What if Studebaker had survived?

Old car marques don’t die and fade away, it seems.  Instead they just keep showing up at vintage car shows.  Be it Packard or Hudson, Oldsmobile or DeSoto, enthusiasts who own examples of discontinued nameplates receive great delight in keeping them looking new and sharing them with an appreciative audience.  I’m a member of that audience.

For some reason, I’m keen on many of the vehicles built by the South Bend-based Studebaker Corporation.  I’ve often wondered, if the 112 - year old firm had stayed in the car business what some of their models would look like today.

Their models in the 50s and 60s certainly garnered my attention as a teenager.  I recall in high school being enthusiastic about the company’s exciting line up of Hawks when they were introduced for 1956 and the new compact, the Lark, when it was introduced in the fall of 1959.

If you scanned the list of vehicles that I‘ve owned over my lifetime, it becomes apparent that I’ve always had a place in my heart for cars from American independent automakers like Studebaker and American Motors (AMC).

I’ve always have rooted for the underdogs; it’s why I bought a 1960 Rambler, a 1966 Corvair (when the Nader “Unsafe” book came out) and a 1973 AMC Sportabout in my early car buying days and I more recently opted for the nifty 1995 and 2001 Neons from Dodge and even the 2013 Buick Verano that now resides in my garage.

When I was really young, in the late 40s and early 50s, Studebaker products didn’t register with me.  Too bad, because the company introduced some amazing vehicles and were doing quite well with good sales. 

Studebaker was one of the first out of the gate after WWII with an all-new car.  Their famous “Which way is it going?” coupes were a sensation and the whole car line sold very well.  Do readers recall the bright green 1950 Studebaker owned by Sam Monte that has appeared several times in the Lake Bluff Concours? 

Then the Indiana automaker amazed car buyers again when they introduced the stunning 1953 Coupe with its dramatic Euro-influenced long hood/short deck styling.  Clean of geegaw trim and low to the ground, many place the ’53 Studebaker on their all-time great car list. 

I don’t recall the commotion of the introduction of the ’53 Studebaker but the car did impress me three years later when I had become a young auto industry follower.  Studebaker designers took the then-four-year old coupe design and with a new hood here and some performance parts there created four exciting sports cars called the Hawk.

Can older readers recall their names?  They had such a great impression on me I can still recite Power Hawk, Flight Hawk, Sky Hawk and Golden Hawk.

In some ways, the 1956 Studebaker Hawks were a predictor of what became known as the Pony Car auto segment later.  The Hawks were smaller sized coupes with long hood/short deck styling like the initial pony car, the Mustang.

Because they had the body styles and engines to do so, the planners could create a Hawk with optimal equipment and style like the Golden Hawk with hardtop coupe styling and Packard’s potent 352 cu. in., 275 h.p. V-8 and an economy, sporty model like the cheapest offering, the 6-cylinder-powered Power Hawk post coupe.   The Sky and Flight Hawk gave buyers the option of a post coupe with a 289 cu. in . Studebaker V-8 on the former and a hardtop coupe with a six on the latter.

If Studebaker built cars today, I bet the Hawk would still appeal to the sporty car buyers and be in a race for sales with GM’s Camaro, Ford’s Mustang and FCA’s Challenger plus all the imported sporty cars. 

Designer/Frenchman Raymond Loewy, given credit for the 1953 Coupe in which the original Hawk was based, isn’t with us today but something tells me that a 2017 Hawk would show retro touches reflecting Loewy’s distinct clean style just like today’s Mustang/Camaro/Challenger offerings have strong family resemblances to these car’s first generation model.

One other Studebaker car holds a special place in my heart.  I was in college when the fiberglass Avanti sports car was rushed to market in 1962.  Again, Studebaker turned to Loewy for his design skills in creating a competitor for Chevy’s Corvette.  The Avanti experienced unfortunate production setbacks that delayed deliveries.  It didn’t sell well but remains today one of Studebaker’s most desirable collectibles from the 50s and 60s era.

I would love to see what a 21st century Avanti would look like.  It surely would have the sexy stance with the dipped front end and raised rear end – an Avanti trademark.  The Avanti was an innovator with unexpected features when introduced in 1962 like a built-in roll bar, disc brakes and aircraft-style dash controls. I’d guess a new Avanti would be equally advanced, after all Avanti means “move forward” in Italian.  Wouldn’t it be great if Corvette had a worthy competitor today!

Studebaker beat the Big Three to market with a compact car by one year.  Its 1959 Lark was unique in that it was introduced with options not expected in the entry-level field.  The perky Larks, still based on the 1953 Studebaker coupe and sedan platform, were a little long in the tooth but were contemporary looking and came in two levels of trim.  The compact car could be had in several models including a 2-door hardtop and owners had the option of ordering either a six or a V-8 engine.

Briefly the Lark was a sales success, but the combination of intense competition and the inability to replace it with something new a few years later doomed it.  The demise of Studebaker as an automaker followed in 1966. 

Perhaps if designer Brooks Stevens’ Sceptre concept models (we had the 2-door Sceptre styling study at this year’s Lake Bluff Concours) Studebaker could have slowed its rapid sales decline in the mid-60s and would have survived to thrill us today with interesting offerings.

Studebaker got its start by being a “truck” producer, sort of.  Its Conestoga wagons, introduced in 1852, enabled westward-bound pioneers to safely traverse the challenging Great Plains and settle at points west of the Mississippi in the 19th century. 

With a history like that, it stands to reason that Studebaker Corporation strength today would be trucks.  I always admired how Studebaker, with very little development funds, created interesting models.  

A good example being the compact Lark-based Champ pick-up – a model that still appeals to me today.  A Champ-sized pickup would a perfect offering in a truck-crazed market and would probably find buyers wanting the utility of a pick up but don’t want to drive a rig that is aircraft carrier size and gets lousy gas mileage. 

Another model that showed creative thinking was the station wagon-based Wagonaire. The utility of its sliding roof at the rear should have made the clever vehicle a big success.  In some ways, it was America’s first sport utility vehicle or SUV.

Having Studebaker with us is wishful thinking.  A great automaker lost its way and I still grieve a little over the loss.

Would this beautiful Studebaker concept car from the sixties, if put into production, have saved the Indiana automaker and we'd have Hawks, Avantis, Wagonaires and Champs in our driveways today?  Perhaps not, but designer Brooks Stevens Sceptre hardtop sure is a beautiful automobile and it is a shame it never reached production for the 1966 or 1967 model year.  The Sceptre is now part of the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend.  (Red car in background is the ahead-of-its-time 1950 Studebaker "which way is it going" Starlight coupe)

 

 

Independent automaker Studebaker was struggling in the early 60s with little funds for research and development, but the company's clever engineers and designers managed to create a number of remarkable and inventive vehicles. An excellent example being the versatile Wagonaire utility wagon, based on the Lark/Daytona station wagon.  The rear of the roof slides forward to enable the owner to transport a potted tree or a photographer to set up his tripod on an elevated platform.  It was ingenious, but never a big seller.  The company stopped auto production in 1966.

Dar’s favorite Imperials

 

 

 

 

 

Hands down, this 1957 Crown four-door sedan in Desert Beige is Dar's favorite Imperial.  Perhaps the pinnacle of Chrysler designer Virgil Exner, Sr.'s entire automotive career effort, this exquisite beauty has all the features that rings his bell such as rare dual, not quad headlights, curved side glass, compound curved windshield and the famous "toilet seat" option on the trunk.  Imperial was Chrysler Corporation's attempt to match the sales of its successful luxury rivals, Cadillac and Lincoln. The 1957 sold over 37,000 units, making it the most popular in the marque's 20-year history.

In today’s column I’m writing about my favorite Imperial automobiles.  Notice I didn’t write Chrysler Imperial…just Imperial.  There’s a reason I make the distinction.

For true old-timers – even older than yours truly – the words Chrysler and Imperial were used simultaneously.  When Walter P. Chrysler took the bones of the Maxwell Motor Company that he purchased in 1925 and introduced Chrysler automobiles, it took him only a year before he created a top-of-the-line model and called it the Chrysler Imperial in 1926.  If a buyer wanted a luxury car from Chrysler Corporation, then you opted to purchase the Chrysler Imperial.

Why the name Imperial?  Walter P. must have asked his minions to do a little research.  Someone discovered that the adjective ‘imperial’ according to Webster’s dictionary means sovereign, supreme, superior or of unusual size or excellence.  It obviously was an ideal name that befit Chrysler’s highest priced quality model.

Through the decades that followed, Chrysler Imperials were the measure to define what a Chrysler Corporation luxury car was all about.  American automakers General Motors and Ford Motor Company had their Cadillacs and Lincolns to draw in luxury buyers, Chrysler had its Chrysler Imperial.

During those decades it should be mentioned that Lincoln and Cadillac – especially Cadillac – greatly outsold the Chrysler Imperial.  Actually, Cadillac in the post-WWII era was the elephant in the room when comparing sales numbers.  In 1954, Cadillac sold 20 times the number of Chrysler Imperials and Lincoln sold six times more.

By the early 50s, Chrysler Corporation – noting the growing luxury market AND wanting to sell more highly profitable models – decided to create a new, separate luxury division.  For the first time in model year 1955 Cadillac and Lincoln had a serious new competitor and its name was Imperial. 

The 1955 Imperial still shared many body parts with sibling Chrysler, but chief designer Virgil Exner used a number of clever and effective styling tricks to elevate the prominence of the luxury car. 

Most notable was the chrome-rimmed dual grille openings up front, massive bumper details front and back and taillights that sat atop the rear fenders.  These “microphone” light assemblies on the fender were a design feature that were first shown on early 50s Exner-designed concept cars and became a favorite Imperial styling touch for many years.

Two years later Exner managed to talk the company bean counters into letting his team put together an all-new vehicle that shared little body pieces with other corporate divisions.  This was also the year when Exner’s Forward Look featuring massive fins and revolutionary thin rooflines that made Chrysler Corp. a style leader.

With the new models, Imperial sales soared from 1956’s total of 10,268 to 37,593 units sold.  The sales success of the dramatically new 1957s would never be achieved again in its 20-year history.

The Imperial would be based on the 1957 platform, with annual styling updates (not always successfully in my opinion), for the next ten years with only one major re-design in 1964. 

In 1967 and until its demise after the 1975 model year, the company decided it was too expensive to offer their luxury line on its own platform and created a new Imperial using all the bones of a Chrysler but with a unique exterior skin.  Sales never attained the record levels attained in 1957 and the Imperial division was dismantled.

It should be noted that Chrysler attempted two times to resurrect the Imperial name and both efforts had limited success.  During the 1981-83 model years Chrysler introduced a luxury sporty coupe based on the Chrysler Cordoba.  It’s controversial bustle-back themed styling slowed sales and only 12,385 of the Imperials were sold.

In 1990, using a stretched K-car platform, Chrysler again introduced an Imperial.  The rather attractive car featured hidden headlights, tufted leather seats and a partial vinyl roof.  It too ultimately failed in the market place. 

No Imperials have appeared in showrooms since.  However, in 2006 the company did show an Imperial concept at auto show that garnered marginal interest and was never put into production.

The best selling Imperial is also my favorite, by far.  1957 Imperial appears on my all-time favorite car list.  Retired designer Diran Yazejian owns the Imperial I’d like to have in my garage.  I like everything about the car and I wouldn’t change one thing.

The ‘57 perhaps represent best the beautiful Forward Look that was penned by legendary Chrysler designer Virgil Exner, Sr. back in the 50s.  Diran’s Imperial is exquisitely designed and not surprisingly is invited to many of car shows in Southeast Michigan. 

I invite Diran to bring his Imperial to the Lake Bluff Concours each time I see him.  Unfortunately he doesn’t drive it far on the highway and he doesn’t have a trailer to tow it. 

Imperial number two on my favorite’s list is the 1969 model.  It was created by using the all-new 1969 “fuselage” body found on sibling Chrysler.  Imperial designer gave the Chrysler body unique front fenders, hood and loop bumper up front and an attractive rear bumper and trunk and came up with a very nice looking luxury car.

The 1969 Imperial showed a nice bump in increased sales (22,083) and became the third best selling offering.  Unfortunately it was still miles from being close in sales to either Cadillac or Lincoln.

Last on my favorite Imperials list is the 1964-66 offerings.  Still built on the platform introduced in 1957, these are the Imperials that remind everyone of the 1961 Lincoln-Continentals. 

There is a reason for that.  Chrysler Design VP was Elwood Engel who was hired from Ford in 1961.  Engel is credited with designing the stunningly beautiful and successful 61 Lincoln-Continental.  Using many of the same design themes used on the Lincoln, he gave the radically re-skinned Imperials a new look that were attractive but failed to make any design breakthroughs.

Mr. Engle’s efforts paid off.  Sales for Imperial increased in 1964 from 14,121 to 23,295.  It was the luxury maker’s second best year ever.

Imperial is now just a distance memory.  Thankfully we can attend car shows and enjoy seeing examples of these wonderful automobiles.   The Imperial never came close in outselling competitors Cadillac and Lincoln but we can’t fault Chrysler for not trying.   We just have to gaze at Diran Yazejian’s 1957 Imperial for vindication.




After decades being sold as the Chrysler Imperial, in 1955 the American automaker created the Imperial division and began selling the luxury car as a separate marque.  The Imperial shared a body with sibling Chrysler initially (1955-56, 1955 shown), then with the 1957 wore its own unique platform until 1966.  From 1967 to its final its final year, 1975, it returned to being an upgraded Chrysler.  Over its brief history, the Imperial impressed only 331,018 buyers, a figure often sold by rival Cadillac in just one year.  Imperial sales averaged 16,551, with 1957 being their peak year with sales of over 37,000.

This (Vehicle of the Year Awards) and That (Farewell Viper)

The staff that organizes the North American International Car Show (NAIAS) recently announced the finalist for the event’s North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards.

The 2017 “of the Year” awards will be announced January 9 at the Detroit Auto Show and I plan to be there at 7:45 a.m. to hear the results.  Whether the general populous stay awake at night waiting for the outcome of this annual exercise is doubtful, but I can assure you that the automakers with candidates in the mix certainly are. 

It’s a big deal to win.  Bragging rights are still valuable in the Motor City and the NAIAS’ “of the Year” trophies are prized by all the automakers.

This year’s Car of the Year nominees are Chevy’s all-electric Bolt, Hyundai’s luxury sedan Genesis G90 and Volvo’s S90.  The Ford F-series Super Duty, Honda’s Ridgeline and Nissan’s Titan – all pick-ups – are the finalists for Truck of the Year prize.  Utility of the Year nominees include Chrysler Pacifica, Jaguar F-Pace and the Mazda CX-9.

The nine finalists were chosen by an independent jury of 57 automotive journalists from short lists of 15 cars, 11 utility vehicles and four trucks.

Last year the Honda Civic won the Car of the Year award and the Volvo XC90 won the combined Truck/Utility of the Year award.

Regretfully each year I’m not asked to be one of the 57 journalists who are polled for their opinions on which of the new vehicles should be nominated for this contest.  That doesn’t stop me from having an opinion.  

What are my picks?  It is a little tougher for me this year than in the past to make a choice.  I’m thinking that the Pacifica minivan will win hands down.  It is crammed full of dozens of new features including the first plug-in hybrid offering.  It’s also nicely designed and is the first all-new Chrysler minivan in seven years. 

Volvo won last year with their XC90 crossover, so I’m sure the S90 sedan will be passed over for the Car of the Year Award.  That leaves the electric Bolt with its 238 miles of range and the impressive luxury sedan Genesis G90. 

I’m predicting the Bolt will win because auto journalist like to reward automakers that take a bold step like GM has done in introducing an all-new electric small car that will cost, after federal tax incentives, under $30,000.

I’m really interested in what truck wins.  I don’t think the Nissan Titan is in the running but it is really hard to decide between Ford’s all-new, all-aluminum Super Duty pickup and Honda’s innovative and very attractive Ridgeline pickup.  Of the two, I’d rather own the mid-size, practical and versatile Ridgeline with its lockable in-bed trunk and dual-action tailgate.  But it’s my guess that the panel of journalists will opt to give the trophy to Ford’s F-150 Heavy Duty.

I’ll be sure to share the winners when I write up my NAIAS report for The Herald Palladium after the January 9 presentation.

 

 

The excellent eye of photographer Ken McKeown of St. Joseph captures a nest of Dodge Vipers at the 2015 Lake Bluff Concours.  The chief engineer of the Vipers, Roy Sjoberg, was the Concours event's featured guest.  Vipers are in the news of late because parent company FCA announced this past year that the sports car will be discontinued this coming year.  Anticipating a continuing interest in the poor selling vehicles, a North Carolina dealer has ordered 135 Vipers (valued from $97,000 to $159,000 each) of the last batch to be built of the V-10-powered sports car.

Readers may have read this past summer that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) will stop building the company’s high performance Dodge Viper sports car this coming year.

Never a big seller, the Viper mostly served as a halo car for the company’s Dodge division.  Like its successful domestic competitor, the Chevy Corvette, the 2-seat Dodge sports car appealed to drivers who love a burly roadster with a big engine under the hood, swoopy lines and room for only two.

The Viper – created as a modern Shelby Cobra – delivered on all those points but it never sold in big numbers.  The Viper began life unexpectedly back in 1989 at the NAIAS in Detroit as an exotic concept.  Media and the public response were instant and positive. 

It wasn’t long before the company announced that the company would put the Viper into limited production at its New Mack Assembly plant, (later at the Connor Avenue plant) in downtown Detroit.  Surprisingly the production car kept most of the aggressive look and the outrageous V-10 engine of the concept.

The Viper did a great job in improving Dodge’s performance image.  It had a lot of fans but the company needed both fans and buyers and that didn’t happen.

Over its lifetime of over 20 years, there were three generations of the car.  It came in not only the original roadster but later as a sleek coupe.  Multiple performance packages for the Viper made it into a torrid performer suited for any number of racing purposes.  Vipers could be created that were pretty much racecars and the car won its share of competitions.

Readers may recall that we featured a “nest” of Vipers at the Lake Bluff Concours in 2015 and was fortunate to have the sports car’s chief engineer Roy Sjoberg as the featured guest.  It was at that event that I discovered that Viper owners are a devoted lot and truly love their high performance vehicles.

I mention the Viper in today’s column not only because it is being discontinued but also what I read recently about the unusual actions of a dealer in North Carolina.  Apparently the ownership of Gerry Wood Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership in Salisbury, N.C. didn’t get the memo that Dodge Vipers are poor sellers. 

According to a recent report in Automotive News the dealership has ordered a stockpile of 135 of the last batch of Vipers built by Fiat Chrysler.  That number – 135 ordered – made more of an impact on me when I read that only 149 Vipers remain unsold in Dodge dealer’s lots nationwide!

Obviously a business doesn’t spend millions of dollars to stockpile a product if they don’t expect to find a market.  In the Auto News story it was reported that the 135 Vipers will range in price from $96,685 to $159,080.  Many have been ordered in unique paint colors ordered through Dodge’s One-of-One customization program. 

Anticipating buyers from afar, the dealership says it will offer “VIP pickup” for Viper customers flying into airports in and around North Carolina. 

With that modest inventory of Vipers, I’d suggest readers wanting one of the last Vipers better pick up the phone…today.