We met a woman in our Florida trailer park that was telling me her mother was the only female owned studebaker dealer, Ashland, Ohio. later went on to sell AMC, and Lincoln. can anyone share any info?
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A dealer name and time frame might help.
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1960,s then to AMC, I plan on more specific info asapComment
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Perhaps Erma Soypta.Brad Johnson,
SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
'56 Sky Hawk in processComment
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As soon as I read the first post, I thought "Erma Soypta". Ashland is about an hour from where I live now.
I used to own a 'Studebaker News' dealer magazine from '63 I believe, that showed Erma getting an award from her district manager for selling either 50 or 100 new cars the year before. She was older (although I know that 'older' then was relative, based on differing hair and clothing styles, etc.). She looked very happy to be getting her award. I always wondered what her situation was--had her husband passed and she continued to run the dealership, or what? I had attempted to Google her name back then with no luck. Honestly, I have noticed before that it was not unusual for "The Studebaker News" to botch a dealer name by transposed letters or the like.Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
(formerly Greenville, PA)
Formerly owned:
1966 Cruiser, Timberline Turquoise, 27K miles, now in FL
1963 Lark Daytona Skytop R1, Ermine White, now in Australia
1964 Daytona Hardtop, Strato Blue, now in Australia
1966 Daytona Sports Sedan, Niagara Blue Mist, now in Australia
Gave up Studes for a new C8 CorvetteComment
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There was also a longtime female Studebaker dealer in Marysville, OH, ironically now the U.S. headquarters of Honda. Her son Owen assisted in the business. I can't for the life of me remember their last name. Ray Windecker wrote a nice article on the dealership as he used to call on them when he was a Studebaker district rep. This particular lady owner died in 1962 I believe. Her son subsequently opened a Mopar dealership that was dualled with Stude in the '64-66 years.Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
(formerly Greenville, PA)
Formerly owned:
1966 Cruiser, Timberline Turquoise, 27K miles, now in FL
1963 Lark Daytona Skytop R1, Ermine White, now in Australia
1964 Daytona Hardtop, Strato Blue, now in Australia
1966 Daytona Sports Sedan, Niagara Blue Mist, now in Australia
Gave up Studes for a new C8 CorvetteComment
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Mystery solved!
I posted on the "Old Car Dealerships" Facebook page about Erma Soypta, Stude, AMC, and Lincoln dealer from Ashland, OH.
An internet sleuth, not even from Ashland, found that her name was Erma Sapyta (yes, the Studebaker News magazine got their own dealer's name wrong), and had apparently at some point had gone back to her maiden name of Conway. She has a GT Hawk on her headstone:
Here's some background on how she got into the car business--appears to have had nothing to do with her husband:
Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
(formerly Greenville, PA)
Formerly owned:
1966 Cruiser, Timberline Turquoise, 27K miles, now in FL
1963 Lark Daytona Skytop R1, Ermine White, now in Australia
1964 Daytona Hardtop, Strato Blue, now in Australia
1966 Daytona Sports Sedan, Niagara Blue Mist, now in Australia
Gave up Studes for a new C8 CorvetteComment
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At least at some point, it appears her dealership was called "Smith Road Auto Sales":
Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
(formerly Greenville, PA)
Formerly owned:
1966 Cruiser, Timberline Turquoise, 27K miles, now in FL
1963 Lark Daytona Skytop R1, Ermine White, now in Australia
1964 Daytona Hardtop, Strato Blue, now in Australia
1966 Daytona Sports Sedan, Niagara Blue Mist, now in Australia
Gave up Studes for a new C8 CorvetteComment
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