shortened 1953 studebaker

[Noxnabaker]

How 'bout taking a look at Daimler 250 SP?

[Pat Dilling]

Just goes to show it's in the eye of the beholder; I've looked at both cars forever and didn't see it but there are some similarities in the front fender-grill area. More seem to think the Alpine was influenced by the '55-57 Thunderbirds.

jack vines

May be an automotive Six Degrees of Separation, but I can no longer count the number of times my '53 has been called a Thunderbird. So, if the Alpine and Studebakers have Thunderbird traits, I could see where folks could find similarities between them too.

Back to the thread, would be real nice to see pictures of the shorty Studebaker in question.

[JRoberts]

Well, if you guys are offended by long fenders...have little tolerance for cars that are not "proportional"...I suppose us Business Coupe owners will never have to worry about you attempting to steal our cars.

Don't get me wrong, John. I do not dislike those long fenders on this particular car, or on a buiness coupe.

[t walgamuth]

[QUOTE=Nox;709279]How 'bout taking a look at Daimler 250 SP?[/QUOTE

Yeah, it has some similarities too, but its not nearly as smooth as the 53 or the t bird or the alpine.

[thunderations]

Just wanted to toss a picture of my wife's 57 T-Bird into the mix for comparision.

I can see that thunderbird resemblence too. Maybe they both are copies of the studie!

[t walgamuth]

I'll have to say there is a strong frontal association between the T bird and Sunbeam but the rear of the sunbeam more resembles the clean 53 than the t bird.

They are all handsome cars to be sure!

[Noxnabaker]

Well t walgamuth, I think the Daimler 250 SP loox more like a Studebaker than the box-straight Sunbeam, thou maby more like a mix between a -55 & a -57 Silver or Golden Hawk, a bit wilder.
& to me the square Alpine loox more like a early T-bird, before -57 when they added fins.

They are both V8-cars (even if the Sunbeam only as a special model) & the Daimler's engine is a tiny Hemi, 250 stands for 2,5litres = 153.5 cu. in....
(But they did make a bigger Hemi for the Majestic Saloon.)

& If you wanna see Studebaker-looking English cars then check out late 50's Hillman, Singer & Sunbeam Rapier... yeah, the same designer as... well you know...

[studegary]

Question? Publix Studebaker was owned by the family of a girl in my Kendallville HS class. Were there any dealer modifications extending the fenders on the coupes to enclose the continental kit like in Sam's photo? It seems like I remember some of the Gardner family and employees driving cars with such modifications in '53-'54.

Yes, there were aftermarket kits to extend the rear quarter panels beyond the continental kit. There were two types. One type was just added on (bolted ?) and the other type was welded on and blended in (to look like the subject car).

[studegary]

I'm not sure where I got that idea, whether I read it somewhere or just assumed it. I just now googled lowey sunbeam and got a few light hits. Apparently they did the first alpine in 52 to 54 or so but may not have been involved in the later one.

Or perhaps one of his designers left and did it working for another studio. I read several british magazines so perhaps I read it there. Lowey studios were involved in lot of car design work for many different companies.

If you spell his name correctly, LOEWY, it may assist you in your search.

[t walgamuth]

If you spell his name correctly, LOEWY, it may assist you in your search.

Oh, yeah! Thanks!

[t walgamuth]

On the Daimler 250, well, maybe if you squint a lot! The best part of the daimler is the little all aluminum Hemi!

Well t walgamuth, I think the Daimler 250 SP loox more like a Studebaker than the box-straight Sunbeam, thou maby more like a mix between a -55 & a -57 Silver or Golden Hawk, a bit wilder.
& to me the square Alpine loox more like a early T-bird, before -57 when they added fins.

They are both V8-cars (even if the Sunbeam only as a special model) & the Daimler's engine is a tiny Hemi, 250 stands for 2,5litres = 153.5 cu. in....
(But they did make a bigger Hemi for the Majestic Saloon.)

& If you wanna see Studebaker-looking English cars then check out late 50's Hillman, Singer & Sunbeam Rapier... yeah, the same designer as... well you know...

[Bob Bryant]

Gary L. Thanks for affirming what I thought I remembered! The cars had the latter conversion and were well-finished Studebakers. I don't recall ever seeing any at shows or cruise-ins since.

[Noxnabaker]

I didn't know that the Daimler Hemi was all aluminum, only the heads, but I've been wrong before... still... all?

So how about some pictures of the original posted car?

[paintim613]

This car is the closest in appearance to ours I have seen. Ours was not shortened and the trunk was enlarged enough to store the removeable roof. Not for everyone's taste but in my wife's family since before she was born and we love it. We now believe custom work was done 1953-5, earlier than dates listed below.

[t walgamuth]

You're right it appears. This is from Wikipedia:

Engine description

A 90 degree V8 engine having part-hemispherical combustion chambers with two overhead valves per cylinder operated by push-rods from a single chain-driven camshaft positioned centrally high up in the vee. Aluminium alloy pistons with steel connecting rods run in a cast chrome-iron block with sand-cast high-tensile light alloy heads and crankcase housing a short stiff dynamically balanced crankshaft carried on five bearings. The nose of the crankshaft carries a torsional vibration damper and a four-bladed fan and the pulley for the triangulated thin belt drive for the dynamo and water pump. The dynamo is located between the cylinder blocks. At the rear the drive is taken from the back end of the camshaft for the distributor positioned high above the unit behind the two semi-downdraught SU carburetters. There is a separate exhaust system for each bank of cylinders. Light alloy is used for the valve covers, tappet blocks, sump and inlet manifolds. Cooling is by pump and fan with a thermostatic by-pass control.[9]

I didn't know that the Daimler Hemi was all aluminum, only the heads, but I've been wrong before... still... all?

So how about some pictures of the original posted car?