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  • #16
    quote:Originally posted by Jeff_H

    When did restorations of cars become a hobby not exclusive to perhaps museums, etc?
    I have seen a black & white film on old cars that was made in 1955. It was sponsored by Firestone, and the final three minutes of the film was a promotion of their antique tire line where they dusted off the old molds and started reproducing them. And Alberta has had an antique plate since 1963. Over in England the Brighton Run for pre-1905 cars started in 1927, and continues to this day.

    Craig

    Comment


    • #17
      quote:Originally posted by Jeff_H

      When did restorations of cars become a hobby not exclusive to perhaps museums, etc?
      I have seen a black & white film on old cars that was made in 1955. It was sponsored by Firestone, and the final three minutes of the film was a promotion of their antique tire line where they dusted off the old molds and started reproducing them. And Alberta has had an antique plate since 1963. Over in England the Brighton Run for pre-1905 cars started in 1927, and continues to this day.

      Craig

      Comment


      • #18
        You have to remember that the Antique Automobile Club of America got its start in 1935, so there was recognition at that point that the early cars were being lost forever and there needed to be an effort made to save them.

        As many of you remember, old cars could be had for little or no money. In fact, my first Studebaker (bought in January 1974) cost me $75. I did better on my second, picking up a '63 Daytona for $29. My dad bought a '29 7 passenger Pierce Arrow for $25 and had to sell it several years later for $40 when he lost his storage. It is something that he always regretted and while he was a member of AACA for years, never had another old car.

        In the mid to late 1960's I can remember going to a couple of AACA shows. A friend of my father's had a mid '30's Rolls that he had bought years earlier for $25. Few people realized the value some of these cars would obtain and in many cases they were scrapped during the war.


        http://community.webshots.com/user/GuidoSalvage

        Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond, Goochland & Louisa, Va.

        Comment


        • #19
          You have to remember that the Antique Automobile Club of America got its start in 1935, so there was recognition at that point that the early cars were being lost forever and there needed to be an effort made to save them.

          As many of you remember, old cars could be had for little or no money. In fact, my first Studebaker (bought in January 1974) cost me $75. I did better on my second, picking up a '63 Daytona for $29. My dad bought a '29 7 passenger Pierce Arrow for $25 and had to sell it several years later for $40 when he lost his storage. It is something that he always regretted and while he was a member of AACA for years, never had another old car.

          In the mid to late 1960's I can remember going to a couple of AACA shows. A friend of my father's had a mid '30's Rolls that he had bought years earlier for $25. Few people realized the value some of these cars would obtain and in many cases they were scrapped during the war.


          http://community.webshots.com/user/GuidoSalvage

          Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond, Goochland & Louisa, Va.

          Comment


          • #20
            I think the first wave of old car interest started in the mid to late 1950's, and it involved almost exclusively prewar cars. Restorations were not to the level of perfection that we see today. If it ran and was presentable, it was OK. Model T & A type cars were the cars I remember most hobbyists in the late 1960's driving in holiday parades and the like. I'm old enough to remember cars of the 50's being used as daily drivers and primary vehicles. A car pretty much had to have a rumble seat or wood spoke wheels to be considered antique in my earliest memories, which would begin about 1967-68.

            I can remember when Larks and Corvairs went for as little as $50. Studebakers to the general public alive 30 years ago were not something to lust for. The negative feelings that helped bring down the company were still very much alive in the people I knew back then. I was looked at as weird, and a 16 year old kid with a 24 year old Studebaker was an object of jokes, not jealousy, in 1979.

            I would say it was the mid 1980's when things started to change. There were a few older folks (mostly former Stude Employees) who thought I was a pretty neat kid for saving that pretty blue car before then, but they were the exception. By the mid 1990's, the jokes had stopped and the serious questions became common. There's an interesting correlation between collector car pricing and the changing reactions over time of people to my 55 Studebaker that I have lived through with it. The hobby as we know it has only existed for the last 15-20 years, but those guys driving Model T's and A's in the 1960's were the pioneers that laid the foundation for the hobby/business we all are part of today.

            It's interesting to note that many "museum" cars today are not restored to the standards that are demanded by today's hobbyists. Most serious collectors would want to do a ground up restoration on many cars that reside presently in museums. I guess that explains why I would prefer and would purchase original cars with some normal wear, versus 400 point show queens if I hit the lottery. When I sit in my 55 today, it has the same smell and feel it had when I first sat in it in 1979. You can't recreate that for all the money in the world.

            On the balance, the constant support of former Studebaker Employees I've encountered over the years to keep my car going speaks to why the company was so customer oriented. Even some in my early days who were bitter about the closing wanted to see the cars stay on the road. Studebaker was more than just a company, it was obviously a cherished family.

            Kevin Wolford
            Plymouth, IN

            55 Champion
            60 Lark VI Conv.
            63 Avanti R1

            Comment


            • #21
              I think the first wave of old car interest started in the mid to late 1950's, and it involved almost exclusively prewar cars. Restorations were not to the level of perfection that we see today. If it ran and was presentable, it was OK. Model T & A type cars were the cars I remember most hobbyists in the late 1960's driving in holiday parades and the like. I'm old enough to remember cars of the 50's being used as daily drivers and primary vehicles. A car pretty much had to have a rumble seat or wood spoke wheels to be considered antique in my earliest memories, which would begin about 1967-68.

              I can remember when Larks and Corvairs went for as little as $50. Studebakers to the general public alive 30 years ago were not something to lust for. The negative feelings that helped bring down the company were still very much alive in the people I knew back then. I was looked at as weird, and a 16 year old kid with a 24 year old Studebaker was an object of jokes, not jealousy, in 1979.

              I would say it was the mid 1980's when things started to change. There were a few older folks (mostly former Stude Employees) who thought I was a pretty neat kid for saving that pretty blue car before then, but they were the exception. By the mid 1990's, the jokes had stopped and the serious questions became common. There's an interesting correlation between collector car pricing and the changing reactions over time of people to my 55 Studebaker that I have lived through with it. The hobby as we know it has only existed for the last 15-20 years, but those guys driving Model T's and A's in the 1960's were the pioneers that laid the foundation for the hobby/business we all are part of today.

              It's interesting to note that many "museum" cars today are not restored to the standards that are demanded by today's hobbyists. Most serious collectors would want to do a ground up restoration on many cars that reside presently in museums. I guess that explains why I would prefer and would purchase original cars with some normal wear, versus 400 point show queens if I hit the lottery. When I sit in my 55 today, it has the same smell and feel it had when I first sat in it in 1979. You can't recreate that for all the money in the world.

              On the balance, the constant support of former Studebaker Employees I've encountered over the years to keep my car going speaks to why the company was so customer oriented. Even some in my early days who were bitter about the closing wanted to see the cars stay on the road. Studebaker was more than just a company, it was obviously a cherished family.

              Kevin Wolford
              Plymouth, IN

              55 Champion
              60 Lark VI Conv.
              63 Avanti R1

              Comment


              • #22
                I have three books from the early fifties:

                Floyd Clymer's Historical Scrapbook, Foreign Car Edition Volume 1; primarily magazine ads from 1903 to 1940. Copyright 1955

                Motor Trend, Classic Cars and Antiques by H. Wieand Bowman and Robert J. Gottlieb. Copyright 1953

                Antique Automobiles, a Fawcett Book by John Bentley; a succinct history of American manufacturers. Copyright 1952

                Nothing terribly pertinent today but interesting light reading and lots of fine old pictures.



                Brad Johnson
                Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight
                Brad Johnson,
                SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
                Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
                '56 Sky Hawk in process

                Comment


                • #23
                  I have three books from the early fifties:

                  Floyd Clymer's Historical Scrapbook, Foreign Car Edition Volume 1; primarily magazine ads from 1903 to 1940. Copyright 1955

                  Motor Trend, Classic Cars and Antiques by H. Wieand Bowman and Robert J. Gottlieb. Copyright 1953

                  Antique Automobiles, a Fawcett Book by John Bentley; a succinct history of American manufacturers. Copyright 1952

                  Nothing terribly pertinent today but interesting light reading and lots of fine old pictures.



                  Brad Johnson
                  Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                  '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight
                  Brad Johnson,
                  SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
                  Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                  '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
                  '56 Sky Hawk in process

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Around 1951 I went to my first car show at the coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I don't recall if Studebakers were present, but I saw my first Duesenberg. It was a two-tone green model SJ phaeton and the gentleman who owned and restored it said he had found it in California and purchased it for $3,000. He was pleased to report he had been offered $30,000 for the restored auto. It was my first awareness of restored vehicles.

                    1963 Avanti R2524
                    "Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional." author unknown

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Around 1951 I went to my first car show at the coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I don't recall if Studebakers were present, but I saw my first Duesenberg. It was a two-tone green model SJ phaeton and the gentleman who owned and restored it said he had found it in California and purchased it for $3,000. He was pleased to report he had been offered $30,000 for the restored auto. It was my first awareness of restored vehicles.

                      1963 Avanti R2524
                      "Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional." author unknown

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        In our area a chapter of the Horseless Carriage Club was organized in 1954. Model T.s were common, but Model A's were apparently not considered "appropriate" yet. A local club aquaintance purchased a '36 Packard 120 Convertible around 1970 and there was some thought that is was a trifle too new to be acceptable at that time!!
                        When I purchased a Power Hawk in 1978, it was definitely considered to be an appropriate collectable car at the time - just 22 years old then. I sure wouldn't want to show up a meet now with a '76 Granada (the second-last new car I've bought)!
                        Studebaker most definitely cared about customer relations. I wrote a letter to the factory when I was 10 years old - and I remember that the letter certainly sounded kid-like. But they replied!! My parents were surprised that a major U.S. corporation would take the time to do that. The reply from the factory has survived and is framed and hanging in a place of honour in our home. Our son now has a Sudebaker of his own. His wedding was enhanced by the presence of seven Studebakers and their owners who are considered close friends (see the front cover of June 07 Turning Wheels). Was all this the result of R. L. Towner, Supervisor Owner Relations taking the time to write back to an enthusiastic kid in 1959? Only partially, of course, but my Dad did buy a new GT Hawk after that in 1962.




                        Roger "153624" Hill

                        55 Champion
                        47 M-5
                        Izzer Buggy
                        Junior Wagon
                        Roger Hill


                        60 Lark Vlll, hardtop, black/red, Power Kit, 3 spd. - "Juliette"
                        61 Champ Deluxe, 6, black/red, o/d, long box. - "Jeri"
                        Junior Wagon - "Junior"

                        "In the end, dear undertaker,
                        Ride me in a Studebaker"

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          In our area a chapter of the Horseless Carriage Club was organized in 1954. Model T.s were common, but Model A's were apparently not considered "appropriate" yet. A local club aquaintance purchased a '36 Packard 120 Convertible around 1970 and there was some thought that is was a trifle too new to be acceptable at that time!!
                          When I purchased a Power Hawk in 1978, it was definitely considered to be an appropriate collectable car at the time - just 22 years old then. I sure wouldn't want to show up a meet now with a '76 Granada (the second-last new car I've bought)!
                          Studebaker most definitely cared about customer relations. I wrote a letter to the factory when I was 10 years old - and I remember that the letter certainly sounded kid-like. But they replied!! My parents were surprised that a major U.S. corporation would take the time to do that. The reply from the factory has survived and is framed and hanging in a place of honour in our home. Our son now has a Sudebaker of his own. His wedding was enhanced by the presence of seven Studebakers and their owners who are considered close friends (see the front cover of June 07 Turning Wheels). Was all this the result of R. L. Towner, Supervisor Owner Relations taking the time to write back to an enthusiastic kid in 1959? Only partially, of course, but my Dad did buy a new GT Hawk after that in 1962.




                          Roger "153624" Hill

                          55 Champion
                          47 M-5
                          Izzer Buggy
                          Junior Wagon
                          Roger Hill


                          60 Lark Vlll, hardtop, black/red, Power Kit, 3 spd. - "Juliette"
                          61 Champ Deluxe, 6, black/red, o/d, long box. - "Jeri"
                          Junior Wagon - "Junior"

                          "In the end, dear undertaker,
                          Ride me in a Studebaker"

                          Comment


                          • #28


                            Scott; I believe this is the photo you refer to in your original post. The car belonged to Wallace Peterson of North Chicago and Hulin Cross of Waukegan, Illinois. The car, a 1929 Commander model FD Eight, was restored over a three year period then driven to South Bend. This photo was taken in the Engineering Dept courtyard. The owners had written the factory for parts and specs and the gentleman at the right, Otto Klausmeyer, was the one who helped with providing the information. Otto was a friend of mine and he served in various administrative positions at Studebaker for over 40 years. At the time this photo was taken in 1960 he was Asst. General Manufacturing Manager. In his spare time he restored Pierce Arrows (he had three) and early teens era motorcycles. This photo appeared in local newspapers and in the Studebaker News.

                            As a bit of an update my friend Buzz Beckman (Manitowoc, Wisc) ended up buying this car maybe 10 years ago but had no idea of its history. Perhaps two years after he purchased it I relocated this photo and forwarded him a copy and it turned out that it was indeed the same car. He was able to contact one of the two original restorers who was still alive and got some information on its history. Buzz is currently doing a mechanical restoration on the car and is in the process of reassembling the engine. Just thought you would like to know!?

                            Richard Quinn
                            editor: Antique Studebaker Review
                            Richard Quinn
                            Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

                            Comment


                            • #29


                              Scott; I believe this is the photo you refer to in your original post. The car belonged to Wallace Peterson of North Chicago and Hulin Cross of Waukegan, Illinois. The car, a 1929 Commander model FD Eight, was restored over a three year period then driven to South Bend. This photo was taken in the Engineering Dept courtyard. The owners had written the factory for parts and specs and the gentleman at the right, Otto Klausmeyer, was the one who helped with providing the information. Otto was a friend of mine and he served in various administrative positions at Studebaker for over 40 years. At the time this photo was taken in 1960 he was Asst. General Manufacturing Manager. In his spare time he restored Pierce Arrows (he had three) and early teens era motorcycles. This photo appeared in local newspapers and in the Studebaker News.

                              As a bit of an update my friend Buzz Beckman (Manitowoc, Wisc) ended up buying this car maybe 10 years ago but had no idea of its history. Perhaps two years after he purchased it I relocated this photo and forwarded him a copy and it turned out that it was indeed the same car. He was able to contact one of the two original restorers who was still alive and got some information on its history. Buzz is currently doing a mechanical restoration on the car and is in the process of reassembling the engine. Just thought you would like to know!?

                              Richard Quinn
                              editor: Antique Studebaker Review
                              Richard Quinn
                              Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                quote:Originally posted by STEWDI
                                [Studebaker most definitely cared about customer relations.
                                I have to admit, AMC, and Chrysler Corporation did, too, at least back in the late '60's and early '70's!! I will speak publically for Walt McCall at Chrysler and John Conde at AMC. Both were very helpful individuals and replied promply with photos and questions regarding older products. As it turned out in later years, both these men were true car enthusiasts and published several books on old cars.

                                Craig

                                Comment

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