***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.
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.
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.
I seem to recall a study (academic?) about one of the principal (immediate) causes of Studebaker’s bankruptcy many years back and the blame was focused upon the UAW. By the 1950s the UAW had an almost unbeatable strategy for their 3 year cycle of union contract negotiations. They would focus upon one car company and strike it to force a favorable contract that would then be applied to the rest of the industry. It would appear that Studebaker over its 100 year history had employed a rather family-oriented and generous attitude towards their workers. In the 1950s, Studebaker’s wages to both labor and management were amongst the highest overall in the industry.
This works when the company and union are only working with each other. In this case, the UAW was more interested in an INDUSTRY WIDE labor wage and in 1962, the UAW struck various Studebaker factories to gain the advantage of establishing a ‘sweetheart’ contract that they could turn-around and push to the other car companies. If it destroyed Studebaker, well that was less important than benefitting all of the other union workers. A demonstration of how ulterior motives can wreak havoc upon even the best intentions.
The Sceptre Coupe looks a lot like the Thunderbirds of the era. It is a shame it was never produced.
I want to find an AMC Marlin and a Studibaker Avanti. I think Avanti were last made in 2010.
In 1975 my dad bought an auto machine shop from an old guy retiring so he could start an engine rebuild business.
The place came with shelves and shelves of Studabaker parts. Sold them all for a pretty good sum.
