Funny story Grandpa told me involving a Lark

[jnewkirk77]

Sorry to post another story, but my late Grandpa, Max Bruggenschmidt, was an Indiana State Police trooper from 1949 until he retired in '77 (he was post commander from '69 to '76). He was assigned to the Jasper post until '76, when he asked to be moved to the school bus inspection unit. He did that until he retired.

Anyway, I'm telling you all that because he was involved in some pretty funny stuff through the years. In '59, for example, the post got a Lark police car that was assigned to a trooper by the name of Shelton.

Shelton was pretty laid back. Grandpa said it was hard to get a rise out of him, even when he was mad. So, of course, Grandpa and some of the other guys liked to play tricks on him. Well, anyway, one afternoon, Shelton brought the Lark in for an oil change and to get the car checked over. Any of you who have seen Indiana State Police posts of a certain age know that their garages are pretty small. And, of course, early Larks are fairly small, too. So, just to see what kind of reaction they'd get out of ol' Shelton, Grandpa and the post mechanic, along with a couple of the other troopers who were around at the time, PICKED UP the Lark and TURNED IT SIDEWAYS in the garage!

Of course, all of this was going on while Shelton was inside doing some paperwork, so he was completely clueless as to what was being done to his commission, as they call the cars.

Some time later, Shelton headed out to the garage, with Grandpa and the other culprits following at a safe distance. When he got out there, all he could do was scratch his head and say, "Well, hell, how am I gonna get this outta here?" He turned a little red, but that was about it. Grandpa and the guys helped him turn the car around and get it out, and this story has lived on long after everyone involved (so far as I know) has passed away.

Grandpa was a pretty big guy (6'3", 230 lbs.), so he was never fond of the early Larks, said they were just too small and light for as fast as they were, but he got to try out a '64 R1 Marshal up at Indy and really enjoyed it. And one of our family's friends in Rockport had a Golden Hawk that Grandpa got to drive on occasion, and he liked that one too. He was a bit of a speed freak, you might say.

I know Grandpa took a lot more interesting stories to his grave, but this one, for whatever reason, I still enjoy.

Jacob Newkirk - Owensboro, KY

Currently driving an '87 Ford F-150, but I dream of having a Hawk one day. Don't we all?

[Chris Pile]

In high school a couple buddys helped me do something similar to a pinheads VW bug. He had to wait until one of the other cars moved.

Chris Pile
The Studebaker Special
Midway Chapter SDC

[Chris Pile]

In high school a couple buddys helped me do something similar to a pinheads VW bug. He had to wait until one of the other cars moved.

Chris Pile
The Studebaker Special
Midway Chapter SDC

[63larkcustom]

Must have been a large group of guys. I'm the same stature your grandfather was and coincidently had the same profession. It took myself anf 4 other guys to do that to one of the guys old gti. The Lark is much heavier especially in pursuit marshal form. The guys on the road in Indiana did not like the Larks at all. Compared to a ford/chevy full size of the time it would have seemed tiny. Keep in mind though that the 59 Lark is about the same size as what we consider mid/full size today. Try to imagine going out with a group of 5 guys and pick up a taurus and do the same thing. I'm not trying to disparage your grandfathers memory or story, just making the observation that a lot of the guys had to have been involved which makes it all the more funny.

[63larkcustom]

Must have been a large group of guys. I'm the same stature your grandfather was and coincidently had the same profession. It took myself anf 4 other guys to do that to one of the guys old gti. The Lark is much heavier especially in pursuit marshal form. The guys on the road in Indiana did not like the Larks at all. Compared to a ford/chevy full size of the time it would have seemed tiny. Keep in mind though that the 59 Lark is about the same size as what we consider mid/full size today. Try to imagine going out with a group of 5 guys and pick up a taurus and do the same thing. I'm not trying to disparage your grandfathers memory or story, just making the observation that a lot of the guys had to have been involved which makes it all the more funny.

[jnewkirk77]

I have to believe that they didn't know what to make of that "tiny" car in full ISP regalia, so of course they were going to have some fun with it. I just wish I could have heard some more about it. As Grandpa "climbed the ladder," he got to drive a whole lot of interesting cars, including that R1 Marshal. Sure wish THAT car was still around! He also got assigned to do security duty at the Indy 500 for a number of years, and even provided security for a group of guys from Liverpool, England when they came to Indianapolis for a concert. He told me years later that he didn't much care for their music, but they were pretty decent guys. He held that opinion even though George Harrison burned him on the hand (and pretty badly) with his cigarette! That "Grandpa" story, told by Mom's older sister at Grandpa's funeral, widened more than a few eyes among the mourners. But it is true.

Jacob Newkirk - Owensboro, KY

Currently driving an '87 Ford F-150, but I dream of having a Hawk one day. Don't we all?

[jnewkirk77]

I have to believe that they didn't know what to make of that "tiny" car in full ISP regalia, so of course they were going to have some fun with it. I just wish I could have heard some more about it. As Grandpa "climbed the ladder," he got to drive a whole lot of interesting cars, including that R1 Marshal. Sure wish THAT car was still around! He also got assigned to do security duty at the Indy 500 for a number of years, and even provided security for a group of guys from Liverpool, England when they came to Indianapolis for a concert. He told me years later that he didn't much care for their music, but they were pretty decent guys. He held that opinion even though George Harrison burned him on the hand (and pretty badly) with his cigarette! That "Grandpa" story, told by Mom's older sister at Grandpa's funeral, widened more than a few eyes among the mourners. But it is true.

Jacob Newkirk - Owensboro, KY

Currently driving an '87 Ford F-150, but I dream of having a Hawk one day. Don't we all?

[Roscomacaw]

Thanks for sharing your story. I got a boot out of it.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


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

[Roscomacaw]

Thanks for sharing your story. I got a boot out of it.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


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

[pitbulllady]

That reminds me of my college days; a friend of mine had a 1958 Nash Metropolitan-you wanna TALK about a tiny car-which was originally her dad's. She was very proud, and rightfully so, of that little car, though I think it had more to do with it having been her dad's than with the age or condition of the vehicle, since she knew nothing about cars. Anyway, some guys that we were friends with decided to play a prank on her one day, and they literally picked the car up, like a sofa, and four or five of them easily carried it from its parking spot in the student parking lot to an empty field next to the campus that was used as a fairgrounds. When my friend came out to drive the car to her weekend shopping spree, it was gone! She freaked out and called the campus security and local police, and a few hours later, it was spotted in the empty lot. Someone eventually 'fessed up to the prank, which they figured was harmless, but this girl was literally in hysterics when she couldn't find her car. The guys wound up in a hearing, and nearly got expelled over the incident.

My friend wound up marrying one of them.

pitbulllady

[pitbulllady]

That reminds me of my college days; a friend of mine had a 1958 Nash Metropolitan-you wanna TALK about a tiny car-which was originally her dad's. She was very proud, and rightfully so, of that little car, though I think it had more to do with it having been her dad's than with the age or condition of the vehicle, since she knew nothing about cars. Anyway, some guys that we were friends with decided to play a prank on her one day, and they literally picked the car up, like a sofa, and four or five of them easily carried it from its parking spot in the student parking lot to an empty field next to the campus that was used as a fairgrounds. When my friend came out to drive the car to her weekend shopping spree, it was gone! She freaked out and called the campus security and local police, and a few hours later, it was spotted in the empty lot. Someone eventually 'fessed up to the prank, which they figured was harmless, but this girl was literally in hysterics when she couldn't find her car. The guys wound up in a hearing, and nearly got expelled over the incident.

My friend wound up marrying one of them.

pitbulllady

[studegary]

This reminds me of two stories from my past, both involving Fiats.
1) One Halloween, a group of high school students took a teacher's new Fiat 1100 sedan and turned it sideways on the driveway that ran between two houses. She had to call the dealer to come with a tow truck to extricate the car.
2) While in college, some students carried another student's Fiat up a flight of concrete outdoor stairs from the parking lot and left the car on a landing. The guy got into his car and slowly drove it back down the flight of stairs.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[studegary]

This reminds me of two stories from my past, both involving Fiats.
1) One Halloween, a group of high school students took a teacher's new Fiat 1100 sedan and turned it sideways on the driveway that ran between two houses. She had to call the dealer to come with a tow truck to extricate the car.
2) While in college, some students carried another student's Fiat up a flight of concrete outdoor stairs from the parking lot and left the car on a landing. The guy got into his car and slowly drove it back down the flight of stairs.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Karl]

Thanks for sharing.

63 Twin Supercharged Avanti
64 Avanti R3w/NOS
88LSC Avanti 350 Supercharged w/NOS

[Karl]

Thanks for sharing.

63 Twin Supercharged Avanti
64 Avanti R3w/NOS
88LSC Avanti 350 Supercharged w/NOS