Postwar Studebakers

I agree with everything Uplanderguy said about the Studebaker Automatic drive that it developed with Borg Warner. My 1955 Commander has one of those and I wrote an earlier post about all the reasons I like it. Three speeds, starts in first gear, excellent gas mileage, air cooled etc.

It was too expensive for Studebaker after their sales decreased, so they switched to the Ford automatic in 1956, but then the very same transmission that Studebaker developed with Borg Warner showed up in Mercedes Benz cars until approximately 1962. It was used in Jaguars too.

#1879 of 2061 Last Studebaker built today, on 3/17/66 by uplanderguy

Mar 17, 2013 (4:03 am)

A Cruiser, here it is:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1966_Studebaker_Cruiser.jpg

Options include white vinyl top, disc brakes, factory air, transistorized ignition, and 50/50 split front seats. It has a beautiful black brocade cloth interior with rear-seat center armrest.

Immediately given to a Stude exec in South Bend to drive (although was built in Hamilton, Ontario), in 1969 Studebaker Corp. gave the car to the city of South Bend. It had just under 20K miles when I last looked inside of it.

Replies to this message:

jljac (Mar 17, 2013 10:46 am)
- uplanderguy (Mar 17, 2013 11:40 am)

#1880 of 2061 Re: Last Studebaker built today, on 3/17/66 [uplanderguy] by jljac

Mar 17, 2013 (10:46 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Mar 17, 2013 4:03 am)

I read a story in Turning Wheels last year that said that Studebaker employees in Canada knew the end was near when management did not replace the stamp in the press that made the trunk lids after it wore out. The employees believed that production would stop then they ran out of trunk lids and that is what happened. Studebaker kept building cars after 1964 until they had to make a major investment.

Replies to this message:

uplanderguy (Mar 17, 2013 11:40 am)

#1881 of 2061 Re: Last Studebaker built today, on 3/17/66 [jljac] by uplanderguy

Mar 17, 2013 (11:40 am)

Replying to: jljac (Mar 17, 2013 10:46 am)

I remember reading that article too. The '64-66 does have a complex trunk lid shape from the rear--multiple bends and surfaces. I don't ever remember Newman and Altman having '64-66 trunk lids, when they had '62-63 coming out the you-know-what, and earlier lids as well.

#1882 of 2061 Good Article About Studebaker MB Connection by jljac

Mar 25, 2013 (1:36 pm)

I got two interesting E-mails from my Studebaker website at www. Stude.net over the weekend.

The first one I received is about the Studebaker-Mercedes Benz connection. It is worth seeing. http://johnstraub.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-mercedes-studebaker-connection.html Many great photos and it seems like an interesting site. I will check it out more when I have the time.

The second one was from a girl named Gina who claims to be a descendant of Clem Studebaker and is seeking information about the Studebaker family. I sent her info about a web site that is all about Studebaker family http://www.studebakerfamily.org/

Replies to this message:

fintail (Mar 25, 2013 3:54 pm)
- bhill2 (Mar 25, 2013 4:21 pm)
  - fintail (Mar 25, 2013 5:36 pm)
- jljac (Mar 25, 2013 4:25 pm)
  - fintail (Mar 25, 2013 5:36 pm) and 41 more...
- berri (Mar 25, 2013 4:46 pm)
  - fintail (Mar 25, 2013 5:37 pm) and 1 more...
uplanderguy (Mar 25, 2013 4:49 pm)

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