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**8E45E** · 03-07-2008, 05:56 AM

quote:Originally posted by 62champ
Caption states these are migrant farm workers travelling through North Carolina to New Jersey for the potatoe havesting season.

I have seen other Studebakers in other photos, but not this obvious. 1934 'Year Ahaead' model or 1935?

Does it have a date of when that photo was taken? What is rather alarming is how dilapidated that car is![xx(] Remember, it would have been only a few years old in the Great Depression, and it must have been horrendously abused since 'day one'.[V]

Craig

**8E45E** · 03-07-2008, 05:56 AM

quote:Originally posted by 62champ
Caption states these are migrant farm workers travelling through North Carolina to New Jersey for the potatoe havesting season.

I have seen other Studebakers in other photos, but not this obvious. 1934 'Year Ahaead' model or 1935?

Does it have a date of when that photo was taken? What is rather alarming is how dilapidated that car is![xx(] Remember, it would have been only a few years old in the Great Depression, and it must have been horrendously abused since 'day one'.[V]

Craig

**Avantidon** · 03-07-2008, 06:29 AM

Pat, give me a call and I'll look it up for you. DJ

**Avantidon** · 03-07-2008, 06:29 AM

Pat, give me a call and I'll look it up for you. DJ

**62champ** · 03-07-2008, 07:06 AM

quote

oes it have a date of when that photo was taken? What is rather alarming is how dilapidated that car is![xx(] Remember, it would have been only a few years old in the Great Depression, and it must have been horrendously abused since 'day one'.[V]

Craig

Info says it was 1940.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

**62champ** · 03-07-2008, 07:06 AM

quote

oes it have a date of when that photo was taken? What is rather alarming is how dilapidated that car is![xx(] Remember, it would have been only a few years old in the Great Depression, and it must have been horrendously abused since 'day one'.[V]

Craig

Info says it was 1940.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

**BobPalma** · 03-07-2008, 08:04 AM

Interesting photo...and conversation/subsequent posts.

We tend to forget how soon cars used to wear out, because, today, it's not unusual to see 20-year-old cars in daily service, even in rust-belt locales.

To wit: In Spring, 1963, I bought my first Studebaker: a one-owner 1955 Champion Regal Coupe. Mind you, this car was only 8 years old. But the original woman owner had used it normally. At just under 80,000 miles, it was worn and rusted to the point where it sat forlorn behind the gas station where she traded in the Indianapolis-contained "suburb" of Broad Ripple.

She had called the man who sold it to her new, my friend John Knapp at Snider Studebaker, to see what she might do with it. He took me up to see it and brokered the deal where I was able to buy it from her for $75. A new battery had it running to drive home and "restore."

But, again, it was only eight years old at the time! [:0] We don't like to admit it, but as Bams50 postulated a couple weeks ago, cars really are better and really do last longer today. That they don't have as much personality is a different discussion.

BP

**BobPalma** · 03-07-2008, 08:04 AM

Interesting photo...and conversation/subsequent posts.

We tend to forget how soon cars used to wear out, because, today, it's not unusual to see 20-year-old cars in daily service, even in rust-belt locales.

To wit: In Spring, 1963, I bought my first Studebaker: a one-owner 1955 Champion Regal Coupe. Mind you, this car was only 8 years old. But the original woman owner had used it normally. At just under 80,000 miles, it was worn and rusted to the point where it sat forlorn behind the gas station where she traded in the Indianapolis-contained "suburb" of Broad Ripple.

She had called the man who sold it to her new, my friend John Knapp at Snider Studebaker, to see what she might do with it. He took me up to see it and brokered the deal where I was able to buy it from her for $75. A new battery had it running to drive home and "restore."

But, again, it was only eight years old at the time! [:0] We don't like to admit it, but as Bams50 postulated a couple weeks ago, cars really are better and really do last longer today. That they don't have as much personality is a different discussion.

BP

**62champ** · 03-07-2008, 08:52 AM

quote:Originally posted by BobPalma

But, again, it was only eight years old at the time! [:0] We don't like to admit it, but as Bams50 postulated a couple weeks ago, cars really are better and really do last longer today. That they don't have as much personality is a different discussion.

BP

Well said Bob. A month of so ago I looked through an artilce that stated the average age of a vehicle in the US today is just over 9 years - oldest it has ever been.

Your story is similar to my father's first Studebaker.

In 1961, he saw a '53 Starlight (V8 and 3sp/OD) sitting behind the local Chevy dealership with its front end in the air. Asked the dealer about it and they said it was a trade in. Reason it looked so funny is that the engine was in pieces in the trunk - someone had taken it apart for a rebuild and with 100K on the clock, found out it was too much work.

When dad asked the dealer what he wanted for it, the guy asked him how much money he had on him. He was able to fish out $23 and some change and the car was his.

He still owns the car today and although it was take out of daily service in 1988, it still racked up 370,000 miles.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

**62champ** · 03-07-2008, 08:52 AM

quote:Originally posted by BobPalma

But, again, it was only eight years old at the time! [:0] We don't like to admit it, but as Bams50 postulated a couple weeks ago, cars really are better and really do last longer today. That they don't have as much personality is a different discussion.

BP

Well said Bob. A month of so ago I looked through an artilce that stated the average age of a vehicle in the US today is just over 9 years - oldest it has ever been.

Your story is similar to my father's first Studebaker.

In 1961, he saw a '53 Starlight (V8 and 3sp/OD) sitting behind the local Chevy dealership with its front end in the air. Asked the dealer about it and they said it was a trade in. Reason it looked so funny is that the engine was in pieces in the trunk - someone had taken it apart for a rebuild and with 100K on the clock, found out it was too much work.

When dad asked the dealer what he wanted for it, the guy asked him how much money he had on him. He was able to fish out $23 and some change and the car was his.

He still owns the car today and although it was take out of daily service in 1988, it still racked up 370,000 miles.

<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

**MikeW** · 03-07-2008, 09:14 AM

My first car was a 1948 LC that I paid $95 for. It was 7 years old and in pretty good shape. I drove it a year and sold it for $95. Then I bought a 1954 Champion for $200. It was low mileage and only two years old. Cars were throw aways back then. No one seldom kept one more then three years.

Mike

https://www.packardhawk.com

**MikeW** · 03-07-2008, 09:14 AM

My first car was a 1948 LC that I paid $95 for. It was 7 years old and in pretty good shape. I drove it a year and sold it for $95. Then I bought a 1954 Champion for $200. It was low mileage and only two years old. Cars were throw aways back then. No one seldom kept one more then three years.

Mike

https://www.packardhawk.com

**lstude** · 03-07-2008, 10:01 AM

The first Studebaker I bought was a 53 Commander hardtop. This was in 1961 and it was 8 years old. I paid $75.00 for it. I was taking friends for a ride and my sister was sitting in the back seat. She had on high heels and the heel of her shoe went right through the floor well! It had rust in all the usual places.

I have some depression (or poverty) pictures. This one was probably taken in the 40s of a guy working on a beat up Studebaker.

The next one is from the cover of the 1932 Motor magazine. It captures the feeling about the depression. This poor guy dressed up as Santa, had just made a lot of kids happy at the Church, but now his car has broken down and he has no money and they won't give him credit.

The next one is 1940s or 50s poverty. This picture was taken at a piece of land that I bought in the 70s. This poor old grandma just says poverty to me. Standing by her shack with her little dog and Easter basket. Probably had no running water as you can see the old well. At least she had her Ford!

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

**lstude** · 03-07-2008, 10:01 AM

The first Studebaker I bought was a 53 Commander hardtop. This was in 1961 and it was 8 years old. I paid $75.00 for it. I was taking friends for a ride and my sister was sitting in the back seat. She had on high heels and the heel of her shoe went right through the floor well! It had rust in all the usual places.

I have some depression (or poverty) pictures. This one was probably taken in the 40s of a guy working on a beat up Studebaker.

The next one is from the cover of the 1932 Motor magazine. It captures the feeling about the depression. This poor guy dressed up as Santa, had just made a lot of kids happy at the Church, but now his car has broken down and he has no money and they won't give him credit.

The next one is 1940s or 50s poverty. This picture was taken at a piece of land that I bought in the 70s. This poor old grandma just says poverty to me. Standing by her shack with her little dog and Easter basket. Probably had no running water as you can see the old well. At least she had her Ford!

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

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