The Pietro Frua Larks

[NCDave51]

Stumbled upon these beautiful versions of the 1960 Lark: a captive-export idea for the Italian market back by coach-builder Frua.

One wonders what these could have done to help S-P fight off the audacious Exner-penned Dodge Lancer, Ford Falcon, etc.

Quintessential Italian/French treatment of the time. Like a Lancia Flamina or Facel-Vega.

[studegary]

These have been written up a lot. I do not remember if it was on this SDC Forum or the Newsgroup that preceded it. In recent years, these cars were found and at least one has been saved.

[StudeNewby]

Other than being a bit busy-looking up front, I think the designs are beautiful.
According to studebaker-info.com, a gentleman in California purchased at least the four door to restore in 2004. Does anyone know what happened after that?

[StudeRich]

Never heard of Pietro, but BOTH of the "Studebaker Italia Frua" ('60 Lark) Sedans are up here in the Northwest.

They were in my Storage, now the Canadian SDC Member owner has one over the Border.

Unfortunately, the pretty little 2 Door Hardtop was destroyed, and long gone years ago.

Here it is in Sept. 2011 at the Bell's Studebaker Museum and Diner in Bellingham, WA

Here is the other one.
One is a Flathead 170 Six and the other a 259 V8, both 1960's with many Lark Parts.

[Cus63]

What engine?

[Dwight FitzSimons]

The C pillar on the sedan looks (at least to me) a bit like the C pillar on the '61 Lark HT. Note the wrap-around rear window. So, perhaps a bit of the Frua design was implemented on the 1961's.
-Dwight

[Dick Steinkamp]

Here's a link to a 2006 thread on the Frua Larks including a reference to the TW article on them earlier...

https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/40016-frua-larks

Here's a few pictures I took of them in Feb 2005 when they were in a fellow SDC members warehouse in LA...

[6hk71400]

I remember reading about this on the defunct Alt Auto site. Can't remember his name but thanks to the link by Dick it is Pat Dnrec. No matter what he posted or was doing, another member was always poking him in the eye. He also liked to poke John Pulos as well. He did not respond in kind. He did post that he had bought one of the cars and brought to California.

Bob Miles

[Dick Steinkamp]

I remember reading about this on the defunct Alt Auto site. Can't remember his name but thanks to the link by Dick it is Pat Dnrec. No matter what he posted or was doing, another member was always poking him in the eye. He also liked to poke John Pulos as well. He did not respond in kind. He did post that he had bought one of the cars and brought to California.

Bob Miles

The Alt Autos forum was unmoderated and everybody poked everybody . It finally dried up and blew away. Pat Drnec is a friend and he is a good friend of John's. If there was any poking it was just teasing. Pat bought both remaining Frua Larks in Italy and imported them to the US.

[DEEPNHOCK]

The alt.autos.studebaker newsgroup is still out there...
For those that want do do some digging, here are the Frua Lark links.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.autos.studebaker/frua$20lark%7Csort:date

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.autos.studebaker/vFgYw04WS2g/iJK3FZ5HEvEJ;context-place=searchin/alt.autos.studebaker/frua$20lark%7Csort:date

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.autos.studebaker/bLOb4Ze7Rbk/DRnQJhrqfNUJ;context-place=msg/alt.autos.studebaker/vFgYw04WS2g/iJK3FZ5HEvEJ

[fargoguy]

The Frua Larks are in the capable care of someone with the passion and the drive to see one through to being restored to its former glory!

[StudeRich]

Google Groups??? As Bad as Alt Auto!
Some Guy on there claims to have about one of every year (Giant List) AND Both Frua's???? ?

I don't THINK SO, I call BS!

"1950 Champion
1951 Starlight Coupe Custom
1953 Starlight Coupe
1954 Starlight Coupe R1/4-speed
1958 Silver Hawk
1960 Frua Italia Larks (2 - they're here!)
1962 Lark VI
1962 Lark Convertible
1962 Lark Daytona
1963 Avanti R2 R4324
1963 Lark Daytona
1963 Lark Cruiser
1963 GT Hawk
1963 Daytona Wagonaire
1964 Cruiser (Survivor)
1954 3R11
1956 2E7
1985 Jeep CJ-7
2005 MB SL55
2002 Ducati 996
2007 Ducati 1098
2002 Jeep Overland"

[Bud]

I remember when Pat Drnec bought them over from Italy at least 15 years ago with the plans to restore them, but somehow that never happened. I went up to his warehouse when he first got them to take a first hand look. At least one car could be restored with a bunch of work, but I don't know about doing two of them as they are in rough shape. Bud

[StudeNewby]

StudeRich, Pietro Frua was the designer of the Frua Larks. It is as legitimate to refer to them by his whole name as it is to say the "Raymond Loewy coupe."

[DEEPNHOCK]

Google Groups??? As Bad as Alt Auto!
<snip>

Rich, That is just Google's accessing the old alt.autos.newsgroup.