60 lark with leather.

[63t-cab]

A couple here in town have been running loads of rock from my place.I had my Champ in the driveway and the fella was looking it over,and went on to say his first car (a 60 Lark 2dr. hardtop,6cyl. without o.d.) had leather inside.told me it was a peice of junk (engine) and I told him that's because there was no o.d. to save the engine.

[rockne10]

I know their vinyl was U.S.Royal Naugahyde. Was leather even an option in 1960?

[jclary]

I know their vinyl was U.S.Royal Naugahyde. Was leather even an option in 1960?

Sure, if you scooped up enough dried out road kill hides off the highway. Wouldn't take too many laid end to end to cover the rips in the original covers.

The guy said the '60 Lark was his "first" car. Didn't say he bought it new. If it was like most of our "first" cars, it was probably someone else's used worn out discard before he got it.

[63t-cab]

His Father got it for him (used) when he was still in highschool that would have been about 1965,66

Sure, if you scooped up enough dried out road kill hides off the highway. Wouldn't take too many laid end to end to cover the rips in the original covers.

The guy said the '60 Lark was his "first" car. Didn't say he bought it new. If it was like most of our "first" cars, it was probably someone else's used worn out discard before he got it.

[JeffDeWitt]

The leather was probably made from the hide of the now extinct Naga.

[kmac530]

Amazing with them being extinct home many hydes of the Nauga you can still find....
Now if only I could find some Tazmanian Tiger boots, a DoDo belt, and Quagga jacket I would be stylin...lol

[studegary]

I know their vinyl was U.S.Royal Naugahyde. Was leather even an option in 1960?

No, leather was not an option. Even the fleet models had a vinyl for their heavy duty option. The regular vinyl in 1960 Larks was so heavy, compared to some other vinyl interiors, that many erroneously thought that it was leather.

That flathead six was probably worn out before he got the car and he just finished it off.

[Cowtown Commander]

My guess is that the earlier assumptions are correct that the vinyl Regal interior of the 60 Hardtop was mistaken for leather - but one can not rule out leather as I have seen a 60 Lark Station Wagon with leather that had been purchased new by the Herwitch family of South Bend. They indicated that it was not unusual for locals to get special options if you knew who to contact at Studebaker.

[avantilover]

Indeed, Studebaker were desperate for every sale and would make what the customer wanted.

[Bish]

Give any car with marginal components to a high school kid and it will break. I gave my Dad's Chryslers quite a workout in my high school days. The only thing that ever broke though was a motor mount. I wonder how that happened?
Bish

[63t-cab]

Oh sure Bob,"Robert when your parents found out what you did to the car" and now you teach the kids that'll do what we did back in the day <GGG> funny how it all comes around again is'nt it ?

Give any car with marginal components to a high school kid and it will break. I gave my Dad's Chryslers quite a workout in my high school days. The only thing that ever broke though was a motor mount. I wonder how that happened?
Bish