'53 2 door sedan

[davepink53]

Hello to all. I am currently doing some work on a '53 2 door champion sedan for a guy. It has been around for a few years and is now finally back on the road. It is the only one that I have seen apart from a '55 2 door champion sedan with a v8 conversion, that is in our club. I wonder why they went to the trouble of a 2 door sedan because you have to look hard to notice that it's not a 4 door. Are there many others out there?[?]

Dave Pink
Victoria, Australia

1916 SF Roadster
1925 ER Tourer
1925 Panel Delivery
1953 Champion Sedan



Studebaker Car Club Of Australia Website

http://www.studebakercarclub.net

[mbstude]

If plans are to repaint it, fill in that seam that makes it look like a four door.

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[rockne10]

You don't see too many '53-'55 two-door sedans. I've seen one in my life, rotting in the field.

I agree with Matthew, the seam is obtrusive, however, I would not fill it in. Obscuring a design flaw is messing with history. It might make sense now but it really serves no purpose.

I hope more than one person sees reason to preserve unaltered examples of this model; less desirable but much rarer than the c/K.

[glen]

Dave,

Attached is a picture of "Charlene" a 1953 Tudoor sedan, who I owned
for several years. Somewhere along the line, someone added a piece
of stainless that went by the seam, just a few inches, to offset the
seam a bit. She is painted in "Ivory Mist" which is an original
colour for 1953 and with the wide whites and dog dish wheel covers,
she does look good for being 55 years old. "Charlene" now resides in
Wagonner, Oklahoma and was just in the Tulsa, OK meet a few weeks
ago. She is truly a survior of the sedan class, when so many want
and desire just the C/K models.

[Roscomacaw]

The 2dr sedans aren't THAT rare. Certainly they were built in significantly less numbers than 4-doors, but quite a few were built in '53. Sad thing is, too many folks speak unkindly of the sedans - 2dr or 4dr, because they want to compare them to the coupe and hardtop models and that's really not a fair comparison.
I find it amazing that there's disparaging remarks about Studebaker's sedan lines when they actually sold quite well! And it was the independents that had multiple lines of cars (like the C-K cars AND the sedan lineup) whereas the likes of Ford, Chevy, Plymouth and Dodge only had ONE BASIC line of cars. Yeah, I know - but I don't see the Corvette as anything but a limited edition showroom dresser.
Anyway, given there were less of these 2dr sedans built PLUS the way they've been pushed aside ever since the notion of interest in older cars - that's seen them more likely to end up in the smelter over time. Appreciate it for what it is - a neat piece of automotive history.[^]

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

[Steve T]

Said it before, only too happy to say it again...

I want one of those!

(Probably would do something to disguise the rear quarter seam, though. That stainless spear on Charlene is a clever bit of improv. I'm sure Mr Bourke would've preferred the seam be less, well, blatant...)

S.

[52-fan]

The first time I saw one of these sedans I thought the seam was from someone modifying a four door. Now a few years down the road I wouldn't mind having one as I have seen some really nice ones. Back around 1982 or so I went to look at a 54 2 door sedan advertised in a Little Rock paper. Alas, it turned out to be a 54 hardtop, but I bought it anyway!(After I caught my breath)


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona. Searcy,Arkansas