 1960 Studebaker Lark convertible was advertised extensivly; the airborne women's handkerchiefs mimicked the cars stylized lark in flight insignia. The Lark was a "compact" car built between 1959 and 1962 by The Studebaker - Packard Corporation, 1963-1964 by the Studebaker Corporation and between 1959 and 1966 by Studebaker of Canada Limited. Lark-based variants represented the fine range of models produced by Studebaker, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1952 and ceased auto production in 1966. At the time the Lark was conceived, Studebaker-Packard Corporation was under a management contract with Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company. Studebaker Lark, from Studebaker advertising materials of the period. ...
Studebaker Lark, from Studebaker advertising materials of the period. ...
Studebakers Lazy S logo designed by Raymond Loewy was used from the 1950s until 1966 Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer that was incorporated in 1868. ...
Packard red hexagon symbol made its debut in 1905, with the color red added in 1913 Packard was a United States based brand of luxury automobile built by the Packard Motors Company of Detroit,Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. ...
1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...
For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ...
Studebakers Lazy S logo designed by Raymond Loewy was used from the 1950s until 1966 Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer that was incorporated in 1868. ...
1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...
The Studebaker-Packard Corporation was the entity created at the time of Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana merged into the Packard Corporation of Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. ...
Development The Studebaker Lark was a car design that used the core body and panels of the full-sized 1953-1958 Studebaker models. The car was built as a compact car, achieved by reducing the front and rear overhangs. It was hoped that the vehicle would save America's oldest vehicle manufacturer when it was launched in the fall of 1958 as a 1959 model, much like the 1939 Studebaker Champion had saved the company in the years prior to World War II. Two series of Lark's were available, the Lark VI and the Lark VIII, both designations indicated engine type of the cars. The Rambler American introduced in the late 1950s was an early compact car. ...
The Champion was an automobile series of the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. ...
Combatants Allies: • Soviet Union, • UK & Commonwealth, • USA, • France/Free France, • China, • Poland, • ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Japan, • Italy, • ...and others Casualties Military dead: 18 million Civilian dead: 33 million Full list Military dead: 7 million Civilian dead: 4 million Full list World War II, also known as the Second World...
1959 - 1961 Sales of the Lark models were brisk for the 1959 and 1960 model year, thanks to the fact that Studebaker had obtained "dual" dealerships with dealers of the Big Three manufacturers that did not as yet have their own compacts to sell. Unfortunately, this would come back to haunt Studebaker by 1961, when all the major manufacturers had compacts of their own, and forced the "dual" dealers to drop Studebaker.
Initial models included two- and four-door sedans, a two-door hardtop and a two-door station wagon. In 1960, the line added a convertible and a four-door wagon. In 1961, a new model riding a four-inch-longer wheelbase was introduced, named "Cruiser", which harked back to the long-wheelbase Studebaker Land Cruisers of the late Forties and early Fifties. A canvas covered folding sunroof dubbed the "Skytop" was offered on sedans and the two-door hardtop.
For 1959 and 1960, Larks were available with either a side-valve 170 in³ six-cylinder engine or the company's 259 in³ V8. Testers at the time gave high marks to the V8's performance. (Eventually, Studebaker added the 289 in³ V8 from the Hawk family sports car as an option, and by 1963, high-performance "R-series" engines, some equipped with Paxton superchargers, which delivered up to 335 horsepower, were available.)
Sales of the Lark began to drop off for the 1961 model year as the other, larger United States automobile manufacturers had by that time introduced sleeker compacts with more modern amenities than the aging Lark could provide, despite Studebaker's best efforts.
1962-1963 In an effort to reverse the trend of sagging sales, a striking yet cost-effective 1962 update by Brooks Stevens lengthened the car body and modernized the interior. Studebaker had entered into a distribution agreement with Daimler Benz in 1957, and the design of the Lark's new grill was intended to mimic the grill on Mercedes Benz automobiles. 1963 Studebaker models (LtoR) Studebaker Avanti, Studebaker Hawk, Studebaker Wagonaire, and the Lark based Studebaker Cruiser, Studebaker Commander and Studebaker Daytona Convertible. ...
1963 Studebaker models (LtoR) Studebaker Avanti, Studebaker Hawk, Studebaker Wagonaire, and the Lark based Studebaker Cruiser, Studebaker Commander and Studebaker Daytona Convertible. ...
1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Brooks Stevens (1911-1995) was an industrial designer, as well as automotive designer, graphic designer, and stylist. ...
Daimler-Benz AG was founded on May 1, 1924 by the merger of Benz & Cie. ...
1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Mercedes-Benz Logo from 280 SE Mercedes-Benz (commonly known as Mercedes) is a famous German brand of automobiles, buses, coaches and trucks owned by DaimlerChrysler (formerly known as Daimler-Benz). ...
For 1963, the Fifties-esque wrap-around windshield was eliminated and the Lark's "greenhouse" was lightened via thinner door and roof pillars, imparting an even more modern (though still Mercedes-like) appearance. Studebaker also brought out the novel sliding-roof Wagonaire, also designed by Stevens, and for the first time since its 1961 introduction, the Cruiser was no longer called a Lark, although it still was very much one, albeit more luxurious than the regular models. 1963 Studebaker Wagonaire The Studebaker Wagonaire was a station wagon produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana from 1963 to 1966. ...
In mid-1963, Studebaker introduced the Standard series, a totally stripped line of Larks in the vein of the 1957-58 Scotsman. While it, like the Cruiser, was obviously a Lark, it bore no Lark nameplates, just "Studebaker" scripts on the front fenders. Mainly promoted as a fleet vehicle, the Standard offered good value; the two-door sedan was priced at just $1,935. 1958 Studebaker Scotsman was advertsied as inexpensivly priced car for those who wanted a big car feel. The Scotsman was an automobile series of the Studebaker Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana that was produced for model years 1957 and 1958. ...
Still another major styling change by Stevens came in time for the 1964 model year, along with a plan to ease out the Lark name entirely, in favor of the Challenger (a replacement for the 1963-1/2 Standard), Commander (which replaced both the Regal and Custom models), the Daytona (which became a full-fledged model line with the addition of a four-door sedan), and the continued Cruiser.
The Mercedes-like grille of 1962-63 gave way to a straight-across, undercut chromed grille and squared-off headlamp surrounds. Stevens flattened the hood, roofline and trunklid, and reworked the tail panel to incorporate new horizontal taillamps and backup lamps, all the while ingeniously retaining the previous years' sculpted quarter panels, which still suited the new look and reduced by a considerable amount the cost of tooling.
Final U.S. Studebakers No degree of styling change, nor the introduction of innovative models like the 1963 Wagonaire, nor the supercharged “R” series engines and Super Performance Packages inspired by the Avanti and developed with the help of "Mr. Indy 500" Andy Granatelli, who headed Studebaker's Paxton Products and STP divisions, could bring Studebaker's sales out of the doldrums. 1963 Studebaker Wagonaire The Studebaker Wagonaire was a station wagon produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana from 1963 to 1966. ...
Studebaker Avanti The Studebaker Avanti was a sports coupe built by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, USA in 1963 and 1964. ...
Andy Granatelli (born March 18, 1923) was the CEO of STP. He was once a racecar driver himself, and eventually became very visible in the racing world as the entrepreneur of his oil and gasoline treatment products, appearing on television and radio as well as sponsoring racecar drivers. ...
The TLA STP has several meanings: Standard Temperature and Pressure is a chemistry term for a specific controlled experimental or reaction condition. ...
By the autumn of 1963, the Studebaker Board of directors saw the handwriting on the wall. After watching early sales of the redesigned '64 model fail to spark interest by consumers, the Board decided it was time to find a way out of the auto business, although it would by necessity have to be done slowly as not to leave the company open to lawsuits from angry dealers.
The closure of the Studebaker operations at South Bend, Indiana was announced on December 9, 1963, with the final Lark-type car, a Bordeaux Red 1964 Daytona two-door hardtop, coming off the assembly line on December 20, 1963. South Bend is a city located in St. ...
Canadian Production 1964 - 1966
1964 - 1965 Production continued after the South Bend closing at the Canadian plant in Hamilton, Ontario. Engines for the Canadian-built '64 models continued to come from South Bend through the end of the model year until the expiration of the United Auto Workers' contract.
The "second series" Canadian-built 1964 Studebaker lineup wasn't much different from the South Bend offerings; however, the entire Challenger series was dropped. One new addition was the Commander Special, which combined the mid-range Commander body with the interior of the sporty Daytona. It proved mildly popular and would serve as the inspiration for another model for 1965.
For 1965, with the South Bend foundry closed, Studebaker was forced to search for an outside engine supplier. After thoroughly testing engines from both General Motors and Ford Motor Company, he company began purchasing engines (at a higher price than South Bend had charged) produced by GM's Canadian operations; the chosen powerplants were Chevrolet-based McKinnon 194 in³ six-cylinder and 283 in³ V8 mills. Interestingly, Studebaker didn't buy transmissions from GM; the company continued to obtain them from Borg-Warner, and thus the long-standing Studebaker drivetrain staples -- gas-saving overdrive, Hill Holder and the Flight-O-Matic automatic transmission -- remained available. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is a United States-based automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ...
The Ford Motor Company (often referred to as Ford; sometimes called FoMoCo), NYSE: F is a multinational corporation that manufactures automobiles. ...
The Studebaker model lineup was changed little for '65; the Commander was offered in two- and four-door form along with a Wagonaire. The Cruiser was still available, as was the Daytona Wagonaire. The Daytona convertible, hardtop and 4-door sedan models were all dropped, however. Aside from the Wagonaire, the only other Daytona was the vinyl-roofed two-door Sports Sedan, which drew its inspiration from the late-1964 Commander Special. All models continued the 1964 design with only minor detail changes.
Sales, unfortunately, continued to plunge; fewer than 20,000 Studebakers were built in '65, and some blamed the poor results on Studebaker of Canada's insistence to make no year-to-year style changes (a plan that worked well for Volkswagen, but not for a company like Studebaker which had long made annual changes). Others, many Studebaker loyalists included, felt that the GM-powered cars built in Canada were not true Studebakers. The term "Chevybaker" was coined early on for these cars, bringing to mind the "Packardbaker" nickname of the 1957-58 Packards built on the Studebaker President body. The rear quarter panel of the 1958 Packard shows the type of awkward modification to the Studebaker President body that helped the brand earn the dubious nickname of Packardbaker Packardbaker is the slang term applied to 1957 and 1958 Packards. ...
1966 The 1966 Studebakers, advertised as having "The Smart New Look", answered the styling critics with a new front end design, a return to single headlamps, revised and simplified side trim, luxurious new interiors (even in the cheapest Commander) and other refinements.
Studebaker's final engineering innovation, flow-through "Refreshaire" ventilation with air extractor vents integrated into the taillamp assemblies, was new this year. A larger 230 in³ six-cylinder engine was added as an option for all models equipped with an automatic transmission.
The only change to the '66 model line was that the Wagonaire was on its own, no longer part of either the Commander or Daytona series. It wore Commander-level grille and exterior trim, but had the Daytona-level interior. All of the other models continued.
Sales were nearly nonexistent by this time, however. Though the plant wasn't turning out many cars, it was -- by most accounts -- operating at a small profit. This wasn't enough for the company's directors, however, most of whom had seen the South Bend shutdown two years earlier as the first step in ending auto production completely. When the head of the Canadian plant, Gordon Grundy, approached the board in early 1966 seeking less than $300,000 in tooling funds for a facelifted 1967 model run (a pittance by Detroit standards), he was told there would be no 1967 model. The board acted to end production as soon as possible, and the last Studebaker car, a Timberline Turquoise Cruiser four-door sedan, was built on March 16, 1966. It was the last of only 8,935 Studebakers built for '66. March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ...
1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...
Final "Lark" still exist Both the last South Bend car and the last Canadian car still exist and are on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. The final U.S. built car, a 1964 Daytona, hardtop was never sold and was retained by the company. The final Canadian built car, a 1966 Cruiser, was driven several thousand miles by a company executive before it was retired to the Studebaker company collection has been restored to its original condition. Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. ...
South Bend is a city located in St. ...
References - Maloney, James H. (1994). Studebaker Cars, Crestline Books. ISBN 087938-884-6.
- Langworth, Richard (1979). Studebaker, the Postwar Years, Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-87938-058-6.
- Gunnell, John, Editor (1987). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975, Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87341-096-3.
|
Feeds |
Contact