Last week, a friend of mine told me there was a Mustang II at a Pomona Valley junkyard. To check it out, I needed to spend an hour behind the wheel (each way), but Mustang IIs are getting rarer and rarer on the ground, so I figured it was worth the effort. Sadly, the Mustang II was stripped down to the bones, but there were several interesting hulks in the same row, including this Studebaker Champion–a car so unusual, I broke out my rarely used cell phone camera and snapped away.
In 1958, Studebaker added quad headlights to the existing fenders using these bizarre fiberglass nacelles. Whoever decided these cars needed quad headlights at any cost must have accelerated Studebaker’s slide down to Endsville–it’s a cheap and cobbled-up look. These cars pre-date my arrival on the scene, but the peals of laughter generated by these blisters must still echo in some of the more isolated corners of the Midwest.
As the article title indicates, this is the last of the full size Studebaker sedans. Studebaker sales in 1957 and 1958 dipped well below 100,000 a year, and foreshadowed the end of auto production in South Bend. Still, this car wasn’t the final Studebaker sedan–engineers would use the center section of this car as the foundation of the Lark in 1959. This new compact sparked a brief sales rally in 59 and 60, but by 61 the downward trend returned and continued until the end in 1966.
This rear view shows another patchwork styling addition to the original ’53 model. If you look at the bottom edge on the driver’s side tailfin, you can spot a squared off joint where a fiberglass cap attached to the steel fenders used in ’55 and ’56. Just like every other manufacturer, Studebaker found itself behind Chrysler in the tailfin war of 1957. This fiberglass solution may have been ingenious, but based on the sales numbers, consumers may have recognized that it was a desperate ploy done on the cheap. This patchwork approach also forced designers to place a strip of chrome on the inside of the tailfin. While the trim hid the seam between the fin and fender, the placement hid the expensive bright work out of sight.
It’s a bit odd to see a Studebaker here in LA–I’ve got roots extending back to Southern Michigan and still have a sister residing in South Bend, so I know Studebaker sightings are not unusual in that region. In contrast, I can only recall one or two sightings here in LA and even if I encountered one here, I’d expect it to be a Golden Hawk or perhaps an Avanti. This lower trim-level sedan represents the antithesis of California car culture, but it appears it may have been running up until recently–the sheet metal is all straight, the glass remains in place, and the tires may still hold air.
Oddly enough, Curbside Classic has multiple articles on the Studebaker-Packard offerings from 1958. If you’re interested in a full boat two door, you can check out Tom Klockau’s article on the 1958 Packard Coupe, while Jeff Nelson has an extensive article on the bottom feeding, but somewhat successful Scotsman trim package.
Looks like they were expecting you. The windows have “CC” written on them. Same with the Ranchero next to it. 🙂
At least they did a much better job integrating the tacked-on fins in the back than they did the quad headlights in the front.
Hopefully…It’ll be withdrawn from the junkyard to a garage or barn by somebody…
For someone in the rust-belt with a complete car, but an eaten-away body, this would be quite a useful find.
Otherwise, probably best to leave it where it is.
Aaaaak! A virtually rust-free Stude in the boneyard. You sure know how to make an Indiana boy cry.
I want so much to like these. They tried really hard with what little was available. The whole sordid mess with Packard and Curtis-Wright may have been the most depressing chapter in company history, with the possible exception of the final two Canadian years. Doesn’t it just make your heart ache to watch the attempt of Studebaker trying to play with the big kids in 1957-58?
I have always kind of wondered how Studebaker might have fared if their 1956 model had been out in time for 1955’s record-breaking sales year. The 56 model was much more conventional than what Stude had in showrooms in 1955, and might have sold better. After 1956, though, this car was toast.
In a quaint sort of way, I could enjoy one of these Champion sedans, even with a flathead six (so long as it has the 3 speed/OD combo). But then I’m a Stude homer. But even I would not likely have plunked my hard-earned money down for one of these in 1958.
Or better yet, imagine if the 1956 sedan and wagon had debuted for 1953, alongside the sleek coupes. From what I’ve read, the 1953 sedans shared little sheet metal with the coupes anyway, so this wouldn’t have been such a stretch.
JPC-
Every time I see a rust free junkyard car from the fifties or sixties, the first thing I say to myself is “What a shame.” Then I ask myself “Would I want that car in my
driveway?”
Usually, the answer is a resounding “NO!”
D/S
Look at this brochure, esp the bottom.
http://classiccarcatalogue.com/STUDEBAKER%201958.html
The 56 model was much more conventional than what Stude had in showrooms in 1955, and might have sold better.
One 56 Commander, the one I grew up with. By the time this pic was taken, the Earl Scheib paint job was keeping the bondo in place. The only thing that worked without fail was the 259 V8
Personally, I like the 57s better because they cleaned up the front end. The 58 is a total fail. Even Checker adopted quad headlights more gracefully.
The 56 still rode and handled poorly. The next year they went to asymmetrical leaf springs in the back, progressive coils in front and modified the horribly obsolete cam and peg steering to reduce friction by 40%. In a road test of the 57, the tester said “if they had brought out this car in 54, or even 55, they could have sold as many as they could make” Translation: in spite of the improvements, this car is hopelessly obsolete by 1957 standards.
Coming back to this article again to pick up the new comments, the thought struck me (it took me this many years?) of just how badly Studebaker blew it with the revisions to this car. They completely misread their customers.
If you look at the 55-58 cars, and look over the ‘cheapies’ that were trying to fly in the face of the ‘bigger, lower, wider’ mainstream (Rambler, Rambler American, etc.) you notice that all of them are styled quietly, bordering on dowdy. And they sold in small, but ever increasing, numbers. Obviously, the kind of person who would buy a car like that didn’t want the mainstream ‘look at what I’m driving’ image.
Studebaker could have probably done reasonable well if they had kept the ’56 (’57? memory is getting short) styling (that car you’ve got pictured is quietly attractive) for another year. But no, somebody in authority got the idea to try and slug it out with the Big 3, when they should have realized that they didn’t have a hope in hell of competing.
Now if you consider: The ’56. Another ’56 with a revised grille pattern. Then yet another ’56 with a third grille pattern and maybe a change in the side trim. With all the ‘restyling’ money spent on mechanical and interior upgrades. Then, on to the ’59 Lark. That should have appealed to the crowd who didn’t want a ’57 DeSoto under any conditions.
I think that could have made Studebaker a bit healthier going into the 60’s. Probably not enough to stave off eventual oblivion, but it would have bought them time . . . .
Skye, the expression you’re searching for is “Stude-frugal.”
Quirky car especially with the tacked on doodads. The only way the whole car is leaving the junkyard is by becoming flat as a pancake and riding out on a trailer.
That’s probably the sad truth. There doesn’t seem to be much demand for 1958 Studebakers – even the hardtop coupes – so I wonder if it’s even worth it to strip off the trim pieces and various body parts before it goes to the crusher.
Unless Keith or Aaron get their mitts on it.Should only be a weekends work for those guys.
I like it, because I see a great LeMons racer there. Shoo-in for Index of Effluency, we’ll get the Cummins diesel out of BigOldChrysler’s truck for power..
Good thing my truck resides closer to the other side or the continent, or I’d have to keep a close eye on it. Of course, repowered with a Cummins drivetrain, that Stude would be super reliable so might not win the IofE award. For maximum effect, you really want the 350 diesel from my dad’s Olds.
Could use a Chinese Cummins and getrag from a Foton pickup, that might sway the judges.
It’s a whole lot better looking than the catfish faced “Packard”.It’s like watching a has been boxer making a comeback,they weren’t going to win against the big boys and when the Falcon,Corvair and Valiant hit the showrooms it was game over.A sad end to a once great car maker
I remember seeing these at the 1958 Johnstown auto show (December 1957). The whole effect was pathetic and desperate. And I can remember the interest from the show goers reflecting it, too. Dad probably had as many people stopping by to look at the 1958 Impala per hour as the Studebakers got in the entire three-day show.
I never looked sideways at a Mustang ll, and I can’t imagine anybody going a block away, let alone an hour to see one in a junkyard!
A Studebaker? Hmm… perhaps.
In June Wifey and I were in South Bend and went to the Studebaker museum. They had clearly lost their way after the mid-late 1950s and can’t imagine anybody buying a Studebaker compared to the big 3 or even Rambler.
Talk about a once-proud company on rapidly-depleting battery power… Too bad.
The ghosted “Champion” letters on the fender seem to be a fitting denoument for this marque, much like the once proud and accomplished star athlete, his glory days done, now slowly fading away into the boneyard of history.
A very poetic description of my photo- Thanks!
D/S
Yes, the former Champion!
Which makes me wonder – has there ever been a bigger mismatch between name and car as the Studebaker Champion in 1958?
Austin Maestro? Now that’s an inappropriately named car!
You’re welcome, that poignant photo immediately caught my attention, it had “faded glory” written all over it.
Not just the marque, it fits that whole fabulous post-war American decade. Suitable for framing.
“In the clearing stands a boxer,
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev’ry glove that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame,
‘I am leaving, I am leaving.’
But the fighter still remains.”
–Paul Simon
Now you’ve gone and made me cry. 🙁
The ’58 was the last of twenty years of Champions. It was a clean sheet car in 1939 and it was a hit. There’s a delicious brochure of the ’40 Champion at Old Car Brochures.
Wikipedia’s list of automobile sales by model says 1,320,000 Champions were built from 1939-1958.
I’m familiar with ’58 cars, even if before my time. I don’t think the ’58 Stude is really all that bad compared to other ’58 cars from the perspective of 2014. I would criticize the greenhouse as a bit odd as my primary complaint.
No doubt the tack on nacelles and fins had the potential to be bad jokes in ’58. But, the basic design in a rendering is pleasant enough to me. Apparently the dual headlights were optional on the Champion, the singles were a cleaner but dated look in ’58.
A Dutch brochure from Old Car Brochures…..
Plenty shockers around in 58,all the GM range,58 Lincoln and there was a gurning Chrysler to complete the big 3.The quad lamps and extra fins remind me of the latest hairstyle which women get whether it suits them (or more likely not) but they have to have it.The 56 was a much nicer looking car though rather staid compared to what the big 3 were making
1) Ahem. Those are ‘Jet-Swept Nacelles’ per the factory literature.
2) Can you believe Studebaker paid for the tooling to create a 1-year
hard-top version of these bodies (mostly for the Packard Line).
3) There are a group of Studebaker fans who greatly appreciate these cars.
So watch your mouth or we’ll have to make fun of your interest in a Mustang II.
there’s not much that separates the two…. (a mustang ii? Really? )
4) Couldn’t tell, was this an auto or a manual. There’s nuthin’ like the acceleration
you get in these Champions, with the 169 six and the Flash-o-matic automatic.
You can fall asleep before you hit 25 miles an hour.
Hmmm…
The article title reads “The LAST Full Size Studebaker Sedan.”
An article on the Mustang II could read “A Successful Example of a Fifty Year Old Nameplate (and Counting).”
Not a typical title for a Mustang II article, but a still clincial evaluation reflecting the cars history. Thus endeth the lesson.
Mustang II front suspensions are popular with the Street Rod custom industry. So, there.
And one can’t forget the ‘Cyclops’ dash of the 57 & 58 models.
The speedos in these tended to fail around 25,000 miles.
So it’s not surprising that the example here is missing it’s cluster.
As a lover of all things Studebaker, I have to admit that I hold a certain fondness for these models, which to me, are the worst looking big Studebakers ever. In 1958, Studebaker certainly would not have been receiving any of my business.
To me, the best year for Studebaker’s big sedans was 1956. A top-line President Classic was a handsome car and a good performer. Optioned up with factory air conditioning (still a trunk mount at this time), power windows, power seats, etc., one could have themselves a very nice car. Even the lower line Commanders and Champions have redeeming merit.
For 1957, I feel the cars slipped a little bit design wise and by 1958, a desperate to keep up with the times on a paltry budget Studebaker-Packard Corporation presented the public this poorly contrived line of cars. And it wasn’t only the exterior styling; the quality and lushness of interior appointments was way down. Compare the interior of a top-of-the line 1956 President Classic with a 1958 President and you can see the entire car is substantially cheapened.
Quad headlights were an option on Champions. However, if you went with the dual headlights, you still got the “jet sweep nacelles” as evidenced by this particular Champion. Only the Scotsman models did without these tacked on fiberglass pods.
Mr. Bill
Agreed about the interiors on these cars. Frankly, even the dash on the 56 was a letdown. When you think about the chrome jukebox dashes all across the industry in 1956-58 (even at AMC), these plain, painted panels were just awful, particularly for the President.
Agree there JPC – the dashboards took cleanliness of design (debatable) to a new level. I think Studebaker felt the Cyclops Eye speedometer made their otherwise plain dash more than what it was.
Also consider the antiquity of some of the operating systems. The hand operated parking brake and pedals that were not suspended and still went through the floorboards. I think its these little features that Studebaker held on to that made the public realize that this was a manufacturer who was unable to, or unwilling to, update their product.
However, by 1963, I would have been pressuring the local Studebaker dealer (provided it was not one operated out of a gas station) for my new Avanti!
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
I did not know about this Studebaker with the fake fins and grafted-on headlights. It is an automotive oddity the likes of which I’ve never seen.
Timely topic, I was in the market for a Studebaker recently and passed on a 58 Commander and settled for a 56 President Classic with a tuxedo look and just 42,500 original miles. I’m the only one in my neighborhood that drives an Independent. I’m thinking Studebaker is due for a comeback.
Beautiful car. I always thought that the 56 was nicely done. Even growing up in northern Indiana down the street from a diehard Stude family, I don’t believe I ever saw one of these until I saw it in the Car Spotter’s Guide I bought in the mid 70s.
Thanks JP. I’ve been on a quest for many years for a collectible car and just decided in January to focus on Studebaker. Originally, I was in the hunt for a bullet nose, but somehow this one found me. There seems be a lot of 1956s around, not so much 57 or 58.
The ’56 wasn’t a badly styled car, but Studebaker lost its genetic design memory when Loewy and Associates had been given the bum’s rush. With essentially no in-house design staff, South Bend was lucky to do as well as it did… but with “visionaries” like Roy Hurley*, the downward spiral was only quickened.
*DAGS, “Studebaker Hurley Hawk”
In fairness though, it’s not as though the 1953 sedans done under Loewy’s watch were great designs. The Starliner hardtop is a legitimate classic. The rest of the 53 Stude line was a complete and utter fail, both in the marketplace and aesthetically.
Hi.could you let me know where exacly is that yard please.
I remember the first time I saw a ’58 Studebaker. I must have been 12 or 13. I laughed for about 5 minutes. It was hilarious. It was goofy looking but somehow cool. It seems like it was green and white or two tone green. I’d totally drive one today.