Is Studebaker exotic?

[alex54]

The earliest rememberence of a Studebaker is from the Muppet movie. It must the combination of the bullet nose and colors that did it. I had to look it up...I was 6 when that movie came out in 79.

Much, much later, I was awestruck by the Vintage Air ad that featured a black 53 in a hot rod magazine in the early 90's. For the life of me, I cannot remember ever seeing a Studebaker in person by that time. I live in Mustang, Camaro, and truck country with the occasional 57 Chevy.So Studebakers to me were (are) exotic.

[jts359]

Speaking of the Muppet Studebaker , It has been getting some press around here lately with the Nespresso commercial and the 40th anniversry of the movie special. Ed

[benaslopoke]

I saw my first 1953 Star light coupe in 1953 at a service station.. The lady driver had just parked the car just right to show it off to all.. The cars that I usually drew while in school were very similar and there was nothing American made worth drawing.. My inner sole was warmed for one for a couple of years (and still is) until I got one.. A most beautiful car with no challengers even today..

[Stu Chapman]

I didn't realize that there was yet another similarity between us. I think that it must have been late 1946 and I was walking down the street with some friends. There was a new 1947 five passenger coupe (later Starlight) parked at the curb. I had to stop, walk around it and examine it. The other guys just wanted to keep going. I met and later corresponded with the guy that came up with "First by Far With a Postwar Car" for the advertising agency. This was probably about 1973 and he couldn't believe that anyone remembered his slogan.

Does this mean we are Charter Members of the "Great Minds Think Alike Society"?

Stu Chapman

[Scott]

Now that I think of it, it seems it was Loewy's design philosophy that actually did bring the exotic into Studebaker's lineup. It was bold statements in the sea of the US market that put Studebaker ahead in style against the others. It's ironic that later on the man on the street seemed to think that Studebaker meant dull, when there were several cases where Studebaker charged ahead while the big three mainly just copied each other. But a lot of people fear the exotic. I bet there were hundreds of thousands of potential buyers that secretly wished they could buy a Studebaker, but were afraid of what the neighbors might think.

[StudeNewby]

One of the phrases I hear most often from non-car people that remember Studebakers is, "They were ahead of their time." Put another way, their recollection is that the designs were futuristic, trendsetting... exotic. While few would probably call the brown 61 Lark 4-door I came home in "exotic," to me as a youngster it held an inexplicable appeal. But the REAL exotic to me, from the first time I laid eyes on one, was the finned Hawk. In my eyes it was, and is, the perfectly designed car, visually so well balanced and rakish. It's on my bucket list.

Now that I think of it, it seems it was Loewy's design philosophy that actually did bring the exotic into Studebaker's lineup. It was bold statements in the sea of the US market that put Studebaker ahead in style against the others. It's ironic that later on the man on the street seemed to think that Studebaker meant dull, when there were several cases where Studebaker charged ahead while the big three mainly just copied each other. But a lot of people fear the exotic. I bet there were hundreds of thousands of potential buyers that secretly wished they could buy a Studebaker, but were afraid of what the neighbors might think.