The Crescent City Comet

[Michael]

I am not sure how Offenhauser got involved with this. Maybe a sponsor???
This Crescent City Studebaker dealer always had the others simply lettered
"The Chive Comet" in previous New Orleans Mardi Gras parades.

Michael Bostedt
Gavle, Sweden

[studegary]

The 1953 version of the prototype convertible was the light color with full stainless wheelcovers, fog lights and bumper winguards. When I first saw the 1954 version of the convertible it was a dark color (black?) and had the wire wheelcovers. I guess that the wheelcovers were changed before the color. Perhaps the color change came about as a result of the parade use and lettering. I had previously thought that the color change was part of the 1954 "upgrade."

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[studegary]

The 1953 version of the prototype convertible was the light color with full stainless wheelcovers, fog lights and bumper winguards. When I first saw the 1954 version of the convertible it was a dark color (black?) and had the wire wheelcovers. I guess that the wheelcovers were changed before the color. Perhaps the color change came about as a result of the parade use and lettering. I had previously thought that the color change was part of the 1954 "upgrade."

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[Michael]

Gary,

The car was gun metal gray in 1953. In 1954 they updated the car to a 1954
with the winguards etc. and also repainted the car a tan color.
In 1964 the car was sold to a Studebaker engineer (if I remember correctly)
At that point the car got a VIN plate (earlier it didn't have any). I have
the serial somewhere. Anyway the engineer repainted the car a dark blue
color and let his son or daughter drive the car to college..
In the late eighties the car got a minor restoration and was then repainted red.
After being sold in the late 1990s at an auction, it was then resold
after a few years to a SDC member in SoCal who probably still owns it.

I would love to have recent pictures of the car. The last ones
I have are from the auction.

Michael

[Michael]

Gary,

The car was gun metal gray in 1953. In 1954 they updated the car to a 1954
with the winguards etc. and also repainted the car a tan color.
In 1964 the car was sold to a Studebaker engineer (if I remember correctly)
At that point the car got a VIN plate (earlier it didn't have any). I have
the serial somewhere. Anyway the engineer repainted the car a dark blue
color and let his son or daughter drive the car to college..
In the late eighties the car got a minor restoration and was then repainted red.
After being sold in the late 1990s at an auction, it was then resold
after a few years to a SDC member in SoCal who probably still owns it.

I would love to have recent pictures of the car. The last ones
I have are from the auction.

Michael

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by Michael

Gary,

The car was gun metal gray in 1953. In 1954 they updated the car to a 1954
with the winguards etc. and also repainted the car a tan color.
In 1964 the car was sold to a Studebaker engineer (if I remember correctly)
At that point the car got a VIN plate (earlier it didn't have any). I have
the serial somewhere. Anyway the engineer repainted the car a dark blue
color and let his son or daughter drive the car to college..
In the late eighties the car got a minor restoration and was then repainted red.
After being sold in the late 1990s at an auction, it was then resold
after a few years to a SDC member in SoCal who probably still owns it.

I would love to have recent pictures of the car. The last ones
I have are from the auction.

Michael

This color thing is confusing. I guess that it was painted (color change) more than once or twice.

When the car was "updated" to a 1954, everything appropriate was changed, including the dash, grilles, parking lights ("grille bars"), trim and bumperettes.

Studebaker sold the car to a local banker for, I believe, $100. The agreement was that he would not resell the car. He let his daughter drive the car to college. I saw the car several times when he owned it and there was no serial number or body number plates on it at those times (personally verified). If the car now has a serial number plate, it was added much later than when Studebaker owned the car. I wonder what a search of that serial number's build sheet at the SNM would reveal. The car was not sold until after the banker's death. The banker kept to his part of his agreement with Studebaker.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by Michael

Gary,

The car was gun metal gray in 1953. In 1954 they updated the car to a 1954
with the winguards etc. and also repainted the car a tan color.
In 1964 the car was sold to a Studebaker engineer (if I remember correctly)
At that point the car got a VIN plate (earlier it didn't have any). I have
the serial somewhere. Anyway the engineer repainted the car a dark blue
color and let his son or daughter drive the car to college..
In the late eighties the car got a minor restoration and was then repainted red.
After being sold in the late 1990s at an auction, it was then resold
after a few years to a SDC member in SoCal who probably still owns it.

I would love to have recent pictures of the car. The last ones
I have are from the auction.

Michael

This color thing is confusing. I guess that it was painted (color change) more than once or twice.

When the car was "updated" to a 1954, everything appropriate was changed, including the dash, grilles, parking lights ("grille bars"), trim and bumperettes.

Studebaker sold the car to a local banker for, I believe, $100. The agreement was that he would not resell the car. He let his daughter drive the car to college. I saw the car several times when he owned it and there was no serial number or body number plates on it at those times (personally verified). If the car now has a serial number plate, it was added much later than when Studebaker owned the car. I wonder what a search of that serial number's build sheet at the SNM would reveal. The car was not sold until after the banker's death. The banker kept to his part of his agreement with Studebaker.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)