Sept. 1963: Don't Count Studebaker Out

[BobPalma]

The biggest problem with all my Studebaker newspaper clippings accumulated "back in the day" as a teen-ager in Indianapolis, is that I would cut things out of newspapers and not date them. So although they've happily survived, we have to take a stab at when they might have been published.

Here's an article I ran across while looking for something else, of course, that was probably published in August or early September 1963. Indianapolis Business Writer Frank Salzarulo worked for either The Indianapolis Star (morning newspaper) or The Indianapolis News (evening newspaper, now defunct). Both were owned by the same company and shared much editorial space, so there was a lot of cross-over between the two publications.

Frank Salzarulo (I'm sure he is long gone) was always sympathetic to Studebaker and wrote positive articles. Here's one from the era for your enjoyment. (I had to make a photocopy of the original and then cut and paste the copy to make it even this readable, so I hope it's legible on most monitors. ) BP

[Milaca]

Interesting that Egbert never said in the article that Studebaker would stay in the automotive business, only that Studebaker would stay in business.
By the way, which division made power tools for farm & garden? Is that in reference to the Gravely division?

[Chris_Dresbach]

Interesting that Egbert never said in the article that Studebaker would stay in the automotive business, only that Studebaker would stay in business.
By the way, which division made power tools for farm & garden? Is that in reference to the Gravely division?

I would have to agree with that being a reference to Gravely. I am surprised, however that he talked about all the different divisions of Studebaker at the time but did not have a reference to BIG 4 tools which was another company they owned.

[avantilover]

Sounds like he (Board?) would have been happy for Automotive to break even as the other divisions were profitable, but - as we all know - they never did, and I imagine it wouldn't have mattered what they spent on Automotive it would never have been profitable.

[Studebaker Wheel]

Chris; Big Four was not purchased by Studebaker Worthington until August 1966 or four months after auto production ceased in Hamilton. It was sold sometime in 1969. Big Four was eventually merged with the StudeGrip division and made tungsten carbide tire studs. Of course they are best known today with the tire changers that still show up with some regularity.

[cruiser]

HEY BP ,
Thanx a lot for continuing to dig thru your olde paperwork to
dig for these 'gems' that you turn up . That Reporter sure seems to have
been a Studebaker fan , and let's face it , at that time , Studebaker could
use all the positive media coverage that it could get . Glad that you kept
your clippings and took the time to scan them suitable to reproduce here .
From what I believe to be correct , Studebaker took an $80 Million loss in
1964 with the winding up of South Bend , but made an $8 Million profit in
1965 showing a big Corporate turn around including the fact that the Auto-
mobile Division was paying its way on a sales target of 20,000 units . The
Automobile Division was in profitability at the time that the plug was pulled
in 1966 , even though 'export' sales to country's like Australia didn't happen.

CRUISER

[BobPalma]

HEY BP ,
Thanx a lot for continuing to dig thru your olde paperwork to
dig for these 'gems' that you turn up. CRUISER

You're welcome, Bruce. I would have been 17 years old, beginning my senior year in high school, when I cut that out.

There was a third Indianapolis newspaper at the time, The Indianapolis Times, an evening paper, but it went the way of other evening newspapers in the 1970s, IIRC. The Times had a distinctive type font, different from The Star/News, so when I run acrosss what few items I clipped from The Times, I know it is from The Indianapolis Times even though the clipping may not be identified as to source.

Stay tuned, there's lots more where these came from. BP

[Avantidon]

My my Mr. P you were a young one in 1963. I had just started my Senior year in college and soon would be beginning to start my first true career, serving in the US Army. Thanks for posting this very interesting article. Would you consider sending this to me is a PDF file. If so send it to me at my normal address please. Thanks again

[BobPalma]

PM, sent, Don. I hope it is what you need. BP

[Welcome]

Could this article have been published earlier than "Sept. 1963"???


It is well documented in the minutes of the Sept. 1963 Studebaker Corporation Board of Directors Meetings

[BobPalma]

I would date the article in August or September 1963 due to the reference to the Bonneville record-setting prior to the 1964 model year launch, and the references to the 1964 model year cars and their introduction. BP

[Deaf Mute]

Bob,
Are we going to see this in a future HEMMINGS CLASSIC CAR mag?
I just finished reading your story on the '30's.

[BobPalma]

Bob,
Are we going to see this in a future HEMMINGS CLASSIC CAR mag?
I just finished reading your story on the '30's.

Thanks, Duane. No, this is probably not a topic for my Hemmings assignment, though! BP

[studegary]

My my Mr. P you were a young one in 1963. I had just started my Senior year in college and soon would be beginning to start my first true career, serving in the US Army. Thanks for posting this very interesting article. Would you consider sending this to me is a PDF file. If so send it to me at my normal address please. Thanks again

It is all relative <G>. By 1963, I had graduated from a college, was married and was working full time.