Quad headlights

[altair]

What year did quad headlights first appear on a Studebaker car? Were quad headlights a manufactures option or a government requirement?

[64LarkLover]

For the sedans, I think Studebaker switched over to quad headlights in 1958. As far as manufacturer option/government mandate the 58 Hawks nonetheless maintained the two single headlights and with the rollout of the Lark in 1959 reintroduced two single headlights on the sedan models once again. I don't know how to sort this all out.

[bensherb]

In '58 most manufacturers went to quad headlights. Take a look at the grafted on "pod" Stude put on the '57 body to become a '58 with quad lights, clearly an afterthought to "keep up with the Jone's". No government mandate.

[Skip Lackie]

In '58 most manufacturers went to quad headlights. Take a look at the grafted on "pod" Stude put on the '57 body to become a '58 with quad lights, clearly an afterthought to "keep up with the Jone's". No government mandate.

Yes. Some of the show/dream cars that GM built in the early 50s had quad headlights, and they were made optional of the 57 Cadillac Eldorados. Optional because some states prohibited more than two headlights. The language in a late 1930s federal law that mandated sealed-beam headlights no later than 1940 was being interpreted differently in different states. In any case, the 1958 GM products were all designed to take quad headlights, and when word about that got out, it set off a stampede to add extra headlights to everything. Studebaker's efforts on the 58s were clearly a graft-on job.

[6hk71400]

As I recall, beside the 57 Cadillac Eldorado, the 57 Nash had stacked quads but did not make much of an impact. Some 57 Chryslers had both single and quad headlights in the same fenders. At the time some states did not allow quad headlights so 57 Lincoln appeared to have quad headlight as well as the 57 Plymouth and 57 Dodge. I am thinking by1958 all states offered the quad head light option.

When the 1970 Monte Carlo came out, Tom McCahill mused it was better to have two good headlights than four lousy headlights. Studebaker returned to quad headlights on some of the 1961 Lark models and some 1962 to 1965 used the quad headlights, except for the 1964 Challenger. Some Challengers did offer the quad option. 1966 went back to the two headlight option for Studebaker's swan song.

[PackardV8]

As I recall, beside the 57 Cadillac Eldorado, the 57 Nash had stacked quads but did not make much of an impact.

Thanks for the reminder. I'd forgotten the '57 Nash had stacked quads.

It was still one of the ugliest cars ever built. Interestingly, the '57 Hudson, definitely the ugliest car ever built, and on the same unibody as the Nash, had only two 7" headlights.

jack vines

[Skip Lackie]

Agree with all of Jack's comments, including the fact that I had forgotten about the 57 Nash.

[StudeRich]

Just a GM Ploy to sell a ton of GM "Guide" Dual Headlight Seal Beams, OEM on ALL GM makes, and some non-GM Makes, and a BIG Aftermarket Sales score.

[altair]

Thank you for the chimes, I had heard varying stories about the four sealed beams.

[StudeRich]

HMMM, I didn't Hear any Chimes !

[bensherb]

Altair, is that from the 1956 flick "Forbidden Planet" (one of my favorites); Altair IV and of course the Anne Francis character "Altaira" ? Or for the star itself ? Or?

[altair]

I flew airplanes around here for 40 years and the flying clubs name was Altair