1948 Studebaker Land Cruiser - Mantua Man Buys 'Interim Car'

Why have just one great Studebaker?

"Bill Jones, an officer and editor of the South Jersey Studebaker club’s slick newsletter, couldn’t wait for his 1962 Studebaker Lark Daytona to get fully restored and show-ready. So, seven months ago, he bought a fine example of a ’48 Land Cruiser (top-of-the-line above the Champion and Commander) while he waited."

Read the full story here,

Studebakers - New on Car Carriers

I love old photographs of Studebaker dealerships and such. This is the first time that I've seen photographs of new Studebakers on car carriers.

Scroll down the page to see Studebaker pick-ups, 1951 Champions, and a few Packard pick-ups.

See all of the photographs here.

Studebaker - Trunk Handles - Maker's Mark

Modern consumer-class automobiles excel in both safety and technology, but they fall down when you consider what door handles, trunk latches, and raised logos and lettering felt like before the advent of plastic and silver foil. Just take a look at the trunk handles and maker's marks on Studebaker automobiles; each one is unique and impressive.

Studebaker Meet - Sacramento

I attended a meeting of the Studebaker Karel Staple (KS) Chapter today at my new second home, the California Automobile Museum. The meeting was great because of the welcoming and informative members of the KS Chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club.

See the Karel Staple chapter website, Halk Talks, here.

Here's some eye candy:

Studebaker V8 - Engine of the Day

Quick Mention: Studebaker received "Engine of the Day" on Jalopnik.com.

"The Golden Hawk of 1957-58 got a McCulloch supercharger and churned out an impressive-for-the-time 275 horses."

There are some great images and comments in the discussion section under the main article.

Click here to read the full article on Jalopnik.com.

Mathis Motors Building - Studebaker Dealers

“This building has more emblems in better shape than any other former Studebaker dealership in the country.”

"The building, still in a remarkable state of preservation, was meant to look like a church – a huge open space with a high ceiling, sconces and chandeliers. And on the back wall, high above the sales floor, was one of the Mathis brothers or sons at a desk, ready to sell Studebakers to the “worshippers.”"

"And sell they did. After supervising the construction of the building in 1926-27, the Mathis brothers and their sons won silver trophies for outselling all other dealers in their category (determined by population). By 1953 the dealership had delivered 8,000 units."

Read more about the Mathis Motors Building on NJ.com.

How to Drive Like the MAD MEN - Top 10 Cars of the MAD MEN Era

Hagerty Picks Stylish, Sophisticated Collector Cars that Epitomize the Don Draper Lifestyle.

"Hagerty, the country's leading provider of collector car insurance, has put together its picks of the collector cars that the most powerful and influential professionals of the MAD MEN era would have driven." The 1963 Studebaker Avanti and the 1964 GT Hawk made the list! (of course)

Cars include:

- 1963 Buick Riviera ($28,000-$36,100)
- 1963 Corvette Sting Ray ($61,000-$74,000)
- 1961-63 Ford Thunderbird ($35,000-$45,000)
- 1961-63 Lincoln Continental Sedan ($18,000-$24,000)
- 1961 Chrysler 300G ($59,000-$67,000)
- 1963 Studebaker Avanti ($23,000-$31,000)
- 1962-63 Cadillac Coupe De Ville ($14,000-$20,000)
- 1962-64 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk ($27,000-$32,000)
- 1963 Buick Electra 225 ($13,000-$19,000)
- 1963 Ford Galaxie XL Convertible ($31,000-$36,000)

Read the full list of cars and their details here.

Studebaker Lark, Reunited

A heart-warming Studebaker story.

"Kenneth Scheer sold this car to his grandfather almost exactly 50 years ago. The brand new 1959 Studebaker Lark's window sticker at the dealership where Scheer worked totalled $2,516.88. Scheer got the car back about a year ago and says it definitely will stay in the family."

Read more about this great Studebaker story here.

On Hemmings Blog: 1929 Studebaker RV

"Allegedly, Harvey Firestone did [was a camping enthusiast], and one of them recently turned up in South Carolina on a 1929 Studebaker chassis, and H.A.M.B.er mottsrods shared some pics of the behemoth with us."

Read the full article and see more pictures on Hemmings Blog.

A Quick Look Inside the Studebaker National Museum

A three-minute tour of the Studebaker National Museum. The quick clip made by another party shows a few of the cars at the SNM including a President, Commander, Dictator, and a Champion.

Quick digression: Stolen 1965 Volkswagen Van Recovered after 35 Years

"A 1965 Volkswagen van stolen 35 years ago in Spokane, Washington, was found by customs agents in a shipping container in the Los Angeles port last month, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said."

"While it was likely worth just a few hundred dollars when it was stolen, the VW is now valued at about $27,000, he said.

Allstate Insurance Company, which paid the original owner for the loss decades ago, now owns the van, according to Allstate spokeswoman Megan Brunet."

Read the full article on CNN.com.

Reiff's Gas Station - Woodland, CA

I picked up a business card for Reiff's Gas Station at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento, California. I was amazed by Reiff's website and now must book a tour. A bit about Reiff's:

"Mark started his collection with the purchase of a 1930's Wayne Gas Pump at a neighborhood garage sale. Since then he has added a Diner, Barber Shop, Gas Station, General Store and Old Time Movie Theater."

Click here for a photo of a Studebaker "bulletnose" at Reiff's. It's sad to see the nose up on the wall, but better there than rotted out in a field.

Visit the Reiff's House website.

Studebaker Carriages - Presidents

The Studebaker National Museum is featuring eight vehicles as part of its "National Treasures" exhibition. There are many carriages and one automobile.

Presidents Arthur, McKinley, Harrison, and Hayes all rode in Studebaker automobiles. President Harrison's carriage cost $1,700 - a princely sum back in the day.

Andrew Beckman, an archivist at the museum, says the exhibit was funded by a “Save America’s Treasures” grant they received several years ago. He says the vehicles range in age from the 1820s to the 1900s.

Be sure to watch all three news clips.

See the video clips on WNDU.

Studebaker Car Trailer

I may have finally crossed over into the "fanatical category" re: Studebakers.

We were on a family getaway in Napa, California, this past weekend when I spied this trailer in a yard; I won't say where out of consideration for the owner. That said, it was very cool to see a Studebaker logo so unexpectedly.

There were plenty of Fords and Chevys sitting in overgrown brush nearby, but not a Stude in sight.

Studebaker Commander - 1950

There is a "historical" (I read stock) 1950 4-door Studebaker Commander at the California Automobile Museum. I've coveted this Studebaker for years, and wanted to share it here again.

I never understood the visual (yes, there is a physical size difference) difference between the Champion and the Commander before owning our Champion, but it's clear to me now.

- Champion wheelbase: 113 inches
- Commander wheelbase: 120 inches

Quick update: This car sold in November 2009 for the incredibly low price of $6,501.00. See the final bid page here.