Hot Rods 265mph Studebaker Found

Just saw this on FB. What a find. Heading to Auction later this year.

`Just found this one in the latest issue of Motor Sport Magazine and OMG... it's drop-dead gorgeous. This 1953 Studebaker is ''the world's fastest coupe'' of the 50's; setting numerous records at Bonneville Salt Flats. It was built by Ansen Automotive (Louie Senter) and engine builder Jack Andrews-Sanchez with a supercharged Chrysler engine and later owned/driven by Neil Thompson. Supposably it reached at it's peak 297mph. Now it has a supercharged Hemi. It is to be auctioned in full working order plus the original engine and pleanty of Thompson memorabilia by Gooding & Co. `

 

@vtx1800

 

@Dean Lowe loves a Studebaker coupe.

 

Seems to me there was a decent feature on that car, in maybe StreetRodder, also Rod&Custom.
Glad it got found & saved.
Marcus...

 

I hope it is preserved "as is", just a minor cleanup...just so cool

 

Ridiculous Kool.... Look's like a 68-72 Vette Clip...Love it!!!
Thanx for sharing...$

 

@panhead_pete What Facebook page?

 

I love this car! Reminds me of the corvette that came out later. can't help but think GM took the front end from this vehicle, it just looks very much like the later vetts.
Hard to believe a 53 could hit 265 that was fast for 53. Surprised the tires could hang in there.

 

Neil's Stude was nothing short of spectacular. It did, in fact, run out the back door at 297. Yes, the nose is a repop 1 piece Corvette piece. That this car exsists is remarkable. It belongs in a museum.

 

Dean... Thanx for the history...

 

For some reason I always thought the nose was an Opel GT. Good to know otherwise at long last.

 

One of my FB friends posted it.

 

Love those Salt Studies. As Dean said, it deserves to be Preserved!

 

This was posted on Barnfinds awhile ago--https://barnfinds.com/1953-studebaker-was-a-300-mph-bonneville-salt-racer/

 

Holy shorts Batman, what a find...

 

I didn’t know it was lost?

 

Looks great in the pics (except for the wrong era tires). It was never drop dead gorgeous except for when Belmont took it from his dad's car lot.
It probably has the longest evolutionary history of any racecar I can think of and its amazing it survived
all the actual years that it was raced.

 

I saw that thing years ago at El Mirage in Callaway's back junkyard/lot. It looked pretty rough then but it was still bitchin

 

Damn that's cool.

 

Well add '53 Studebaker with a '68-'72 Vette nose to the 'coolest hybrid ever' list!

What a bitchin' car!

 

He ran that car or held records from 66 through 72 according to one blog. Just A Car Guy: a real land speed racing record holder from the 1966 though 1972 seasons is coming to auction at Pebble Beach this year, 271 on the salt two way average, 290 one way.

It is going to be on the auction block at Pebble Beach. 1953 Studebaker Land Speed Coupe | Gooding & Company (goodingco.com)

As Wheeltramp brian said, it was never really "missing".

 

I have been watching LSR cars since 1954 and those guys are the real hot rodders. I am so sorry I didn't get to visit Chrisman beforehe died because I remember one off the little books around '54 or '55 featuring a flat head he built that dynoed 404HP Incredible or my mind is gone but I don't think.

 

After being the first person to walk on the moon, I imagine 297mph is like riding a skateboard. Neil sure has lived the life ....

 

Neil never ran nitro either… did it all on alcohol. He was a good friend for over 40 years.

 

And he did it without the roof rails that are mandatory today.

 

And no junk on the trunk.. He did have the air vents from under the car to behind the rear window to break up the suction lift. They were mandatory at one time too as Studebaker’s all spun at 185 mph. Today no vents and 20 sq ft of junk.

 

A bit off topic but Chisenhall (owner of Vintage Air) ran his 53 on the salt at 200mph with the air conditioner blasting out cold air. No record breaking but neat to talk about.