Researching Race Car Haulers and Crew Cab Studebaker Trucks

[Wowabunga]

Greetings... About to publish a short history on "open race car haulers" and a photo in my files has me looking for clairification. The 59 Studebaker hauler sports a extended crew cab. Was this a factory option back in the day..? Were there many made and are there many left...?

Included a line truck photo I found looking thru your forum, to me it was either a factory option or it was a done by a side contractor..?

Are there any hauler photos I've missed...?

Thanks for any productive direction.

-Ramblin Randy.

[mbstude]

I've always heard that there only two factory sanctioned prototypes, both 1963 models with Detroit Diesel engines.

One was a 3 door version. It had been beautifully restored, but was destroyed several years ago in a garage fire.

The blue one with the service body is the other. It's a 4 door. The owner is a long time enthusiast and lives about 40 miles from me.

I've never seen the one in your picture with the car hauler body. That is certainly intriguing.

Edit: A friend just told me that he's pretty sure that there were a few Stude crew cabs built by Armbruster for one of the railroads, but he doesn't have any specific info.

[mbstude]

Here's a factory photo of the blue one.

[StudeRich]

Car Haulers we have, not so much Crew Cabs.
I can't find a Pic of Ted Harbit's Red Transtar Auto Transport, who has one ?

[Silverplate]

In addition to my work with Turning Wheels I am the caretaker of a fifty car private collection located here in Fort Worth. Here is a photo of our Studebaker hauler with a Hodges bed. It is waiting for modern diesel conversion.

[willys54]

You might have better luck asking the boy's over on the Stude Truck (only) Site. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/studebakertrucktalk/

[shifter4]

Here's one pic that I have......

[DieselJim]

The orange tractor belongs to the Derbidge in Neveda and the orange flat bed is the one I restored now is in New Port News. Both are Diesels.

[medium_jon]

Here's one pic that I have......

looks like a different running board from the factory option.

[Wowabunga]

What a beautiful heaping pile of info and photos of Studebakers...!!!

So my take away: Studebaker built 2 prototype crew cabs and one still is in existence. A subcontractor of substantional fame, the Armbruster Company is noted to have made a few crewcabs using the Studbaker platform. A side note how Armbruster is well known for making extended vehicles, buses and limos... with famous customers such as Stalone, Elvis and Willie Nelson. Still looking for a photo of the extended limo they made for the All American Redhead Basketball Team..!

[8E45E]

Ted Harbit at MCACN in 2018 with the Stude Tomato on the back.



Craig

[Kevin Nordstrom]

Still looking for a photo of the extended limo they made for the All American Redhead Basketball Team..!

Does any forum members have a good pic of Al Meekers limo pickup? That should hold a basketball team lol.

[Wowabunga]

I was planning to save this for a quick laugh in my documentary. Humor is to life what shock absorbers are to cars... that's a lot of red heads.
.

[mbstude]

So my take away: Studebaker built 2 prototype crew cabs and one still is in existence. A subcontractor of substantional fame, the Armbruster Company is noted to have made a few crewcabs using the Studbaker platform.

The comment I made previously isn't verifiable, there's no known documentation to back it up. I'd be reluctant to publish it as fact.

I just noticed that the 57 Chevy Nomad drag car has "Mishawaka Missile" painted on the side. Mishawaka is adjacent to South Bend. Somebody, somewhere, has to know more about it.

[DieselJim]

Just found out that I know the person that owned the Mishawaka Missel. I will try to contact him to get any information.

[mbstude]

I sent the picture to a buddy who's a South Bend native and still lives in the area. He says this:

I do not remember the drag car, but the hauler use to sit in a junkyard in Elkhart Indiana for years. It's crazy to see it in that condition given that the only times I would see it, is when it was rotting away in a junkyard.