Studebaker Lark vs Renault Dauphine ....was it really that close?

[RadioRoy]

City horn... beep beep
Country horn... beeeep, beeeep

A high school buddy had one in 1966. The inside door handles were plastic "and not space age plastic" he used to say after they broke off in his hand.

[Dwain G.]

When I first started working in import car repair in the 1960s there were a lot of those little critters around. By the seventies not so much. For repairs it was pretty easy to pull engine and trans with axles and wheels as a unit making a 'Smokey Stover' car.

[Corvanti]

my first vehicle was a '63 Dauphine. bought it in late 1970 when i was 15 for $50. no rust problems since i was in So-Cal. rebuilt the 833cc water cooled engine before i was 16. (Dad supervised to make sure i didn't mess up).

while it was slow, it was ok around town but forget about it on the Interstate. it would take over a mile to barely get to 60 mph and would overheat.

i sold it that summer for $150 and bought a '62 Valiant slant six w/3 on the tree for $135. what an improvement!

[Bordeaux Daytona]

City horn... beep beep
Country horn... beeeep, beeeep

A high school buddy had one in 1966. The inside door handles were plastic "and not space age plastic" he used to say after they broke off in his hand.

I remember that line about the horn from a car video I have somewhere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWSrG0VNFKo

Hubley made a promo and a model kit of a Dauphine for a few years, I'd like to get one.

[RadioRoy]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-50s-60s-Hubley-Renault-Dauphine-Customizing-Model-Car-Kit-with-Box-Promo-/352153349713?hash=item51fdf9ae51:g:gJwAAOSwdYlZpLPP

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Dauphine&_osacat=220&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR8.TRC2.A0.H0.Xrenault+Dauphine.TRS0&_nkw=renault+Dauphine&_sacat=220

[Scott]

Hahaha. I still don't understand how a critical part like an inner door handle isn't mandated to be made of metal by the government. They've regulated everything else in the car including things that probably aren't safety related. It could be the difference between life and death and yet everybody seems to be OK with plastic.

City horn... beep beep
Country horn... beeeep, beeeep

A high school buddy had one in 1966. The inside door handles were plastic "and not space age plastic" he used to say after they broke off in his hand.

[t walgamuth]

Our minister had a renault caravelle....and a Chrysler Imperial.

[RadioRoy]

There was a Caravelle around the corner from me for years - and a Javelin, too.

[Lynn]

My Dad drove a Renault Daulphine in the mid to late 60's. What a pos. Always tinkering with it. Finally gave up on it in 68.

[Noxnabaker]

1:st car I had was a -61 Flouride, bought it of a friend for $50 then I had 4 more cars before the license & 1:st car with new license was a Peugeot 404, had 5 crashes first 2 weeks (the second last one into a oak tree, had to get fenders, hood & front from the scrapyard then) before the engine siezed on x-mas day but it was packed snow & summer tires so I only thought it was strange that it was so quite suddenly... when it happened I was on my way to buy my 1:st US car, like Corvanti it was a -62 Valiant but that's a story by itself...

[packard352]

It was a French car built for European roads. My father had two Dauphines in his time, great little car for UK roads. He had also owned two Studebakers; '56 Golden Hawk and a '57 Silver Hawk. The Silver Hawk didn't last long - it was a slow dog and forever on the ramps with a mechanic under it! So, what's the difference between them? It's all about personal preference.

Oh yeah, he also bought a white Pontiac Le Mans off the London Motor Show stand - remember that car well... another Friday dog that also broke down all the time. In fact, we drove back from Bournemouth to London (half of it in reverse) with my father depositing the car at the dealers the very next day. He ordered a brand new Plymouth Fury and the dealership gave him an Austin Cambridge (grey with red leather interior), which he bough and gave to my grandmother.

So, a few tales from across the pond. I should also add, he owned a '61 Oldsmobile 98 (black with red interior) - great car, but impossible to keep clean, especially after it had been polished and then rained on!

[57pack]

Friend of mine owned a Renault Caravelle for many years. Finally it succumbed to a infestation of the dreaded rust mites.
Had a customer who owned and drove a pair of MG Magnette Veritone ZB Saloons well into the 1990's. He drove one and wife drove the other. They loved those cars, although one suffered the Lucas "Prince of darkness" curse more so than the other. He finally decided to replace the wiring harness, located an NOS one in Abington. Flew to London and drove over to Abington and purchased the harnesss.

[spokejr]

Hahaha. I still don't understand how a critical part like an inner door handle isn't mandated to be made of metal by the government. They've regulated everything else in the car including things that probably aren't safety related. It could be the difference between life and death and yet everybody seems to be OK with plastic.

Actually, there are durability mandates on items such as door handles in this day and age. Back then, there were very few regulations. You might even thank Renault (and others) for making those early handles, contributing to the current regulations. The material isn't what is mandated, only uv and heat resistance as well as cycling and ultimate load capability exceeding potential load placed on handle.

[8E45E]

Actually, there are durability mandates on items such as door handles in this day and age. Back then, there were very few regulations. You might even thank Renault (and others) for making those early handles, contributing to the current regulations. The material isn't what is mandated, only uv and heat resistance as well as cycling and ultimate load capability exceeding potential load placed on handle.

Oh really?

Somebody forgot to tell GM that! Especially on their vans!!

Craig

[Pat Dilling]

I am embarrassed to admit that my dad traded our '53 Studebaker Commander Starliner in on a Dauphine. :-( Not sure if it was a 59 or 60. He needed something economical to drive around town for his insurance business. Had the company name painted on the door. He kept it until '65 and traded it for a new 65 Nova. Things I remember were the Town and Country horns, little switch on the steering column. And a bunch of boy scouts picking it up, carrying it off and hiding it to play a joke on him.