Budd Co. '53 Commander, glass polyester body?

[wmsteve]

Hardtop. Only one produced, I guess. It was made in Philadelphia in 1954. Had chemists working on the finish and the resin used to create the body(from steel panels) in Connecticut.

It went through exhaustive road testing by Studeabaker and then was returned to The Budd co.

This is the MOST RARE Studebaker to find!

Just one of those anomalies, in history, were Studebaker was ahead of their time...

Steve

[lstude]

I'm not familiar with that. Do you have pictures?

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

[Dick Steinkamp]

Not to be negative, but some sort of documentation would be necessary to make that post believable...otherwise it falls into the same category as "Studebaker used Ford 289's". It may very well be true, but saying so doesn't make it so.

[wmsteve]

Hey Dick! Check it out: Turning Wheels, April 1991, Vol. 23, No. 4, page 28... picture and all! I wish I had time to research it at the National Museum...

[Dick Steinkamp]

Thanks for the reference, Steve [^]

[Jeff_H]

Wasn't there a TW article about a '47?? made with "plastic" too? I remember reading that one so it must be in my collection.



Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[Gary1953]

Wasn't the top of one of the station wagon prototypes made out of fiberglass or some other material other than steel?


Gary Sanders
Nixa, MO
President Toy Studebaker Collectors Club. Have an interest in Toy Studebakers? Contact me for details.

[lstude]

Here is the station wagon prototype.



Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

[wmsteve]

I was re-re-re-reading my copy of [u]Studebaker's Finest</u> (John Bridges) today and, on page 61 he says, "As the wood models neared completion in early January 1952, a contract was given to the Budd Company for a full-sized, working, metal automobile.", which they hand-made, and delivered...

Who were these guy's? Did they do a lot of the first prototypes for many of Studebaker's cars? What craftsmen!!

[u]I take it back</u>. The RAREST of the RARE is the all wood, full-size, prototype shown on page 58!!!

How unbelievable would it be to posess any quarter scale, clay model, of any year Stude?

[DEEPNHOCK]

I know Thomas Edison worked with Henry Ford to build plastic body parts made from different plants
(flax and soybean comes to mind) in the twenties and thirties...
I recall an ad where Henry Ford was whacking a Ford trunk lid with a sledge hammer)...
Pretty neat thread..
I'd like to learn more.....
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by wmsteve

Hardtop. Only one produced, I guess. It was made in Philadelphia in 1954. Had chemists working on the finish and the resin used to create the body(from steel panels) in Connecticut.
It went through exhaustive road testing by Studeabaker and then was returned to The Budd co.
This is the MOST RARE Studebaker to find!
Just one of those anomalies, in history, were Studebaker was ahead of their time...
Steve

http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[Chris Pile]

quote:

Leonard comes through again with a pic.
Were you ever a librarian?
(cool concept, too)

Chris Pile
Midway Chapter SDC
The Studebaker Special

[wmsteve]

I guess I'm the only one interested but...

I think that this was the company, hired by Studebaker, to build it's 1953 prototype car, from the wood model.

The Budd Co.

https://www.workshopoftheworld.com/nicetown/budd.html

https://www.pbs.org/wgh/amex/streamliners/peopleevents/p_ebudd.html

Amazing man! Incredible Company!!

Check-it-out,

Steve

[showbizkid]

Budd was well known in the automotive and railroad industry for decades. They made body stamping and steel wheels for many automobile brands, and freight and passenger cars for North American railroads. All of the stainless-steel streamlined passenger cars used by the Santa Fe, CB&Q and others were Budd-built.


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[Roscomacaw]

Budd was the company that supplied the wide beds for later Champ trucks. I think by that time they were owned by Chrysler.

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door