'61 Studebaker Images from Mister Ed

[Commander Eddie]

The Champ pictured is a '61. I guess I should know this........but was the P2 bed available in '61?

Yes. I own a '61 champ with that bed. It came from the factory with it.

[jackb]

there is a similar Champ truck to be seen in the Lassie special that aired around this time....I believe it was filmed in Oregon/Wash State...but probably CA

[dixiana]

There's a 64 Daytona hardtop and a GT Hawk in this episode called Mister Ed: Ed the Chauffeur. Ed rents a panel truck and goes for a drive. The copy I have might be longer. I bought some homemade dvds off of ebay. I thought he talks to a couple in the Daytona at a stop light. They must have cut it for time.

Aired originally on Sunday April 12th, 1964
I don't know if this was after the sponsership ended. I'm sure it was filmed a lot earlier than when it aired. Maybe Studebaker still provided some cars for the show later. Anybody know?

Studebaker's sponsorship of Mister Ed ended with the third season (1962-63). The company continued to supply cars to the show throughout the fourth season. This was the only season that carried the credit "Automobiles Furnished by Studebaker Corporation". The last example of a Studie in a Mister Ed episode would be in the fifth season show, Ed the Pilot. That show aired January 6, 1965 and featured Wilbur frantically pulling up at an airport control tower in a Wagonaire. It seems to be a different one from the one featured in Ed the Donkey. Later in the fifth season the series began to carry the credit "Automobiles Furnished by Ford Motor Company" with the episode The Bank Robbery aired April 14, 1965. The episode The Dragon Horse, aired March 31, 1965 used a portion of a third season episode (Ol'Rocking Chair) featuring a 1963 Wagonaire, and that could probably be called the last episode to feature a Studebaker, but as it utilized this old footage, I credit Ed the Pilot with being the last new footage of a Studebaker in that series. I have 50 episodes of this series on DVD, but none from the third season, which had several episodes featuring the Avanti. There were several episodes that showed the Addisons owning an Avanti. Ed and the Allergy, aired October 25, 1962 is one that comes to mind. Wilbur In the Lion's Den, aired November 8, 1962 has character actor Charles Lane (best known as Homer Bedloe on Petticoat Junction) as a pill-popping potential client of Wilbur. He is shown driving a prominently placed Avanti in one scene, and there is some discussion of his having a phone in his car in this sequence (up to the minute for 1962). As a small child, I was a fan of this show and watched it every week. I was also a fan of Studebaker cars, even though in those days, small boys were usually Ford or Chevrolet fans. The combination of a talking horse and Studebaker cars in the show and the commercials were irresistible to this eight-year-old. I have an excellent book, now out-of-print titled "The Famous Mister Ed" by Nancy Nalven. She includes a chapter of how the Studebaker dealers in 1960 agreed to contribute $25.00 from the sale of every car to finance and sponsor the first season of Mister Ed. (The show was rejected by all three networks and went into syndication that first year, it's success resulting in James Aubrey picking up the series for CBS the following season.) This book helped me with the airdates of the episodes, along with my memory as a car-spotter on many old TV shows.

[Warren Webb]

My 61 Champ has the original P-2 bed. I believe it became available in January 61.

[Bordeaux Daytona]

There's a 64 Daytona hardtop and a GT Hawk in this episode called Mister Ed: Ed the Chauffeur. Ed rents a panel truck and goes for a drive. The copy I have might be longer. I bought some homemade dvds off of ebay. I thought he talks to a couple in the Daytona at a stop light. They must have cut it for time.

Aired originally on Sunday April 12th, 1964
I don't know if this was after the sponsorship ended. I'm sure it was filmed a lot earlier than when it aired. Maybe Studebaker still provided some cars for the show later. Anybody know?

Well, looks like this video I refered to was made private so it can't be watched anymore.
I found my dvd and took out the part where he's driving. It seems like it took forever to upload it to youtube.
Enjoy!

[jbrotten]

According to that customized license plate, that '61 Champ has the ultra rare 592 horse R-14 engine.

[JBOYLE]

I saw some 62 episodes awhile back..Wilbur had two different Larks, and his neighbor had a GT.
Also, a street scene had more larks and a Champ.

I'd like to have a list of any episodes where Avantis were shown.

[r1lark]

I wonder if they were the "West coast" mirrors that I have seen mentioned from time to time. I also wonder why the truck has the P1 instead of the P2 bed...so many questions.

The Champ pictured is a '61. I guess I should know this........but was the P2 bed available in '61?

[62champ]

Were the mirrors on the Champ a factory option?

I wonder if they were the "West coast" mirrors that I have seen mentioned from time to time. I also wonder why the truck has the P1 instead of the P2 bed...so many questions.

[Bordeaux Daytona]

There's a 64 Daytona hardtop and a GT Hawk in this episode called Mister Ed: Ed the Chauffeur. Ed rents a panel truck and goes for a drive. The copy I have might be longer. I bought some homemade dvds off of ebay. I thought he talks to a couple in the Daytona at a stop light. They must have cut it for time.

Aired originally on Sunday April 12th, 1964
I don't know if this was after the sponsership ended. I'm sure it was filmed a lot earlier than when it aired. Maybe Studebaker still provided some cars for the show later. Anybody know?

[JRoberts]

Were the mirrors on the Champ a factory option?

[StudeRich]

/Cut/Although the program is in black and white, the wagon used is clearly two toned and the interior, luggage rack, and antenna matches up./Cut/

Sorry but I have to disagree, Horizon Green is a fairly bright, very Silver Metallic Green and looks quite light with light on it, but there are scenes that show both bottom and top and they match perfectly.

I am quite sure it is the same car, but it currently wears a repaint of a much Darker Green and a very White roof.

I tried to see the third Seat, but it is either folded down or just not visable.

It is my opinion that Studebaker would never allow something as obvious as a Two Tone paint job to be shown on a show they sponsor and supply the Vehicles for, when it was not available to purchase.

Also there is no mention of the "Special Paint" on the Production Order.

[StudeRich]

Snagged these pictures off a Mister Ed show (Season 1, Episode 26). Interesting in that the Champ has whitewalls that seem to be a good bit wider than the whitewalls on the Station Wagon.

That would be because many Champs were ordered with the Optional 7.10X15 instead of the Standard 6.70X15, but most Larks had tiny 6.40X15 Tires, a full TWO sizes smaller even with V-8 Engines.

[Mr. Bill]

Over in the Members' Studebaker Pictures section of our forum, a new member (falconwagon62) has posted pictures of his newly acquired 64 Daytona Wagonaire that has a special provenance. According to the production order, this particular Wagonaire was built and then sent to Filmways for the Mr. Ed television series. Below are a few pictures of this Wagonaire from that particular post as well as a link to an episode that I found on You Tube that I think uses this vehicle. Although the program is in black and white, the wagon used is clearly two toned and the interior, luggage rack, and antenna matches up. I did notice a different outside door mirror from what is currently on the car, but almost 49 years after its build date of 09/30/63, this is an easily explained change.

The Mr. Ed episode is entitled "Ed the Donkey" and originally aired 02/23/64 during the show's fourth season. The scene with the Wagonaire begins at the 2:33 mark and continues throughout the episode.


You Tube link:
http://youtu.be/qxJr7SGf0ck


Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC

[SN-60]

Keep an eye out for Addison's (the Post's neighbor's) Avanti. It shows up every so often!