Wrecked Studebaker photo

[Studebaker Omaha]

I bought a photo of a wrecked Studebaker that was used as evidence in a court case in 1952. Not sure what happened to the car, fixed or scrapped?

[studegary]

That is an early 1950. As a three year old car, it was probably totaled.

[rockne10]

If we can find any bright side, it was a four door Champion.

[StudeRich]

Defendant's Exhibit, Photo taken by a Photographer from Aberdeen, Wash.
The Court Case was filed in Gray's Harbor County, WA.

I can't get my Mind around WHY if you are the Defendant in a Lawsuit because you ran a Light and center punched that persons Studebaker, HOW would it help to show how badly you crushed his Car? Obviously I got this all wrong, oh well, I wasn't there, so it's impossible to guess.

That looks very repairable if the owner insisted on not totaling it.

Looks like a Lowly '50 Champion Deluxe, but looks like it WAS as good as new in 1952.

[Al from Eatonville]

Then again, if Washington was a comparative negligence state back then (it has been since at least 1978 when I took the bar exam) a person's damages are reduced by the extent of their own fault. So if someone suffers $100,000 in damages, but is 1/3 at fault, then that same person can recover at best only $67k. And believe it or not, it does happen that the one primarily or even completely at fault brings the lawsuit (some people seem to think that it's always the other guy's fault). But more importantly, I think it's always a bit sad to see a crunched 'Baker.

[BobWaitz]

I look at this the way I look at so many old photos of then-wrecked or junked cars and think of how many club members (me included) wish they had started their project with something that good!

[rockne10]

Looks like it's sitting next to a '48 Lincoln.

[RadioRoy]

I wonder if the lawsuit was about injuries to the passenger. Look at the windshield damage.

[345 DeSoto]

RadioRoy - It would "appear" that the windshield damage was caused by body flex from the side impact, not impact from the inside damage...but what would I know, being old and scary...

[RadioRoy]

RadioRoy - It would "appear" that the windshield damage was caused by body flex from the side impact, not impact from the inside damage...but what would I know, being old and scary...

That makes sense. I wonder if the car hit something in the front, then spun and sideswiped something else. It must have been scary inside, especially with no seat belts.

[Studebaker Omaha]

I look at this the way I look at so many old photos of then-wrecked or junked cars and think of how many club members (me included) wish they had started their project with something that good!

It’s possible those parts from the wrecked car live on in our Studebaker cars that are still around today! 😎

[JohnMSeymour]

That makes sense. I wonder if the car hit something in the front, then spun and sideswiped something else. It must have been scary inside, especially with no seat belts.

OK. My guess it was T boned and then ran into something. Also scary for the passengers.

[Jeff_H]

My Dad told of his '54 Mercury 2dr hardtop bought in '58. Came from local body shop as a repairable. According to Dad, it was 2 different cars (front and back) spliced together. They must have done a good job as Dad kept it until '67. Wish he had taken some decent pictures of it. All I've seen are from a distance or some grainy 8mm movie clip.

[NCDave51]

With dislocation of the RF wheel (LF wheel can be seen as straight, in pic) and the crumple on either side of the A-pillar, it’s likely the impact was not solely on the RF door, and instead shared over the RF fender/wheel. Driver and any passenger were likely “fine”, all things considered.

As mentioned above, the pattern of fracture for the RH side of windshield was likely not from any passenger but rather torsion around that A-pillar.

[studegary]

My Dad told of his '54 Mercury 2dr hardtop bought in '58. Came from local body shop as a repairable. According to Dad, it was 2 different cars (front and back) spliced together. They must have done a good job as Dad kept it until '67. Wish he had taken some decent pictures of it. All I've seen are from a distance or some grainy 8mm movie clip.

I only have bad memories of my 1954 Mercury Monterey hardtop. After two crankshafts and three main bearing sets, I got rid of it.

One of the 1973 Plymouth Satellite Sebrings that I owned was made from two cars, front and rear.
A local body shop owner bought two similar Cadillacs. One was totaled on the right and the other on the left. He made one excellent car that he drove for years.