimum to register and insure it in your name.)

Craig

Yes, I agree with this.

[Lou Van Anne]

You too?.....but I was 17!

No, but I can remember as a 15 year old drooling over a new Avanti on the local lot.

[T.J lavallee]

I was always impressed with how Studebaker up-dated the 66' model year and on a shoe string budget. They had a very creative styling department and always left me wondering what they would have come up with next. It truly is a great looking car.