A random observation about Daisy-Mae

[Stude Shoo-wop!]

I just realized something rather interesting about that GT Hawk I take so much stock in. It seems to me that there's more than a few design cues shared with the very British and very Rootes Group Singer Gazelle. Am I stark raving mad or might there be some legitimacy to this rambling?

Anyway, remember to keep safe and have fun during these Stephen King novel-esque times. Whatever you do...
KEEP ON STUDEBAKERING!

[bensherb]

Based on those pics Jake , I'd have to go with stark raving mad!

[StudeRich]

It's a darn good thing the similarity does not go beyond the Grille!

[8E45E]

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2016/01/12/studebaker-styled-sweetheart-circa-1959-singer-gazelle-brochure

https://books.google.ca/books?id=2H17DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT536&lpg=PT536&dq=lord+rootes+studebaker&source=bl&ots=CgAqyPlLY8&sig=ACfU3U1YHc8JrZKT1bDJHKs70StGdXYszA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI7OONntvoAhU8GDQIHSXkDHgQ6AEwFXoECA4QKA#v=onepage&q=lord%20rootes%20studebaker&f=false

Craig

[t walgamuth]

All the designers look at each others work and crib sometimes large portions for their own cars. The fifties and sixties Alfas look like 53 studies with a little alfa grill added in the center. Pretty cars too...but not as pretty as the original car.

OTOH I cannot remember any element of the 53 Studie that is a crib.

[8E45E]

The fifties and sixties Alfas look like 53 studies with a little alfa grill added in the center.

So did Fiat: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub....-studebaker-jr

Craig

[studegary]

I don't see it. The trim along the side of your Hawk is like a 1961 Lincoln, the roof like a Thunderbird and the grille like a Mercedes Benz. Of course, this was all slathered on Bob Bourke's 1953 Starliner.

[Hallabutt]

Good catch Jake, but I see it has having much more in common with the first generation lark. The short wheelbase and the rather boxy appearance says Lark, but then the Lark body is just shortened version of the 1956 sedan. As for the grille, somewhat similar, but much more Jaguar then it is Studebaker's Mercedes look alike. I do find the similar look of the roof, greenhouse and glass to be much more then just contemporary styling.

Bill

[J_Cole]

t walgamuth I used to think the same thing. But when I lived in Cleveland, I joined the Big Brother Big Sister program. I got my "little" into cars and he started calling Porsche 911s "frog eyed cars". After I got the red and white 53, he started to call the 53 a frog eyed car as well. He said it was due to how the lights sat above the hood and looked like a frog. He was autistic but very smart. So I started digging and found this picture from Time magazine I believe in 1953 that shows a Porsche 356 and '53 Studebaker and the caption says that the Stude was inspired after the 356. After you see the connection, it's hard to unsee on all Porsches. remove the need for a front engine on the '53, the hood drops down several inches and the bulge and grilles are removed. Or you end up with a 356 (and future 911) front end. I saw another article years ago (classic & sports car magazine or octane) that discussed the Porsche/Studebaker connection. It seemed to indicate that not only did Ferry work with Studebaker on the design of a car for Studebaker but that he interned for a while under Loewy during the design of the 53. I wish I still had the article... My memory could be wrong or I could have misread it, it's been years since I saw it. But anyway, I do think the 356 and '53's resemble each other from the front end. The rear is all Stude and resembles nothing else.

I would love to research this and actually find out what happened between the two companies during the 52-55 years before Stude pulled the plug on the sedan. I'm sure a lot of the people involved are no longer around but it would be fascinating to find out if Loewy and Bourke actually used the 356 for the design or driving characteristics or what. Even if subconsciously.

PS. I Just noticed you are a professor at Purdue, what do you teach? My cousin is a sophomore there. The virus has sure turned life upside down at the moment. He was finally able to come back to the South Bend area after having to quarantine for about 2 weeks.

[8E45E]

[USER="7459"]It seemed to indicate that not only did Ferry work with Studebaker on the design of a car for Studebaker but that he interned for a while under Loewy during the design of the 53. I wish I still had the article...

More here: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub....che-Studebaker

https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/6462-studebaker-porsche?6277-Studebaker-Porsche=&highlight=Porsche

https://www.facebook.com/classicandrecreationsportscars/posts/porsche-542-studebaker-z-87in-1952-studebaker-commissioned-a-four-door-saloon-fe/1199574616886654/

Craig

[J_Cole]

Thanks Craig! That Facebook post might have been the article I read. It’s so interesting! Especially how Studebaker helped Porsche get going financially. What could have been...

[t walgamuth]

t walgamuth I used to think the same thing. But when I lived in Cleveland, I joined the Big Brother Big Sister program. I got my "little" into cars and he started calling Porsche 911s "frog eyed cars". After I got the red and white 53, he started to call the 53 a frog eyed car as well. He said it was due to how the lights sat above the hood and looked like a frog. He was autistic but very smart. So I started digging and found this picture from Time magazine I believe in 1953 that shows a Porsche 356 and '53 Studebaker and the caption says that the Stude was inspired after the 356. After you see the connection, it's hard to unsee on all Porsches. remove the need for a front engine on the '53, the hood drops down several inches and the bulge and grilles are removed. Or you end up with a 356 (and future 911) front end. I saw another article years ago (classic & sports car magazine or octane) that discussed the Porsche/Studebaker connection. It seemed to indicate that not only did Ferry work with Studebaker on the design of a car for Studebaker but that he interned for a while under Loewy during the design of the 53. I wish I still had the article... My memory could be wrong or I could have misread it, it's been years since I saw it. But anyway, I do think the 356 and '53's resemble each other from the front end. The rear is all Stude and resembles nothing else.

I would love to research this and actually find out what happened between the two companies during the 52-55 years before Stude pulled the plug on the sedan. I'm sure a lot of the people involved are no longer around but it would be fascinating to find out if Loewy and Bourke actually used the 356 for the design or driving characteristics or what. Even if subconsciously.

PS. I Just noticed you are a professor at Purdue, what do you teach? My cousin is a sophomore there. The virus has sure turned life upside down at the moment. He was finally able to come back to the South Bend area after having to quarantine for about 2 weeks.

If you are talking to me I was a substitute assistant professor (maybe wrong title) teaching construction drawings to senior interior designers. I am a registered Architect, graduated from Ball State, attending there some of the time Letterman was there, though I never met him. (I need to update my bio here).

I had my own Architecture firm for over 30 years, shut it down during the great recession, worked as a construction project manager about 4.5 years total at PU.

I now am mostly retired from Architecture though I do some small projects mostly for friends and own and manage some real estate. As long as the economy holds (drat!) I have some extra money I can fool around with cars with.

Cheers!

Oh yes, to me the resemblance between the 356 and the exquisite 53 Stude is like the difference between a brand new ivory soap bar with the creases around the top and bottom edges and the same bar when half used up.

I love everything about the 53 but especially the nose, the integrated bumpers, which were not matched until the 1984 T bird, and the lovely interior design. The tail is perfect too, though the 56 Hawk tail lights are better. I like the 365 too but not in the same class imho as the lovely, timeless 53. The 54 is nice too but all the changes were minor downgrades imho.

[J_Cole]

t walgamuth I love everything about the '53's as well and greatly prefer it over the design of the 356. I just can't unsee the resemblance between the two. And I think that's what drives me nuts about the two cars. Porsche's are worth drastically more and yet the same players were working with Stude on the sedan project. I'd love a 356 speedster but not at 10 times what a nicely restored Stude goes for.

I hope the economy holds! I'm worry what happens when people back to work; will there still be jobs and restaurants to go back to? I feel pretty lucky, I work for the VA and haven't had to worry about losing my job or income so I've been trying to get my '54 back on the road and been buying parts almost on a weekly basis for the last month. I'm not sure if i'm helping or hurting... But SI and Steven Allen's now seem to know me on a first name basis which is pretty exciting. I spent many hours at SI as a kid but that was 25 years ago and it's changed hands a few times since then I think.

[t walgamuth]

Well, I don't understand the huge value of 356 Porsches. The Studie may be held back by its agricultural underpinnings. In 53 you might have to say the v8 motor was the most modern thing in the car, mechanically speaking.

As for the economy I believe it will rebound vigorously once the pandemic becomes less central to everything. I imagine it will take a good while to get back to where it was. I see our elected officials are looking at infrastructure investments. That seems a good idea rather than just giving out money (which is no doubt needed in the short term).

Big picture, I suggest you keep buying things if you can afford it. I am sitting on any cash I can find until things get better. I have a couple of vacation rentals near lake michigan which get 90% of their income in July and August so if things straighten out I may be able to get through it without selling off too many things. I imagine some of the regulars will not rent this year because of losses in this Pandemic but some will not be affected too much.

Cheers!

Tom

[J_Cole]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-puESlqQSw/?igshid=147k2mqwzjl23

this is interesting. Fiat ripped off the design of the 53 Stude before Stude pulled the plug. Resemblance is uncanny.