La Mesa’s Own Mile of Classic Cars - Studebaker

A fun Studebaker story.

"Gene Hamilton’s time machine transports lovers of Hudsons and Studebakers to the glory days of La Mesa Boulevard and 10-cent Evening Tribunes.

We come to the Studebaker lot, with weird cars designed like the hood ornaments on a Buck Rogers spaceship. Here is Carl Burger’s Dodge/Plymouth showroom, showing cars with stodgy breadbox silhouettes."

Read the full narrative on Mount Helix Patch.com.

"Old People Driving" Documentary - Studebaker

This film looks amazing.

"Shaleece Haas heard her grandfather tell the stories for years. How Milton Cavalli first drove a car, at age 9, in the 1920s. How he worked hard stacking wood to buy a car from an uncle at age 13. How the yellow Studebaker he drove across country, decades later, was mistaken for a cab when Cavalli tried to pick up Haas' grandmother at a hotel in New York."

"Haas documented her 97-year-old grandfather and 99-year-old Herbert Bauer as they struggled with the decision about whether they were too old to continue driving. In the film, Haas accompanies Bauer on his final spin as a driver. Cavalli, who owns three Model T's and a Saxon, is still behind the wheel."

Go to the "Old People Driving" website.

Read the full article on SFGate.com.

See the trailer below.

Old People Driving trailer (1:30) from Shaleece Haas on Vimeo.

The Studebaker and the Cow

"Parker's brother, who worked at Madison Street Auto Body at the time, took ownership of the badly damaged Studebaker four-door sedan after it was rear-ended and the owners decided not to even bother with repairs.

Parker was intrigued by the car but, as a 14-year-old, didn't have a lot of assets to his name. So he milked his only cash cow - literally.

In exchange for the car, Parker offered to give his brother, a farmer, the cow he had been raising for 4-H and FFA."

Read the full story here.

Studebaker History - A Studebaker Story

A great article and collection of photos on Michael Manning's website. Excerpt:

"Sherwood Egbert was hired to shut down Studebaker and diversify the company. But instead, he fell in love with the innovation he saw within Studebaker, however, he led an effort to develop the famous sports car called The Avanti. Diagnosed with cancer, he was eased out of the company and died in 1963. Studebaker rolled its last car off the assembly line in 1966."

Read the full story here.

1953 Studebaker Commander - Studebaker Stories

A great little Studebaker story on TampaBay.com:

"We were just married in August 1953 in Princess Anne County, Va. (now Virginia Beach) during the Korean War and wanted to make our first car a memorable one even though we were living on a U.S. Navy enlisted man's pay. It cost more than $ 2,000, but the salesman convinced us that it was probably the most beautiful car around. It was a hardtop convertible V-8 with overdrive, a "hill-holder" and a red and white leatherlike interior ..."

Read the complete article on TampaBay.com.

87 Classic Cars - George Bugg - Studebaker

And to think that all I'd like is a pick-up!

"Lots of people dream about owning legendary American autos like a Studebaker Hawk, a Hudson Hornet or a 1934 Bonnie and Clyde Ford with suicide doors, but George Bugg did more than dream.

The Athens businessman and car collector owns 87 antique cars and trucks made in 1969 or before, plus a couple of ancient tractors, assorted kids' pedal and Soap Box Derby cars, old neon signs and assorted other memorabilia tucked away in a warehouse near town."

Read the full article and see more photographs on Online Athens.com.

In the photo ... I would recognize a Studebaker side fender vent anywhere.

1955 Studebaker Commander - Studebaker Story

Another great Studebaker story ...

"For Jeanne and Herb Ertel of Brea, the 1955 Studebaker Commander hard-top that you see here started as a “pile of parts” back in 2000, when they came across this classic American vehicle.

But that didn’t deter the couple from restoring it into the beautiful car you see here, which features a 259-cubic-inch V8, automatic transmission and power windows, brakes and steering, all of which came standard on the original."

Read the full story on The Orange County Register website.

1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk

There are so many great Studebaker stories surfacing lately. Here's another:

"I grew up in a Studebaker family," Molly Culver says. In Reno, Wis., her father, brothers and uncle all drove Studebakers. "Back in those days," she says, "being a girl, I didn't get a car."

"Her brother, Milward, however, had a Studebaker Silver Hawk that she especially admired. In 2005, with her 62nd birthday fast approaching, Culver decided to fulfill a long-time wish and joined the ranks of Studebaker owners. She soon located a 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk for sale not far from her Madison, Wis., home."

Read the full Studebaker Story on Philly Burbs.com

1950 Studebaker Champion Regal DeLuxe Fully Restored

"Murray Welsh has no explanation as to why a 1950 Studebaker Champion Regal Deluxe sedan is parked in his garage – other than its peculiar appeal."

"The bullet-nose Studebaker was built in the automaker's South Bend, Ind., factory in August 1950 and was then shipped to Philadelphia, Pa. Welsh and his wife, Linda, encountered it more than 45 years later when they went Studebaker-shopping about a decade ago."

"During the eight years that Welsh has owned his Studebaker, he has driven it about 12,000 miles. He wanted a distinctive car to drive – and that's exactly what he got."

Read the full story on the Palm Beach Daily website.

1950 Studebaker Champion - Wedding Present

Charlotte Goldberg fondly remembers her wedding gift - a 1950 Studebaker Champion (the photograph corrects the author's error). Goldberg and her husband will be married 60 years this month.

"My husband, Harold, and I became engaged on March 5, 1949, and the following Dec. 18 we were married. I had always thought to have a large wedding, but my parents gave us a choice. They said, "Would you like a large wedding or would you rather have a smaller one with family and close friends?" They added that if we chose the smaller wedding, they would order a brand new car for us as their wedding gift. We didn't hesitate and chose the smaller wedding. This is the cute little 1950 Studebaker we received."

Read the full article on the St. Petersburg Times website.