 |
|
|
The Studebaker
Hawks and
Avantis
 |
 |
For those of us who can remember it, can we ever forget it
|
pickup trucks from the first one to the present day. I thought , what a nice idea. I thought that I might try something similar with some of the car pictures I have collected. I have been collecting pictures of Studebakers, Packards Nash, Hudson and Jeeps for some time now and I first wrote a web page on this page on the Studebaker. Then one on Jeeps and Packard followed. Then came one Nash and Hudson. I have since added a page on old Pickup Trucks , Hudson. Essex and Terrplanes of Australia , Volkswagen Kaiser and Henry J and now I with the help of one of my visitors have written on on the Crosley. My experience with Studebakers is
limited but it is memorable.
These pictures came for a number
of sources including
I would like to invite any one that
has a favorite Studebaker picture or a Web Page
John MacDonald |
|
|
||||||
|
When Studebaker and Packard merged
in 1954, all of the American "independent" car companies were in trouble
because Ford and General Motors were having a price war. Those independent
car companies were Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, Kaiser, Packard and Willys.
Of those companies, only Studebaker and Nash would survive into the 1960s.
In 1954, Studebaker and Packard were selling less than half the number
of cars that they were able to sell in 1950.
Many of those who love Packard blame Studebaker for Packard's demise; there is a factual basis for that belief. Packard bought Studebaker believing that Studebaker would make a profit if Studebaker could sell approximately 160,000 cars year. Studebaker's actual "break even" point was actually selling more than 260,000 cars per year because of Studebaker's high labour cost. Studebaker was only able to sell that many for two or three years after World War II when all the American car companies could sell all the cars they could produce. During the first two model years of the Studebaker-Packard merger (1955-1956), neither company did well, and when Curtiss-Wright came to the rescue with money and management in 1956, a hard choice had to be made. On one hand, Packard could sell a limited number of big luxury cars (in the range of 50,000-75,000 per year) to compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, which did not have big volume sales. On the other hand, Studebaker was able to sell 268,099 autos and 52,146 trucks for a total of 320,245 vehicles its best calendar year (1950). Studebaker also built different sizes of trucks (tractors, mid-size & pick up), plus military trucks (2 and 1/2 ton, known in the Army as the "deuce and a half"), economy cars (Champions and Larks), sporty cars (Hawks) and station wagons, available with 6-cylinder or 8-cylinder motors. The South Bend Studebaker factory was a model of efficiency compared to the Packard operation in Detroit where they lost their lease on a rented body plant in 1954 (Chrysler kicked them out) and moved their body and final assembly plant to an older building at a different location in Detroit. By 1956, Packards were known for poor quality and reliability at a very expensive price. If Packard had been doing well, then Curtiss-Wright would have kept it and dumped Studebaker. The decision to keep the Studebaker factory operations in South Bend was a correct one. By 1959 Studebaker reduced its production costs, introduced the Lark and was able to make a profit after they sold 100,000 cars per year. That year they were able to produce Larks at a rate of 80 per hour and sold approximately 130,000 of them while making a good profit in the process. The Studebaker factory in South Bend could always build enough cars. The problem was that after 1960, they could build three times more cars than they could SELL. Studebaker was saved twice by building smaller cars; in 1939 by the Champion and twenty years later by the Lark. During the 1950s Nash survived (and grew) because it built the small economical Rambler and Studebaker survived because it built the Lark. If Packard had been chosen as the survivor, it probably would have died with the Edsel, if not sooner. The fate of Packard after it joined Studebaker was remarkably similar to the fate of Hudson after it joined Nash. The big car from Detroit got dumped as Nash found that the road to success was to build smaller cars and the men who ran Studebaker took note of that success as Nash passed them by in sales during the 1950s. The idea of building BIG Studebaker-Packards was dropped by 1957 and those that were proposed in drawings DID look like Lincolns because Ford was going to sell them the Lincoln tooling around 1956. Life at Studebaker was good until the early 1960s when the Big Three arrived with compact cars like the Ford Falcon, Mercury Meteor, Chevy II Nova & Corvair, Plymouth Valiant and Dodge Dart. As a result of that onslaught, Studebaker was gone by the mid-1960s and Rambler (aka, American Motors) was gone about fifteen years later, due in large part to a decision to put too much of their money into a large car known as the Matador. Packard had bad sales years in 1955-1956, but their sales might have been worse without the all the Studebaker dealerships that began selling Packards as a result of the 1954 merger, which nearly doubled sales outlets for Packard. It is very likely that Packard made some sales from customers who went to a Studebaker dealer intending to buy an expensive Studebaker President, Golden Hawk or truck and ended up buying a Packard. It is less likely that a rich customer who went to a Packard dealer ended up driving a Studebaker home instead. After Package was gone, Mercedes Benz was happy to
share dealerships with Studebaker and made a success of that relationship.
Approximately 250 of Mercedes Benz dealerships in the USA today were formerly
Studebaker-Packard dealerships.
J.L. Jacobson |
||||||
|
||||||
| To view more Studebaker pictures and memorabilia go to http://www.stude.net/ |
|
The Studebaker Brothers started
building automobiles in 1902. Their first automobiles
An interesting footnote sent
to me by Robert Dowling ,one of my visitors.
|
Note that some of the pictures
are set up with larger images available.
In this case click on the image
for the larger view.
This page was last updated on April 9, 2013
And
to make this site more interesting
we
have now included many old cars and trucks
including
the Studebaker Hawk and Avanti that are being offered for sale
OldCarCafe.com searches
130 classic car dealer websites to help you find your dream car
This Studebaker page is in four
sections.
This page is the fourth in the
series.
The following links will take
you to remainder
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
The Hawks
 |
 |
|
|
|
| These pictures were submitted by Paul Black, Tampa FL |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Ron Wakefield, San Diego, California
It's an unrestored, basically well maintained car that was produced in Studebaker's Los Angeles plant and has been in California most of its life. The license-plate frame is from the dealer who sold it new. |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Tom Ryan from Oregon USA |
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Jeff, Battle Ground, WA | |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
 |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Michael, Philadelphia Pa USA | |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Ward Morrill
of McAllen, TX
Ward has just won the Mayor's Choice in McAllen's Palmfest car show |
This car is owned by Ward Morrill of McAllen, TX |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
These pictures were taken in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
on Aug 8, 2009. The car was was in a local car show. it is owned by Arden and Daaren Clarke from the Moncton, New Brunswick area. |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Nova Scotia Canada |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Dirck Pont from South Africa.
He just recently purchased this car and is planning on restoring it and making it a daily driver |
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| Dirck Pont has completed his redstoration and has submitted
the following pictures. |
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
It's no different here then in North America |
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Erin Hays, Seymour, Indiana
This car was was ordered in November 1960 by his grandfather Kelly Hays. It is equipped with: 289 4BBL with 3spd overdrive, 3.54 rearend gear with Twin Traction, Dual exhaust, Firestone Whitewall tires, full disc hubcaps, climitizer, reclining bucket seats, tach, sport clock, tinted glass, undercoating, dual side mirrors, back up lights. If you would like to go for a ride in a 61 hawk click here Go for a Ride in a 61 Hawk |
|
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Rodney and Joanne Bullock | This car was featured in Turning wheels in 2011. It has had a rame off restoration. The 289 Studebaker engine was rebuilt as well as the borg warner transmission. The car runs like a champ and is taken to car shows all the time. |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Please click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
 |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Parnell Stockstill
of Houston Texas.
He found the car at an Collector's who had acquired it about 6 months ago from another collector. It looks like the car has been recently restored. |
|
Please click on this image for a larger view in a new window |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
The Avanti
It looks just as good today
as it did in 1962
Click on the image for a larger view in a new window |
|
|
| This picture was submitted by
Richard Morris Renton, WA |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Click on this picture for a larger view in a new window |
| This Avanti is owned by
Graham Gagnon of Cooks Brook, Nova Scotia |
This 1963 Avanti is owned by Jim Anderson
It is shown at a show, Mapleview Mall May 2008 |
Click on this picture for a larger view in a new window |
Click on this picture for a larger view in a new window |
| This 1963 Avanti is owned by Jim Anderson | This 1963 Avanti is owned by Jim Anderson |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
| This car is owned by Richard Morris Renton, WA | |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
It shows his Avanti and Cessna 180 at Stanley Airport Stanley, Nova Scotia, Canada |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
| This car is owned by Richard Morris of Renton,
WA
He had the following to say about the car. "The 1990 Avanti 4-Door is a very unique model in that it was built only one year - less than 90 units were completed and sold. I own #78. I drive it daily and it ALWAYS gets people to start talking." |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
| This car is owned by Bill Victor of Santa Monica California | |
To continue your tour of the Studebakers use the links below
|
|
From the beginning to 1939 |
|
|
From 1940 to 1949 |
|
|
From 1950 to the End |
Free
Hit Counter
Hits on this page
Total hits on all the car pages
| Privacy Policy for oldcarandtruckpictures.com
If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at johnmd@eastlink.ca. At oldcarandtruckpictures.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by oldcarandtruckpictures.com and how it is used. Log Files
Cookies and Web Beacons
DoubleClick DART Cookie
Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on
our site. Our advertising partners include ....
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on oldcarandtruckpictures.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see. oldcarandtruckpictures.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers. You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. oldcarandtruckpictures.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites. If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites. |
