Posted on 12/30/2013 11:32:59 AM PST by Reaganite Republican
***ping***
Why not post them here?
Dad was original owner on a '62 Lark Daytona convertible. Candy apple red, white top and black and white upholstery with the "S" emblem.
It was a daily driver, and we eventually sold it to a couple in CA who were going to do a ground-up restoration on it.
That puppy would flat run . . . blow the doors off almost anything. Stopping was a problem with the single-shoe drum brakes, and the steering was so loose you could turn the wheel a full revolution and get no response, but hey, you can't have everything.
My neighbor had a Golden Hawk. Nice car! And fast!
Studebaker’s 289 cu in V-8 turned out to be a damn good engine, as sturdy as the Chevy small-block. They could’ve built themselves a reputation on the drag strips. They even had a prototype R-5 engine for the Avanti with a Paxton twin turbo setup that put out almost 500hp, before they went under.
The PBGC website claims the Studebaker bankruptcy led to its creation.
http://www.pbgc.gov/about/who-we-are/pg/history-of-pbgc.html
Financially, Studebaker just couldn’t weather the storms of coming out with some good, some bad cars. like Ford & GM could. The Silver Hawk and Golden Hawk were pretty innovative designs; the Presidents and their torpedo models, less so. There was quite a serious downturn in the economy in 1958 (you know, those short ones we used to have) that devastated Buicks’ sales for that year, and unfortunately, that was right at the critical point for Studebaker *and* Packard. It probably drove the last nail into the coffin for Packard and badly weakened Stude.
I would really like to have one of these...
I know a guy locally who has an Avanti. Still drives it as far as I know.
Except my Dad's 57 Dodge D500 with the 354 V8. In jet black it looked like the Batmobile.
Somehow America has survived the loss of all these car companies YET the restructuring of GM and Chrysler would destroy the known universe and required billions of tax dollars.
The Studys were way over-engined, which is why they were such a blast to drive. :’) The Avanti continued as a solo specialty model into the 1990s at least, having changed hands in the 1980s; there were big plans to expand into SUVs and fordors, but new models would be required to meet modern crash standards, and I dunno, perhaps the original model was no longer allowed to be grandfathered.
http://www.avantimotors.com/avantihistory.html
They no longer are produced, last made and sold in early 2007.
They sold the rights to some outfit in Youngstown, OH
They owned the original bucks and such, but modified the line to include ragtops and a 4 door
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