Robertwatkins is good 👍 The Rain The park and other things by the Cowsills. But he's first i had to look at the movie soundtrack 👌 🤷 still on the podium 😉✌️
“First by far with a post war car” was Studebaker’s slogan when this new styling came out. As you said, most other car makers were just re-hashing their 42 models. The latter probably being a better business decision as there was so much pent up demand, anything new would sell in 1946. 1948 Mercury and 1953 Champion for choices. You reminded me of a story about my grandfather. Back in the 20s and early 30s (he died young in 1933) people would bring their cars to him, he’d listen, tell them what was wrong and what to fix (or fix it for them). To explain - as Forman of the Roundhouse for a railroad he was very comfortable with mechanical things. Thanks for a great memory. ~ Chuck
Awesome thank you so much for sharing those stories with us, I’ve always hung out with older people even a kid I’d hang with grandpa and honesty that’s what I miss the most is the stories about things they went through grandpa was born in 39 and talked about Great Depression even tho he was born tail end of it Great choices =)
Design supervision was by the Raymond Loewy Design Studio of New York City, but the actual design of the 1947-1954 Studebakers was by Virgil M. Exner Sr. with Bob Bourke and Vince Gardner. They were the real design team.
@@What.its.like. Depending on who is talking, Exner was either fired by Raymond Loewy or quit out of frustration due to their personalities being in constant conflict.
@@ROXSTARCorvette4371 Exner quit Loewy's Studio in 1951 to freelance, having already designed the 1953-54 Studebakers and earlier models. Ex was immediately hired by K.T. Keller at Chrysler Corporation as head of Special Projects Styling and Design, after consulting briefly with him in 1950. Exner then designed over a dozen dream concept cars for Chrysler in association with Ghia in Italy from 1951 to the early 1960s, including the Dual Ghia which came from his 1954 Dodge Firearrow concept car. With Keller's blessing, Exner reshaped almost the entire focus of Chrysler Corp. to create his "Forward Look" cars of 1955-1962.
It's all covered in detail in Exner's biography book which is in my library. Also verified by my friend Gordon Davis, who worked directly with Exner at Chrysler from 1955 to 1959 as a staff designer.
Of all cars shown my pick would be the 1948 Studebaker, although I prefer the ones with suicide doors. In 2 door form I like the wrap around rear window.
TWO vehicles I'd like to see are a 1947 Studebaker pick up truck and a 1953 Studebaker Pick up truck! The reason I love them is because when I was in high school I had two friends that each owned these trucks, and I never got to see what they were like in "original form"!! The 1947 Stude, had a 1963 Corvette 283 in it, and the 1953 had the inline flat head six, which ran, but was missing a water pump!!
You still manage to bring us some rare cars like this. I'm guessing this is a original survivor. Today's scenarios would make me pick the Merc and the 53 Champion. I do like the look of what I call the "Rude Stude" The bullet nose cars. Enjoy your vacation.!
Studebaker afficionado here. I always enjoy your invariably well done videos but I get a special kick when you feature a Studebaker. You pointed out a number of styling changes but I think the most important was the fact that the fenders were no longer "added on." With the 1948 Studebaker, the first real postwar car, the fenders are an integral part of the body. It is more evolved in the front fenders as the rear fenders retain some of that look. One piece windshields were very much a modern idea but it's interesting to note that Studebaker went back to two piece windshields later on as in my 1950 Commander. Also, the windshield wipers appear to be electric while vacuum wipers were very common in the industry. There were exceptions as I have a 1941 Studebaker President with electric wipers. Nonetheless Studebaker went back to vacuum wipers in 1950. All in all a great video.
Thank you so much for that so what you’re saying is the fenders are part of the car much like a Karman Ghia in an alfa Juliet the only parts of the car in other words that come off easily by the doors trunk lid and put everything else is one solid piece.. and that would make total sense I want to one day put this next to a 49 Ford and compare them because they are similar but different the 49 Ford would look huge compared to this car. Glad you dig this episode I want to cover a 57 Goldenhawk this year but that’s a car that I really wanna drive it’s a car that I really want to own one day.
I asked a question about Studebaker one and two piece windshield coming back in 1950. (I collect or collected all original car advertising in National Geographic Magazine and my kids and I in 2000 placed them in special books in order so you can grab "Studebaker" and read in order almost every ad from 1888-2000 of American Makes. Ending sadly with Studebaker, Packard, Mercedes Benz. Wait final ad is "The Cruiser" Avanti, Lark, Cruiser, Hawk. Sad quiet end to a great company and a history with those Studebaker Conestoga Covered Wagons. Thanks for the memories of thousands of yellow books with the kids at flea markets, antique stores, musty old basements, cutting them out by the thousands and all that time with the kids. (No internet yet to cheat and just click and buy.)
Hi Jay!: What's really cool about this car is that it was the prelude to the even MORE cool Bullet Noae Stude!! WYR #1, I think Mercury on that one, even though it was a warmed over pre-war design, I kind of like it!! #2 the 1953 for SURE! That was probably one of the sweetest designs of the early 1950's!
The 48 was ok but just chompin' at the bit for the all new bullet nose! I found the front end of the 48 to look dull and incomplete! To me, the 48 front end looked like the designer quit before he was done!
Herman Hermits I'm into something good 🤞 1953 Studebaker by far 😉👍 I had a 51 bullet nose 4 door pretty slow ....... I was scared of the interstate 😂... enjoy your adventures 🤠👋👋✌️
Great guess not that song or band =) my great uncle was a studebaker man he had a bullet nose studebaker never got to ride in it he passed away in 2008 he had a few others as well
48 Studebaker 53 Studebaker. I've always felt that this year Studebaker has that rounded shoe box look that Ford was going for in 49 a year before Ford came out with it. The Studebaker is very round looking. Especially with the convertible top. I really dig the canary yellow paint on this one. Never was a fan of the grille they used but a nice car nonetheless.
When I was a kid my father owned a 1848 Studebaker COMMANDER convertible, which looked similar to this car only somewhat nicer. It was black with a red leather (I believe it was a leather interior). He was a life-long car enthusiast and he absolutely loved that car. I know that the '48 Studebaker looks old fashioned today but place it beside the cars that Ford, GM and Chrysler were producing at that time and it looks literally a generation ahead of its' time. In retrospect Studebaker has acquired a reputation for building cars that were somewhat stodgy in comparison with "The Big 3". However, that reputation is completely undeserved. Examine the 1948 Studebakers, the 1953 Studebakers, the 1950s "Hawk" series and the early 1960s "Avanti" and you will find that Studebaker manufactured some of the most beautiful and advanced cars on the road. I still consider the 1953 Studebaker Starlight Coupe one of the most beautiful cars ever produced by any company, anywhere. Unfortunately, as an "independent" car manufacturer they simply were no longer able to compete with "The Big 3" automakers. Merging with Packard, which was another of the last of the "independent" automakers, did not do them any good, either.
I'm 77 & agree! These cars were so 'futuristic' then, that I feel much of the public could not accept them! It was only years later, that they realized how advanced they were! p.s. I went to the Studebaker museum in So. Bend, Indiana, in 2007 & it was awesome!
I’ve been looking for a bullet nose Studebaker to do they have one at Classic auto mall going to try to cover it the next time I’m down there that’s a car that I really wanna drive side when looking for one outside those cars used to be everywhere and now they’re nowhere
Exner went to work for Raymond Loewy Studio in 1945, and designed the 1947-48 Studebakers in 1945-46. He designed the basic look of the classic 1953 Studebaker in 1950, and a beautiful color drawing by Exner of his proposal for the 1953 Studebaker is included in the Exner biography book. Exner was quite an influential designer from the late 1940s to the early 1970s.
It was fun it was a very touristy we’re in Myrtle Beach for a week and then I’m going home I honestly can’t wait to get back to the 430 thing timeslot it just works out better that way I didn’t want to stop posting videos because I was on vacation. Panama City had a rip current in effect the whole time that we were there so we couldn’t go in the water which is half the reason you go to the beach right.. so that was bit of a downer. Personally I don’t even really like the beach all that much I’d go because that’s what my wife likes to do I would rather go to a nice spring in Florida those are absolutely incredible the water is crystal clear and it pops up out of the ground and you can drink it it’s sandy and sticky like the beach no sharks or jelly fish but can be snakes and alligators but they tend to stick to the murky water as long as you’re in the crystal Clearwater you can see what’s coming for you if anything there was one spring we went to last year that had brown snakes but no water moccasins the water moccasins are the ones that you have to watch out for.
Choice 1: 1948 Dodge (my parent's 1st new car was a 1948 Dodge). All Chrysler products from 1948 were anvil tough. Choice 2: 1953 Studebaker. Studebaker advertised their 1947 cars as "First by far with a post war car". Comics at the time asked if the car was coming or going. My favorite Studebaker was the 1950 as my grandmother had a 2-door Champion. Some Studebakers had split windshields through 1951. It depended on level of trim. If you opted for Regal trim the windshield was one piece.
Sweet choices I heard that as well that was always a Studebaker thing they didn’t know if it was coming or going but I could definitely see that with this design
10:23 That starter button set-up was interesting. I wonder where they key switch had to be when one held down the clutch far enough to depress the starter button.
I’m not sure unless they put that starter button up on the dash later on but that looks like it’s always meant to be there very interesting I don’t know if you have to have both switches pressed to start it by push the clutch down and turn the key and push the button
My father had a 1949 Champion. It couldn't go up the hill to my elementary school and he had to detour to get my sister & me there. The directional signals and window washer had to be options as our'49 didn't have either one.
My goodness, that must have been an awfully steep hill or a very weak engine on that '49 Studebaker. It could be that something was wrong with it as well. I do know that those Studebakers improved a lot power wise after they introduced their new OHV V8 on their companion model the Commander in 1951. And they stayed powerful up until the end as by then their V-8 was rated at 335hp. No trouble climbing up steep hills with that kind of a motor. 😃
@@8176morgan Yes, it was a very steep hill! In 1952 my father replaced the Champ with a new Studebaker Commander with a 120 HP V-8 and it went up the hill with no effort!
@@STEVE33437 I'm glad to hear that and glad to know that back in the day your family was one that bought Studebakers. I have always thought that they were very worthy cars, but the ones from the late 1940's may well have been underpowered somewhat.
This might come as a shock, but for the 2nd option, I would actually take neither. Given the opportunity, I'd prefer the 1950-51 Champion with the distinctive "bullet nose" front end, said to have been modeled after an airplane propeller; plus an automatic transmission and a slightly more powerful, 85-HP inline six. Collectible Automobile magazine, not too long ago, did a solid job covering them at the beginning of their feature story "The Cars of 1950," in which they went over the newest trim options for that year, most notably the 2-door, 5-passenger 'Starlight Coupe.'
I totally agree I would take the bullet Studebaker over this not to see that this isn’t a nice looking car it’s just that one looks so much better.. I’ve been looking for another Classic Car to add to the fleet to have a long-term vehicle well to do a long-term review on maybe have for a month or two the bullet nose Studebaker champion is a car that I would buy.. and can be had on the cheap. The top contender is a Nash Metropolitan I really really want one of those I’ve been looking for one but I don’t wanna spend a ton of money on it because I want to do more than one video with it.. and eventually flip it Into something cool
Hi Jay. I don't own a classic car. But, I would like to see an episode about the International Harvester Scout. I know a lot are not around, but they were just a tank of a 4 wheel drive off road vehicle. Thanks.
I've really come to have a great appreciation for these 40's era cars since your videos. I always overlooked them in the past, but thanx to you, I've discovered that they really did have some excellent design and engineering ideas. So thanx for that. Odd, since I'm a ragtop fan, but I think I'd prefer one of the with the suicide doors. I like that stylr more. Scenarios. 1) Sorry Mercury. Gotta go with the Studebaker. 2) If I could get a 4 door like I mentioned before, I'd go with a '48, if not, then the '53.
Keeping flathead engines around too long killed off lots of automakers... almost got Ford and Chrysler, as well... Jan. 1948 saw the birth of me... as well as of Hot Rod Magazine...
6:28 I don't think you opened the hood in this vid, but judging by what _looks_ like hinges at the front of the hood, may we assume the hood opens "backward"? (There's probably a term when the hood opens rear-to-front vs front-to-rear.)
While I grew up in So.Bend,Stude Conv'ts were scarce. Two reasons. #1: South Bend has pretty short "top down" days. #2: Not a lot were produced. There were more of the Conv.Larks than the pre '59 'bakers. That '48 is rare.
I am the widow of a Studebaker guy, the 1948 Champion convertible to be specific. Now I am the owner of a1948 Studebaker Champion convertible in need of a total restoration. I am the second owner and now I have bought a new home and cannot finish his project. Can you give me advice about how and where to give or sell it. I can’t afford to have it redone myself and the move is in less than a month.
I’m so sorry to here your husbands passing what state do you live in There is a couple different ways you could sell it Facebook market place if you want to sell it on your own You could have a broker sell it for you and that the best way to get the most out of it unfortunately project cars don’t go for much and if it’s all apart it’s really hard to tell if all the parts are there or not If your in Pennsylvania I’d say call classic auto mall and see what they could do on it..
While Studebaker made some interesting cars, and I love the lazy 'S' logo, but I can't say I'd have bought one new postwar, save maybe the original Lowey coupes or an Avanti. Everthing else, compared to what was on offer was too expenisve for what you got - well, maybe not the last of the Larks - the Daytona of 64. Even the GT Hawk in 62-63, nice as it was - you could get a Riviera. Labor relations, labor expense, outdated facilities - all conspired against them - though the designers tried hard, very hard. South Bend has a great museum.
This was one of the newest post war designs and it’s a small car all things considered.. I was never a huge fan of this style I’d rather have the bullet nose personally or the 53
Too young so I only know Studebaker from my Original Auto Ads. (Museums and books too.) Question: They were single piece windshield in my ads until around 1950 and the New Bullet Nose design are all two piece windshield's again. I wonder why? The ads say the mileage on the 1950 Champion was 26.5551 per gallon to beat 30 other cars of different makes in straight-out gasoline mileage. (Also with over drive in Mobilgas Grand Canyon Run proved great mileage. (But no numbers for that one listed.) The War years for WW2 have some very beautiful ads from Studebaker showing B-17s for the Wright cyclone engines they built, or the tracked Weasels pacing the way to Tokyo. (and many other trucks) And factory father and son teams of different generations at the plant and in the war. Remember your buying of war bonds are your link to every man and women fighting in our country's uniform. Your preserving that America will stay strong.
It seems like they went back and forth with spilt windows working on 36 Buick episode for tomorrow going to get back on the 430 schedule =) anyway 35 single piece front glass and in 36 split
Thanks for another great video. I really like how conistent your vids are from car to car. Just one comment. That rear window is not plexiglass. Peace.
Plexiglass... is another term for vinyl here.. lol i’m from Western Pennsylvania Our vocabulary is totally different than anywhere else I need to get better at correct terms thank you so much for pointing that out
When I looked at that back end, I thought of Kaiser. To each his own, I guess. Were those the original door panels and seats? Because they looked like they were covers, at least to me. Anyway, I'd choose the '48 Mercury and the '53 Studebaker.
@@What.its.like. According to modern sources, Virgil Exner was hired by Raymond Loewy's studio in 1938. Exner worked for Loewy until 1944 or mid 1945, when he was fired from Loewy's firm. Exner was hired by Studebaker to work for them directly, and he did so for several years. However, Studebaker still wanted to use Loewy's design studio as well, and the arrangement never worked, mostly because of Loewy's behavior towards Exner. Virgil Exner is credited with the design for the 1947 Studebaker Starlight cars, which are often called the first true postwar designs. In 1949, Exner went to work for Chrysler, where he had a great deal of success. As for the 1953 cars that started the discussion, Exner had been gone from Loewy's firm for eight or nine years when the 1953 Studebakers came out, so there was no direct Exner/Loewy connection. Exner had also been gone from Studebaker for a number of years when the 1953 cars came out. I have not seen any sources that connect Exner to the 1953 Studebakers. They are credited to the Raymond Loewy Design Studio. The man who gets the individual credit for the 1953 designs is Robert Bourke, who has been mentioned here. Bourke led the team at Loewy's firm that designed the 1953 Studebakers. The cars were called "Loewy Coupes" because Loewy took credit for any designs that came out of his studio, especially the successful ones. There are differences of opinion about this practice, but that is what Loewy did. Studebaker didn't complain, because they wanted to use Loewy's name in their advertising.
In regards to the choices, I will take the Mercury just barely over the beautiful looking black dodge convertible, and then the Studebaker; and in the second selection, I think that I would take the '46 Studebaker Champion, followed by the '53 Studebaker, and then once again the '48 Studebaker. I like the '50-'51 bullet nose Studebaker a lot better. The '46 Studebaker is a fairly rare car today as less than 20,000 were built because the company was at the time preparing for its new and rather peculiar post war design.
Awesome choices thank you so much for that information what’s crazier yet is the only made 20,000 Chrysler airflow from 1934 to 1937 I can’t believe that’s all they made
These were nice cars, but the running gear was weak. Flathead tractor six, T96 transmission was weak, four hole wheels. The brakes were small. On the bright side Studebaker win the mobile gas run for years. They ran forever on a gallon of gas
@@robertwatkins364what is wrong with Studebaker owners. Why do they all do that ... Let me ask you. How many of your dear old dad's collection had floors that were completely rusted out?
@@BitchinSpectreThey don't rust in Montana. There are none of his cars left because my sister hurried up to where he lived, and sold everything he had to the crusher. She had to get 60 bucks a ton! There was 32- 38 Packards, 58-60 T birds, Studebakers, 115-120 cars there total
@@richardrice8076 yeah, sometimes this algorithm puts in whatever word it wants, literally trying to predict what im saying. I miss one now, and then. Im so sorry! I hope you're not to offended. ROTFLMFAO!!!
@robertwatkins364 not at all, I know exactly what're talking about. It's that in this day and age it's amazing howmany people can't spell kat😉. BTW the name of the song is The rain, the park and other things. I like your title better.
Robertwatkins is good 👍
The Rain The park and other things by the
Cowsills. But he's first i had to look at the movie soundtrack 👌 🤷 still on the podium 😉✌️
Congratulations you got it =) that’s usually a really hard song to get because not everybody knows the correct name for this song
I never knew that was the real name of that crazy song, but the song, and the band, was never one of my favs.
Good job John
@@andreamills5852 🌻thank you 😊👋👋
“First by far with a post war car” was Studebaker’s slogan when this new styling came out. As you said, most other car makers were just re-hashing their 42 models. The latter probably being a better business decision as there was so much pent up demand, anything new would sell in 1946. 1948 Mercury and 1953 Champion for choices. You reminded me of a story about my grandfather. Back in the 20s and early 30s (he died young in 1933) people would bring their cars to him, he’d listen, tell them what was wrong and what to fix (or fix it for them). To explain - as Forman of the Roundhouse for a railroad he was very comfortable with mechanical things. Thanks for a great memory. ~ Chuck
Awesome thank you so much for sharing those stories with us, I’ve always hung out with older people even a kid I’d hang with grandpa and honesty that’s what I miss the most is the stories about things they went through grandpa was born in 39 and talked about Great Depression even tho he was born tail end of it
Great choices =)
First in style...first in vision... First by far with a postwar car.
My buddy has a restored version of this gem. His is rare in that it has no heater. Love love my Studebakers!
Awesome =) I love bakers as well
Design supervision was by the Raymond Loewy Design Studio of New York City, but the actual design of the 1947-1954 Studebakers was by Virgil M. Exner Sr. with Bob Bourke and Vince Gardner. They were the real design team.
I saw conflicting information on that I didn’t know Virgil Exner was part of this design.. super interesting =)
@@What.its.like. Depending on who is talking, Exner was either fired by Raymond Loewy or quit out of frustration due to their personalities being in constant conflict.
@@ROXSTARCorvette4371 Exner quit Loewy's Studio in 1951 to freelance, having already designed the 1953-54 Studebakers and earlier models. Ex was immediately hired by K.T. Keller at Chrysler Corporation as head of Special Projects Styling and Design, after consulting briefly with him in 1950. Exner then designed over a dozen dream concept cars for Chrysler in association with Ghia in Italy from 1951 to the early 1960s, including the Dual Ghia which came from his 1954 Dodge Firearrow concept car. With Keller's blessing, Exner reshaped almost the entire focus of Chrysler Corp. to create his "Forward Look" cars of 1955-1962.
It's all covered in detail in Exner's biography book which is in my library. Also verified by my friend Gordon Davis, who worked directly with Exner at Chrysler from 1955 to 1959 as a staff designer.
I need to get that book =)
Back in 1954 my uncle had a 4 door Champion sedan, in The same shade of yellow. It was the very first car I felt in love with.
Awesome =)
Of all cars shown my pick would be the 1948 Studebaker, although I prefer the ones with suicide doors. In 2 door form I like the wrap around rear window.
Great choices can’t wait to find those body styles =)
TWO vehicles I'd like to see are a 1947 Studebaker pick up truck and a 1953 Studebaker Pick up truck! The reason I love them is because when I was in high school I had two friends that each owned these trucks, and I never got to see what they were like in "original form"!! The 1947 Stude, had a 1963 Corvette 283 in it, and the 1953 had the inline flat head six, which ran, but was missing a water pump!!
Sweet I’ll look for those trucks =)
Thank you for sharing 👍👍👍
Thank you so much for watching =)
That red '70 Mustang keeps catching my eye in this vid.
Haha yeah
Great vid, really enjoyed! 👍👍
=) glad you dig this video
WYR #2: BY A *_*HUGE*_* margin, the '53 is SUCH a design achievement over the others!
I totally agree the 53 is Genesis for the hawk one of the most beautiful cars ever made in my opinion
No frontal fender rust. Amazing
You still manage to bring us some rare cars like this. I'm guessing this is a original survivor. Today's scenarios would make me pick the Merc and the 53 Champion. I do like the look of what I call the "Rude Stude" The bullet nose cars. Enjoy your vacation.!
Bunch of rare cars in the pipeline =)
Studebaker afficionado here. I always enjoy your invariably well done videos but I get a special kick when you feature a Studebaker. You pointed out a number of styling changes but I think the most important was the fact that the fenders were no longer "added on." With the 1948 Studebaker, the first real postwar car, the fenders are an integral part of the body. It is more evolved in the front fenders as the rear fenders retain some of that look. One piece windshields were very much a modern idea but it's interesting to note that Studebaker went back to two piece windshields later on as in my 1950 Commander. Also, the windshield wipers appear to be electric while vacuum wipers were very common in the industry. There were exceptions as I have a 1941 Studebaker President with electric wipers. Nonetheless Studebaker went back to vacuum wipers in 1950. All in all a great video.
Thank you so much for that so what you’re saying is the fenders are part of the car much like a Karman Ghia in an alfa Juliet the only parts of the car in other words that come off easily by the doors trunk lid and put everything else is one solid piece.. and that would make total sense I want to one day put this next to a 49 Ford and compare them because they are similar but different the 49 Ford would look huge compared
to this car. Glad you dig this episode I want to cover a 57 Goldenhawk this year but that’s a car that I really wanna drive it’s a car that I really want to own one day.
I asked a question about Studebaker one and two piece windshield coming back in 1950. (I collect or collected all original car advertising in National Geographic Magazine and my kids and I in 2000 placed them in special books in order so you can grab "Studebaker" and read in order almost every ad from 1888-2000 of American Makes. Ending sadly with Studebaker, Packard, Mercedes Benz. Wait final ad is "The Cruiser" Avanti, Lark, Cruiser, Hawk. Sad quiet end to a great company and a history with those Studebaker Conestoga Covered Wagons. Thanks for the memories of thousands of yellow books with the kids at flea markets, antique stores, musty old basements, cutting them out by the thousands and all that time with the kids. (No internet yet to cheat and just click and buy.)
Hi Jay!: What's really cool about this car is that it was the prelude to the even MORE cool Bullet Noae Stude!! WYR #1, I think Mercury on that one, even though it was a warmed over pre-war design, I kind of like it!! #2 the 1953 for SURE! That was probably one of the sweetest designs of the early 1950's!
Awesome choices I want to cover a bullet nose before this year is over =)
My great uncle was a Studebaker fan he had one four-door champion 1950
The 48 was ok but just chompin' at the bit for the all new bullet nose! I found the front end of the 48 to look dull and incomplete! To me, the 48 front end looked like the designer quit before he was done!
Herman Hermits I'm into something good 🤞
1953 Studebaker by far 😉👍
I had a 51 bullet nose 4 door pretty slow ....... I was scared of the interstate 😂... enjoy your adventures 🤠👋👋✌️
Great guess not that song or band =) my great uncle was a studebaker man he had a bullet nose studebaker never got to ride in it he passed away in 2008 he had a few others as well
48 Studebaker 53 Studebaker. I've always felt that this year Studebaker has that rounded shoe box look that Ford was going for in 49 a year before Ford came out with it. The Studebaker is very round looking. Especially with the convertible top. I really dig the canary yellow paint on this one. Never was a fan of the grille they used but a nice car nonetheless.
The studebakers are very small compared to the other cars as well I wish I could have put this car next to a 49 ford.. great choices =)
When I was a kid my father owned a 1848 Studebaker COMMANDER convertible, which looked similar to this car only somewhat nicer. It was black with a red leather (I believe it was a leather interior). He was a life-long car enthusiast and he absolutely loved that car. I know that the '48 Studebaker looks old fashioned today but place it beside the cars that Ford, GM and Chrysler were producing at that time and it looks literally a generation ahead of its' time. In retrospect Studebaker has acquired a reputation for building cars that were somewhat stodgy in comparison with "The Big 3". However, that reputation is completely undeserved. Examine the 1948 Studebakers, the 1953 Studebakers, the 1950s "Hawk" series and the early 1960s "Avanti" and you will find that Studebaker manufactured some of the most beautiful and advanced cars on the road. I still consider the 1953 Studebaker Starlight Coupe one of the most beautiful cars ever produced by any company, anywhere. Unfortunately, as an "independent" car manufacturer they simply were no longer able to compete with "The Big 3" automakers. Merging with Packard, which was another of the last of the "independent" automakers, did not do them any good, either.
Awesome story thank you so much for sharing those memories with us =)
Your dad sounds like an awesome guy
I'm 77 & agree! These cars were so 'futuristic' then, that I feel much of the public could
not accept them! It was only years later, that they realized how advanced they were! p.s.
I went to the Studebaker museum in So. Bend, Indiana, in 2007 & it was awesome!
Exner also was a friend of famous automotive designer Alexis Tremulis, who designed the 1948 Tucker.
Yes they were great friends Worked on some projects together
Excellent video. I don't know if I'd call the car cute but it seems to be more conventionally styled than the bullet nose Studebakers of later years.
I’ve been looking for a bullet nose Studebaker to do they have one at Classic auto mall going to try to cover it the next time I’m down there that’s a car that I really wanna drive side when looking for one outside those cars used to be everywhere and now they’re nowhere
Exner went to work for Raymond Loewy Studio in 1945, and designed the 1947-48 Studebakers in 1945-46. He designed the basic look of the classic 1953 Studebaker in 1950, and a beautiful color drawing by Exner of his proposal for the 1953 Studebaker is included in the Exner biography book. Exner was quite an influential designer from the late 1940s to the early 1970s.
I’m a huge Exner fan.. totally forgot the part where he worked at Studebaker.. thank you so much for that information I really appreciate it
Welcome back! What'd you think of Panama City Beach? We were there last year and loved it!
It was fun it was a very touristy we’re in Myrtle Beach for a week and then I’m going home I honestly can’t wait to get back to the 430 thing timeslot it just works out better that way I didn’t want to stop posting videos because I was on vacation. Panama City had a rip current in effect the whole time that we were there so we couldn’t go in the water which is half the reason you go to the beach right.. so that was bit of a downer. Personally I don’t even really like the beach all that much I’d go because that’s what my wife likes to do I would rather go to a nice spring in Florida those are absolutely incredible the water is crystal clear and it pops up out of the ground and you can drink it it’s sandy and sticky like the beach no sharks or jelly fish but can be snakes and alligators but they tend to stick to the murky water as long as you’re in the crystal Clearwater you can see what’s coming for you if anything there was one spring we went to last year that had brown snakes but no water moccasins the water moccasins are the ones that you have to watch out for.
Choice 1: 1948 Dodge (my parent's 1st new car was a 1948 Dodge). All Chrysler products from 1948 were anvil tough.
Choice 2: 1953 Studebaker.
Studebaker advertised their 1947 cars as "First by far with a post war car". Comics at the time asked if the car was coming or going.
My favorite Studebaker was the 1950 as my grandmother had a 2-door Champion.
Some Studebakers had split windshields through 1951. It depended on level of trim. If you opted for Regal trim the windshield was one piece.
Sweet choices
I heard that as well that was always a Studebaker thing they didn’t know if it was coming or going but I could definitely see that with this design
10:23 That starter button set-up was interesting. I wonder where they key switch had to be when one held down the clutch far enough to depress the starter button.
11:20 And yet, there's a standard "starter button" on the dash. I guess to complete the circuit, _both_ switches had to be closed?
I’m not sure unless they put that starter button up on the dash later on but that looks like it’s always meant to be there very interesting I don’t know if you have to have both switches pressed to start it by push the clutch down and turn the key and push the button
My father had a 1949 Champion. It couldn't go up the hill to my elementary school and he had to detour to get my sister & me there. The directional signals and window washer had to be options as our'49 didn't have either one.
My goodness, that must have been an awfully steep hill or a very weak engine on that '49 Studebaker. It could be that something was wrong with it as well. I do know that those Studebakers improved a lot power wise after they introduced their new OHV V8 on their companion model the Commander in 1951. And they stayed powerful up until the end as by then their V-8 was rated at 335hp. No trouble climbing up steep hills with that kind of a motor. 😃
Thank you so much for sharing all the memories =)
@@8176morgan Yes, it was a very steep hill! In 1952 my father replaced the Champ with a new Studebaker Commander with a 120 HP V-8 and it went up the hill with no effort!
@@STEVE33437 I'm glad to hear that and glad to know that back in the day your family was one that bought Studebakers. I have always thought that they were very worthy cars, but the ones from the late 1940's may well have been underpowered somewhat.
This might come as a shock, but for the 2nd option, I would actually take neither. Given the opportunity, I'd prefer the 1950-51 Champion with the distinctive "bullet nose" front end, said to have been modeled after an airplane propeller; plus an automatic transmission and a slightly more powerful, 85-HP inline six. Collectible Automobile magazine, not too long ago, did a solid job covering them at the beginning of their feature story "The Cars of 1950," in which they went over the newest trim options for that year, most notably the 2-door, 5-passenger 'Starlight Coupe.'
I totally agree I would take the bullet Studebaker over this not to see that this isn’t a nice looking car it’s just that one looks so much better..
I’ve been looking for another Classic Car to add to the fleet to have a long-term vehicle well to do a long-term review on maybe have for a month or two the bullet nose Studebaker champion is a car that I would buy.. and can be had on the cheap. The top contender is a Nash Metropolitan I really really want one of those I’ve been looking for one but I don’t wanna spend a ton of money on it because I want to do more than one video with it.. and eventually flip it
Into something cool
Hi Jay. I don't own a classic car. But, I would like to see an episode about the International Harvester Scout. I know a lot are not around, but they were just a tank of a 4 wheel drive off road vehicle. Thanks.
I did an episode on a scout still looking for the original 60s scout
1974 international scout II
th-cam.com/video/DDR5n1pQmyM/w-d-xo.html
Nice job, Jay‼I lost all interest in Studebakers (except the Hawks) after the bullet nose and perked up again with the 1959 Lark.
Studebaker made some sweet cars plan on showing them all =)
1947 or 48. You deserved that vacation.
Thank you I miss doing the reviews at a set time And that’s crazy coming from me I hate deadlines.. just want to get back to it
I've really come to have a great appreciation for these 40's era cars since your videos. I always overlooked them in the past, but thanx to you, I've discovered that they really did have some excellent design and engineering ideas. So thanx for that. Odd, since I'm a ragtop fan, but I think I'd prefer one of the with the suicide doors. I like that stylr more. Scenarios. 1) Sorry Mercury. Gotta go with the Studebaker. 2) If I could get a 4 door like I mentioned before, I'd go with a '48, if not, then the '53.
Thank you glad this channel brings to light the cars the are overlooked, I try and see the good in everything =) great choices
Keeping flathead engines around too long killed off lots of automakers... almost got Ford and Chrysler, as well...
Jan. 1948 saw the birth of me... as well as of Hot Rod Magazine...
Ever hear a turbocharged flathead there maybe a future for that
th-cam.com/video/oj-xkUBLLCQ/w-d-xo.html
6:28 I don't think you opened the hood in this vid, but judging by what _looks_ like hinges at the front of the hood, may we assume the hood opens "backward"?
(There's probably a term when the hood opens rear-to-front vs front-to-rear.)
I didn’t I couldn’t get it open and I ran out of time that was the last car I shot that day at that location I tried to do too many things in one day
10:35 I notice the "low" rear-view mirror, a la late '50s Chrysler products.
Also late '40's Nash had the dashboard rear view mirror.
While I grew up in So.Bend,Stude Conv'ts were scarce. Two reasons. #1: South Bend has pretty short "top down" days. #2: Not a lot were produced. There were more of the Conv.Larks than the pre '59 'bakers. That '48 is rare.
Now that you mention it I haven’t seen that many Studebaker convertibles ever.. which is interesting
People who bought Stude's were generally thrifty. The ragtops were more $ than the other models.
I am guessing the tune is Like to Get to Know You by Spanky and Our Gang
Great guess but not that song or band it was the rain the wind and other things by the Cowsils
But they did have a good V-8 in the future
I am the widow of a Studebaker guy, the 1948 Champion convertible to be specific. Now I am the owner of a1948 Studebaker Champion convertible in need of a total restoration. I am the second owner and now I have bought a new home and cannot finish his project. Can you give me advice about how and where to give or sell it. I can’t afford to have it redone myself and the move is in less than a month.
I’m so sorry to here your husbands passing what state do you live in
There is a couple different ways you could sell it Facebook market place if you want to sell it on your own
You could have a broker sell it for you and that the best way to get the most out of it unfortunately project cars don’t go for much and if it’s all apart it’s really hard to tell if all the parts are there or not
If your in Pennsylvania I’d say call classic auto mall and see what they could do on it..
While Studebaker made some interesting cars, and I love the lazy 'S' logo, but I can't say I'd have bought one new postwar, save maybe the original Lowey coupes or an Avanti. Everthing else, compared to what was on offer was too expenisve for what you got - well, maybe not the last of the Larks - the Daytona of 64. Even the GT Hawk in 62-63, nice as it was - you could get a Riviera. Labor relations, labor expense, outdated facilities - all conspired against them - though the designers tried hard, very hard. South Bend has a great museum.
Who was the buyer for a Studebaker convertible when it was new. Why buy this when there other brands
This was one of the newest post war designs and it’s a small car all things considered.. I was never a huge fan of this style I’d rather have the bullet nose personally or the 53
WYR 1? Merc WYR 2? 53 Stude. Ps. The orange light on the drivers side is a Fog light, not a marker light.
Awesome choices %3 studebaker lol
I guess I’m just not used to seeing fog lights amber color
Too young so I only know Studebaker from my Original Auto Ads. (Museums and books too.) Question: They were single piece windshield in my ads until around 1950 and the New Bullet Nose design are all two piece windshield's again. I wonder why?
The ads say the mileage on the 1950 Champion was 26.5551 per gallon to beat 30 other cars of different makes in straight-out gasoline mileage. (Also with over drive in Mobilgas Grand Canyon Run proved great mileage. (But no numbers for that one listed.) The War years for WW2 have some very beautiful ads from Studebaker showing B-17s for the Wright cyclone engines they built, or the tracked Weasels pacing the way to Tokyo. (and many other trucks) And factory father and son teams of different generations at the plant and in the war.
Remember your buying of war bonds are your link to every man and women fighting in our country's uniform. Your preserving that America will stay strong.
It seems like they went back and forth with spilt windows working on 36 Buick episode for tomorrow going to get back on the 430 schedule =) anyway 35 single piece front glass and in 36 split
That rear window is not plexiglass.
Thanks for another great video.
I really like how conistent your vids are from car to car.
Just one comment.
That rear window is not plexiglass.
Peace.
Plexiglass... is another term for vinyl here.. lol i’m from Western Pennsylvania Our vocabulary is totally different than anywhere else
I need to get better at correct terms thank you so much for pointing that out
When I looked at that back end, I thought of Kaiser. To each his own, I guess. Were those the original door panels and seats? Because they looked like they were covers, at least to me.
Anyway, I'd choose the '48 Mercury and the '53 Studebaker.
Definitely has seat covers.
Yeah seat covers I didn’t look under them
Great choices
Seat covers and an awful repaint with lots of overspray.
1948 Mercury and 1953 Champion
Sweet choices
She's sweaty!
The Mercury and then the 53.
Sweet choices =)
Minty!
I would take the Dodge in the first group and the Loewy 1953 Studebaker in the second group.
Sweet choices =)
@@What.its.like. According to modern sources, Virgil Exner was hired by Raymond Loewy's studio in 1938. Exner worked for Loewy until 1944 or mid 1945, when he was fired from Loewy's firm. Exner was hired by Studebaker to work for them directly, and he did so for several years. However, Studebaker still wanted to use Loewy's design studio as well, and the arrangement never worked, mostly because of Loewy's behavior towards Exner. Virgil Exner is credited with the design for the 1947 Studebaker Starlight cars, which are often called the first true postwar designs. In 1949, Exner went to work for Chrysler, where he had a great deal of success.
As for the 1953 cars that started the discussion, Exner had been gone from Loewy's firm for eight or nine years when the 1953 Studebakers came out, so there was no direct Exner/Loewy connection. Exner had also been gone from Studebaker for a number of years when the 1953 cars came out. I have not seen any sources that connect Exner to the 1953 Studebakers. They are credited to the Raymond Loewy Design Studio. The man who gets the individual credit for the 1953 designs is Robert Bourke, who has been mentioned here. Bourke led the team at Loewy's firm that designed the 1953 Studebakers. The cars were called "Loewy Coupes" because Loewy took credit for any designs that came out of his studio, especially the successful ones. There are differences of opinion about this practice, but that is what Loewy did. Studebaker didn't complain, because they wanted to use Loewy's name in their advertising.
In regards to the choices, I will take the Mercury just barely over the beautiful looking black dodge convertible, and then the Studebaker; and in the second selection, I think that I would take the '46 Studebaker Champion, followed by the '53 Studebaker, and then once again the '48 Studebaker. I like the '50-'51 bullet nose Studebaker a lot better.
The '46 Studebaker is a fairly rare car today as less than 20,000 were built because the company was at the time preparing for its new and rather peculiar post war design.
Awesome choices thank you so much for that information what’s crazier yet is the only made 20,000 Chrysler airflow from 1934 to 1937 I can’t believe that’s all they made
@@What.its.like. Neither can I, and I sure wouldn't mind having one those beauties today, a truly great innovative design.
That is a fog light, marker lights mandate be feds in 1968
I’m just not used to seeing amber fog lights I think
#1; the Doge #2; the 48
Sweet =)
1953 champion 5 stars 😀
Glad you dig this episode
47
53 Champion!
Sweet choices =)
I will take the 48 mercury.
53 champion.
Sweet choice that’s one of the best looking cars ever
I’ll take the Dodge…..then the 53 Studebaker"
Sweet choices
Champion skyway 1946. Thy n find one
I’ll try and find one lol
Dodge 58 sud
Sweet choices
The front end looks ugly. After watching the Packard video yesterday, this seems kinda shabby.
This Champion is sweet. I'm glad it passed the glove box test.
Yeah huge glove box
These were nice cars, but the running gear was weak. Flathead tractor six, T96 transmission was weak, four hole wheels. The brakes were small. On the bright side Studebaker win the mobile gas run for years. They ran forever on a gallon of gas
Awesome thank you so much for sharing your experience with this car =)
@@What.its.like. My father had a pile of Studebakers.
Like 15 of them, none of them as nice as this one.
@@robertwatkins364what is wrong with Studebaker owners. Why do they all do that ... Let me ask you. How many of your dear old dad's collection had floors that were completely rusted out?
@@BitchinSpectreThey don't rust in Montana. There are none of his cars left because my sister hurried up to where he lived, and sold everything he had to the crusher. She had to get 60 bucks a ton! There was 32- 38 Packards, 58-60 T birds, Studebakers, 115-120 cars there total
@@robertwatkins364 a Studebaker could find a way to rust in Arizona
I love the flour girl- Cowsills
So close that’s not the correct name of the song too =(
And it's flower not flour they weren't bakers.
@@richardrice8076 yeah, sometimes this algorithm puts in whatever word it wants, literally trying to predict what im saying. I miss one now, and then. Im so sorry! I hope you're not to offended. ROTFLMFAO!!!
@robertwatkins364 not at all, I know exactly what're talking about. It's that in this day and age it's amazing howmany people can't spell kat😉. BTW the name of the song is The rain, the park and other things. I like your title better.
@@richardrice8076 I saw one just yesterday. The person was saying their car had many custom (feachers)