From the archives #150 (Brooks Stevens setting the record straight)

[Studebaker Wheel]

SDC founder Harry Barnes gave me the original of this 1968 letter many years ago. Thought I would share it.

[jclary]

Richard, do you have a copy of the article that prompted this letter? It would be great to see what prompted this response. Does the Brooks Stevens museum still exist? I've only been a member of the SDC for 40 years. Still, lots to learn.

Thanks for posting this.

[8E45E]

It would be great to see what prompted this response. Does the Brooks Stevens museum still exist?

The Brooks Stevens Museum closed shortly after his death in 1995. It was in Mequon, WI.

I posted some photos of the Skyview wagon when it was in Mequon here ---------> http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...hlight=SKYVIEW

Also the sedan --------> http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ht=willys+2600

And the Studebaker-engine Excalibur SS --------> http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ight=excalibur

Craig

[candbstudebakers]

Yes the museum has closed and I for one am sorry that had to happen, I have been to the museum 3 or 4 times and being from California I was there because I wanted to go again and again the last time there was in August just before Mr Stevens Passing. While there on that trip I made a request to came back at a time when I could talk with Mr. Stevens one on one. I was told to come back about 4:00 pm and we could talk, with that I was there before 4 and just walked around again and admired every thing there, While talking with Mr. Stevens for about an hour he filled me in on the Excalibur and its production count for the years it was built. One thing he said was that him and Mr. Loewy did not see eye to eye on most things. meeting him and seeing the museum has been the high lite of my Studebaker years.
RIP Mr. Stevens

[studegary]

A few comments -
1) This is one of many things that Harry Barnes sold or gave away that really belonged/belongs to SDC, like all of the pictures that he gave to the Long Island Chapter and they sold for years.
2) I am surprised that Wagonaire is misspelled considering that Stevens designed it.
3) Those prototypes were owned by Studebaker. They should have been part of what was given to the City of South Bend (the core of the SNM collection). Brooks Stevens told me that he "liberated" them from Studebaker. The SNM should not have had to pay to get back what they already owned. I guess that it was sort of a storage fee.

[Xcalibur]

A few comments -
1) This is one of many things that Harry Barnes sold or gave away that really belonged/belongs to SDC, like all of the pictures that he gave to the Long Island Chapter and they sold for years.
2) I am surprised that Wagonaire is misspelled considering that Stevens designed it.
3) Those prototypes were owned by Studebaker. They should have been part of what was given to the City of South Bend (the core of the SNM collection). Brooks Stevens told me that he "liberated" them from Studebaker. The SNM should not have had to pay to get back what they already owned. I guess that it was sort of a storage fee.

Yeah, maybe so... but certainly water well under the bridge at this point.

Tangentially related info: Alice Preston, a long time Excalibur employee (see Hemmings Classic Car, Jan. 2014, pp. 60-63), owns the remains of the Excalibur company (nee SS Automobiles)--still in Milwaukee--and seems to have access to the Museum cars the Stevens family still owns such as the "Studebaker SS" New York Auto Show car that became the Excalibur SSK prototype.