How did so many Studebakers survive?

[64LarkLover]

Is there any other brand of automobile that is hoarded in larger quantities than Studebaker?

Perhaps a large reason for Studebakers having been hoarded in large quantities was their cheap purchase price (especially 40+ years ago).

I have a collection/hoard of 21 Studebakers (including parts cars/trucks) and I have visited a few collectors/hoarders within 200 miles of my home that have far more Studebakers than I.
I don't know if this hoarding of Studebakers has helped their survival as many of these Studebakers are parked outside and sinking into the ground, though some continue to provide parts for roadworthy Studebakers. Maybe the biggest benefit of hoarding is that it kept the Studebakers from being scrapped.

I have four 64-65 Lark types and I'm always on the lookout for parts or an additional vehicle to add to my stockpile. My garage and attic are filled with this and that-and oddly enough if I owned a 65 Corvair Monza for comparison one would be enough.
Best to all,
Rick

[Lark Hunter]

Thanks y'all for the responses! I was thinking about a Packard Hawk as I was typing out this question. I first saw one in a coffee table book many years ago before my interest in Studebaker had cemented, and upon noting the production figure of 588 cars, thought I'd never see one in person. How wrong I was... Definitely a halo car, but still a controversial one which even occasionally makes it on to one of those banal "top ugliest cars in the world" or some such (I'll go on record as being a fan). And haven't just under 200 Packard Hawks been accounted for? I've always liked Larks much more than most of the other cars in their class, so have always held them in higher regard than a similar Rambler, Falcon, Valiant, etc. Have always thought that the early ones were attractive, plus they had V8 power available before the others. I'd have always been more inclined to hang on to one of those, even before I knew I had a Stude problem

I know a good majority of cars that made the "let's save it" grade are ones like the C-K, Hawks, Avanti, etc. but some bread and butter stuff also made the cut while others hit the drink... Like 1955-57 Chevy, then 1962-64... while 1959-60 Chevs didn't really make the cut (I have a 1960 Impala); 1958 and 1961 reside somewhere in the middle. A few Fords of the era were saved, but most of the Plymouth-Dodge Forward Look models were left to dissolve into rust chips. I for one like 1955 Plymouths better than the Chevy, but few others apparently did.

Many years ago, I remember speculating with friends and family over whether 1970's and 1980's cars would eventually be as collectable as their 1950's and 60's counterparts... and I thought most of the conventional rear wheel drive stuff would be popular, tapering off after models switched to downsized front wheel drive platforms. But, the GM Colonnade cars and most of the other 1970's tuna boats kept disappearing until they were all gone. It seems the malaise era was the general cutoff. That's a bummer to me, as the some of the early smogger cars still had presence and character in crazy bright color schemes- maybe even more pronounced to make up for their lack of performance. I have long had an unusual attraction to AMC Pacers, and have looked at a few that were in awesome condition... but the reality is that I'd be afraid to try and use one for a driver. All of those molded plastic interior panels are NLA, as are exterior pieces... just about any non-mechanical parts, and the cars just didn't survive in numbers high enough to ever make a business case for reproductions.

[Hallabutt]

Is there any other brand of automobile that is hoarded in larger quantities than Studebaker?

Perhaps a large reason for Studebakers having been hoarded in large quantities was their cheap purchase price (especially 40+ years ago).

I have a collection/hoard of 21 Studebakers (including parts cars/trucks) and I have visited a few collectors/hoarders within 200 miles of my home that have far more Studebakers than I.
I don't know if this hoarding of Studebakers has helped their survival as many of these Studebakers are parked outside and sinking into the ground, though some continue to provide parts for roadworthy Studebakers. Maybe the biggest benefit of hoarding is that it kept the Studebakers from being scrapped.

You're not alone. Forty five years ago you couldn't give a Lark away. Folks that would take them often accumulated large collections. Larks were considered spare parts for the more respected C/K cars. Where we live a car can be driven far longer then most places. By the 70's ownership of a Lark had become a stigma that an owner had to overcome. For most of us old car guys it didn't much bother us, but to the mainstream Lark owner it began to say something about them, and it was not positive. I have Studebaker friends who had property, who were regularly getting running, driving cars given to them. It would take decades for cars like the Lark and Rambler to be accepted for what they are. It wan't that long ago that I really wondered if any significant examples of the 1st gen Larks would survive.

In 2008 I had gotten hold of an all original 1960 wagon. It had been in the garage for thirty eight years. Mary and I had been planning to attend the Intl meet in Lancaster Pa. I thought that it would be a great opportunity so see some restored versions for comparison. For the long week that we were there I walked around the parking lot looking for a car like mine. I found nothing. I thought surely there would be one on show day. Boy was I ever wrong! On the day of the show I walked through huge displays of Hawks and Gt's, and the omnipresent large number of Avantis. There was even a goodly number of 1964-66 Lark types, but where were the 1st gen Larks? Not only were there no wagons, but even the more common 1959-61 Larks were not on the field. The only 1st gen Lark that I was able to find, that day, was a nicely restored 1960 Lark four door. My head was spinning, I couldn't believe what I was not seeing. I wondered if the poor little Lark would ever find an appreciative audience. For me to see the present interest in the lowly little Lark is like a breath of fresh air.

You bet there are other car collectors/hoarders.
Ford model T's and A's
1955-57 Chevrolets
60's A-body GM cars
Mustangs
Camaros
1963-65 Buick Rivieras
This is just a shot list that immediately comes to mind.

[Milaca]

In 2008 I had gotten hold of an all original 1960 wagon. It had been in the garage for thirty eight years. Mary and I had been planning to attend the Intl meet in Lancaster Pa. I thought that it would be a great opportunity so see some restored versions for comparison. For the long week that we were there I walked around the parking lot looking for a car like mine. I found nothing. I thought surely there would be one on show day. Boy was I ever wrong! On the day of the show I walked through huge displays of Hawks and Gt's, and the omnipresent large number of Avantis. There was even a goodly number of 1964-66 Lark types, but where were the 1st gen Larks? Not only were there no wagons, but even the more common 1959-61 Larks were not on the field. The only 1st gen Lark that I was able to find, that day, was a nicely restored 1960 Lark four door. My head was spinning, I couldn't believe what I was not seeing. I wondered if the poor little Lark would ever find an appreciative audience. For me to see the present interest in the lowly little Lark is like a breath of fresh air.

Perhaps all of the early Larks were at SDC members homes, partially disassembled and up on jack stands like my 1960 Lark convertible.
Had members brought their early Lark to the show, then they could not have brought their pride-and-joy Avanti to the show!

[6hk71400]

I want to weigh in with a thought that has not been expressed. I am a 2nd generation Studebaker guy. Dad bought his first new car, a 1941 Champion Club sedan. It was the car that carried him and mon to Reno to get married in 1945. I can remember going to the dealership and riding and then bringing home a 1956 Commander. I would stand in the back seat to watch the speedometer turn color as we road home. Wonder how I made it through my early years, although I did hit my head on the dash of a 1936 Terraplane that my mom stopped quickly but her arm did not catch me. I was with my dad when we brought home off the showroom floor a Tahiti Coral Deluxe 4 door. That was the last new Studebaker in the family.

When in 1967 by that time no one (car dealers) wanted the "lonely Lark" They recommended that dad sell the car and he probably could get $100.00 for it. I was hoping that my dad would save the car for me as I was about to turn 16. He sold it to an airman on base at Luke Field.

Tory,at the last board meeting I was talking to your dad and since we are about the same age, he brought up most young guys were into the muscle car and pony cars and most had abandoned cars like Rambler and Studebaker. I could never figure out how come so many guys around my age could afford say a Lemans or Chevelle or Satellite and still can't to this day.

So to sum up, I think the 2nd gen Studebaker owners, as well as the Studebaker Drivers Club helped with keeping things around. In the 70's you could still go to Ray Tanner Volvo and get parts for your car. I remember in 1970, there was in the service bays many Studebaker cars and even a 1955 Packard Clipper.

Bob Miles

[Noxnabaker]

Funny this Bob, about Volvo; the front brake cylinders on my -55 Champion is the same as the early 60's Volvo PV (544 to you guys), so I just went to a Volvo dealer & got new ones.

[StudeRich]

Not surprised, the Volvo 122S and 544 Had the Complete USA Wagner Lockheed (Studebaker 6 Cyl.) Brake System (at the Wheels).

I worked on my "soon to be" Wife's, 1961 122S when I discovered that back in 1964.

[Noxnabaker]

Yes Richard, & Dana & Spicer rear axels & on later ones too.

[8E45E]

In 2008 I had gotten hold of an all original 1960 wagon. It had been in the garage for thirty eight years

Is your '60 that nice original Oasis Green wagon in Post #3 here: Pacific Can-Am Zone Meet - Lots of Pics! - Studebaker Drivers Club Forum

Craig

[Hallabutt]

No it's not Craig, but I have seen the car two times, I believe. It is stunning down to the SMS sourced, custom embossed interior. It's been some years that I last saw that car. Come to think about it, the Oregon City meet may have been the last time I saw it. I asked about it several times, but it seems to have drifted out of sight. Mine is much less stunning, all original tan, with darker brown, interior. Due to it's originality I chose to leave "Humphrey" all original, shod in black walls and poverty caps.

"Humphrey" has been an interesting part of my own personal reformation of character as a car person. I guess that until I made the connection with him, I would never have guessed that a car like him could garner the type of response that he has. He's never going to win any shows, and that was clear from the beginning. I don't carry a chip on my shoulder because he's never won anything, on the contrary, he shouldn't be able to compete with restored car. He's simply not one of them. Regardless he has become quit a celebrity in the Seattle area, with what I call real car people. Mary and I are not the kind of people that go to a car event to go no further then two folding chairs positioned behind our car. We go to an event to enjoy the other cars, so we leave as soon as we get to the event. Literally dozens of times people who have seen the car, at other events, will make comments about him, later.

I have several cars that would win a trophy at most concours events. Been there done that. Those cars have their trophies to validate what they are. An original car like "Humphrey" doesn't need that. Personally I'm just grateful for the last twelve years, it's been a great ride!

[Noxnabaker]

I strongly doubt that I'm the only one who wanna see pictures of Humphrey...

[StudeRich]

I looked through my '60 Lark Wagon File folder for Humphrey, but I couldn't find the one I thought I had.

But, did find this:

I always thought that this Picture of an eBay '60 Lark Deluxe 4 Door Wagon looked Great.

It has almost a Woody Wagon look somehow, and the Yellow with the Custom Tan Two-Tone seems very fitting for a Wagon.

I can see how these would fit right into today's World of SUV's and wanna-be SUV's, but refreshingly DIFFERENT With V8 Power & Sound!

[jackb]

RE-read post #19 every week we are subjected to someone who will junk there unanswered Studebaker "gold mine" if they don't get their dreamed of price........... also, one constant theme in this thread is the "I want yesterday" back. For whatever reason. Pickers and other shows thrive on this notion. "I wanna be young again" .... I want to go out for ice cream in Uncle Chester's Studebaker" ... etc...... Is it because we're old now ? Is it because America lead the globe in all areas and we were then proud to be one ? And what now ?