Wanna Buy a Stude Dealer? Classified Ad, 1960

[2R2]

From the February 1st, 1960 issue of Automotive News, the classified section:

Dealership Handling

Studebaker and
Rootes Line
FOR SALE

[qsanford]

I would have liked that combination!

[avantilover]

Not that many years went by before they were both Rooted. Vale Studebaker and Rootes.

[JRoberts]

Ahhhh.......Studebakrs and Hillmans...Hmmmmmm...... How much success would this duo made in 1960? Maybe the Sunbeam Alpine and then Tiger could have helped some. Still iin hindsight it looks like the seller of this dealership had already seen the writing on the wall and wanted to get out from under any future financial burden.

[qsanford]

With the Rootes franchise, you would also have had access to the upscale Singer line and the luxury Humbers! Plus, besides the popular Hillman and Sunbeam lines, you could be selling one of the original minivans, the Commer Caravan. Of course, they all would be in the shadows of the Larks flying off the lot! <G>

[57pack]

I grew up in Pitman NJ and our Packard dealer McCauley Motors were closing his doors. In the next town over, Glassboro a fellow named Ed Roth and Son took the Packard franchise. He also sold the Roots Group line, and the BMC line with MG, Austin, Austin Healy, and the Jaguar brand. He also handled the Jowett brand, I remember seeing a 1955 Packard 400 parked next to a Jowett Jupiter, a small British sports car. Looked like a Chris Craft speedboat moored next to the Titanic!
I think he tried to get a Studebaker franchise but had territory issues with other Studebaker dealers. He later took on a funny little line of Japanese cars called Datsun, the rest as they say is history.
Bill

[Roscomacaw]

Wonder which "San Joaquin Valley Town" they're talking about. I live in said valley and it seems like there was a Stude dealer in every two-horse town around here. I know it wasn't Visalia (where I live) cause the dealer here was selling Studes and Mercedes - and doing right well at it too!