History We ALL Love a DARE! PIX of TRULY Extinct Makes?

I said you were giving me too much credit! I do remember the newsletter now. I thought the front fender molding made it too obviously Cadillac that it must be something else.

 

At the Cincinnati Cavalcade this past weekend.

 

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</CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Of the Aero-Dynamic, designer Dave Holls has written: "Cadillacs were much later than 1933 in form. . . . It was fine styling -- if you hold your hand over the front end and look at the car from the back, you begin to see a fair resemblance to the Cord Beverly. . . . This was a time when Cadillac began to make bold, yet careful steps toward change, while Packard hung tenaciously onto its long heritage, making only limited changes. A lot of people went along with them at the time, but the practice established a position, and they were stuck with it, later on with disastrous results."

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</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER>Well said!!!</CENTER><CENTER>Now, REALLY, could truer words ever be spoken???</CENTER><CENTER>Some people point to the work of designers like John Tjaarda, but I think the real transformational step in miraculous design during the otherwise awful depression years came quite early in the decade -- and it came from designs just like THIS, for '34, and the likes of the '33 Pearce Silver Arrow. (BTW, Harley Earl isn't the highest on my list, BUT you have to give credit where due!)</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER>When you look at the general shape, or "look," of what constituted a "car" from about 1920 through about 1932, I think the Graham Blue Streak of '32 is about as good a car as ANY to represent the furthest and best evolution of that design ilk. My point: Relatively speaking, what constituted the "mold" of automobiles changed practically overnight! By 1937, about every new car rolling out of any factory had a one-piece turret top and wind-cheating lines. Not evolution at all but a pretty drastic shift from the earlier paradigm, wasn't it?</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER>And after the transition came, there was no going back. Design-wise, even the greatest cars of the '20s and early '30s became (at least in the eye of the lay public) era-defining artifacts.</CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

This one falls, unfortunately, into our "Never-Wuz" category of rare and extinct cars: the Studebaker Sceptre, designed by Brooks Stevens in 1963 and intended as a new Stude model for '66. Of course, in reality, Studebaker was on life support by '66 and making its last few cars, with Chevy engines, up in Canada. This ONE-AND-ONLY Sceptre resides in the Studebaker National Museum.

If anyone has a photo(s) of the Sceptre from other angles, that would be great to see. Stevens was obviously shooting for very clean yet strikingly simple lines. And it certainly appears the Sceptre would have been "in step" with Detroit offerings for '66.



<SMALL>This photo was sourced through the Wikimedia Commons project and is the property of the rights holder. There are certain accreditation requirements associated with any republication. And, please support Wikipedia, the Online Encyclopedia, as well as the Wikimedia Commons project! Sincere thanks to both!</SMALL>

 

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=1287 height=100><TBODY><TR><TD height=100 width=936><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=936 height=100><TBODY><TR><TD height=60 width=936><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=936 background=construction/eggshell_fill.jpg height=60><TBODY><TR><TD class=head height=60 vAlign=bottom width=819 align=middle>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Studebaker – Sceptre Concept Car[/FONT]</TD><TD height=60 width=60></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD height=100 width=234><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=234 height=100><TBODY><TR><TD width=234 align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=1287><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=117><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=117><TBODY><TR><TD width=117><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/left.lbi" --><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=117><TBODY><TR><TD height=36 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=18 width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD height=36 width=117></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- #EndLibraryItem --></TD></TR><TR><TD width=117><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/trivia.lbi" --><!-- #EndLibraryItem --></TD></TR><TR><TD width=117></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD vAlign=top background=construction/eggshell_fill.jpg width=936 align=middle><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=702 align=center height=40><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=6 cellPadding=0 width=702><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=344>
1963 Studebaker Sceptre front view.

1963 Studebaker Sceptre rear view.

1962 Studebaker Hawk concept car.
</TD><TD vAlign=top width=340>The Studebaker Sceptre concept car was designed in 1963 by Brooks Stevens. Though conservative in most ways, the Sceptre had an oversized front windshield and a full-front width headlamp treatment that was not seen on production cars until many years later. Stevens also designed concepts for the 1962 GT Hawk. The Sceptre and Hawk concepts were done at the same time and are surprisingly similar. The Sceptre was intended as a possible 1966 model so it could be considered the last Studebaker. Shown below is the Sceptre on exhibit at the new Studebaker National Museum in South bend, Indiana. Both the Sceptre and Hawk concepts are clearly a departure from Studebaker's Loewy-influenced designs of the fifties. What a shame that a production version of this car was not in the Studebaker showrooms when the Avanti arrived.

The Sceptre in the Studebaker National Museum.
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goobtard says:

I used to be the weekend curator at the Brooks Stevens Auto Museum (home of this and many other Stevens-designed cars) in Milwaukee while I was in college. This is a prototype designed for Studebaker called the Sceptre. It is from 1963, and features a single full-width fluorescent headlight, tinted plexi rear-quarter windows, and those globes on the dash are the instruments. They are read much like a dash compass.

Each side of the car was unique, with one side representing the standard trim, and the other the deluxe version. This is the standard side.

 

1962-1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide

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1. <LI sizset="59" sizcache="29">Introduction to the 1962-1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk <LI sizset="60" sizcache="29">Financial Problems at Studebaker in the 1960s
2. Developing the 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

1. <LI sizset="62" sizcache="29">Design of the 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk <LI sizset="63" sizcache="29">Under the Hood of the 1962, 1963, 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk <LI sizset="64" sizcache="29">1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk Models
2. See more »
   • The Final Days of the 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
   • See all Studebaker articles

The Final Days of the 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

<!-- dtl_id=467916 //-->Inside the 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk, three-point rotating door handles -- similar in design to the steering wheel -- set a futuristic theme. The ribbed metallic/vinyl seats helped keep one's body cool and comfortable. The instrument strip and console leaned in a curve toward the driver. Four instruments were located in clear plastic hemispheres aligned in a row on the dash, clearly visible from any position. Behind them, on a pedestal, the angle of the slide-rule-style speedometer could be adjusted to suit the driver.

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©2007 Publications International, Ltd.
The Gran Turismo Hawk replacement, the Sceptre featured many innovations, but came too late to save Studebaker -- only one prototype was built. </CENTER>
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On the passenger side, a spacious lighted-mirror vanity case could be pulled forward for convenience. The Sceptre was not only beautiful, it was designed to be practical, both for the owner and for the ease of manufacture. Stevens had paid careful attention to saving tooling dollars; interchangeability of parts and a reduction in the number of manufacturing dies were vital because of Studebaker's limited funds. Thus, doors were made as mirror images of each other and trunk lids and hoods were the same, keeping the number of unique stampings to a minimum.


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Only 1,767 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawks were made.
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But it was already too late. Sherwood Egbert fell ill with cancer. He had surgery, recovered, relapsed, and finally had to resign (tragically, he died soon after, at an early age). Studebaker's money was so low by now that the writing was clearly on the wall.

The Gran Turismo Hawk was dropped for the 1965 model year. In fact, it never finished out 1964 -- Studebaker had quit production in South Bend in December 1963 to consolidate operations in its Hamilton, Ontario, plant. No matter how beautiful the car, how spectacular its performance, or how much praise the critics heaped on it -- and they did -- buyers were afraid to buy what might become an "orphan." Total sales of the Gran Turismo Hawk for all three seasons reached only 15,736, including export models. Compare that to 92,843 Thunderbirds in 1960 and over 40,000 Buick Rivieras for 1963.


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The Studebaker Sceptre prototype featured modernistic styling, slab sides, and wall-to-wall interior lighting.
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After South Bend closed, Brooks Stevens carried on with minor face-lifts for the Lark and Wagonaire, the only cars Studebaker still produced. He was able to bring off some minor wonders, and he had earlier managed to introduce his dashboard vanity and the sliding rear station wagon roof of the Turin prototype, but that was about it.

Ironically, Studebaker's death struggle and Sherwood Egbert's herculean efforts to keep it in the car business provided two wonderful automobiles: Loewy's Avanti and Stevens' Gran Turismo Hawk. Stevens can be proud that the simple, elegant beauty of his Gran Turismo Hawk will always have appeal because of its purity of line. Had Egbert survived to take Stevens' Sceptre and the other two cars to production, perhaps Studebaker would have recovered and still be building cars today. The working prototypes survive and can be seen "in the flesh" at the Brooks Stevens Museum in Mequon, Wisconsin. Looking at them, one can tell that Studebaker had been at yet one more crossroad -- and had chosen the wrong turn.

 

Studebaker National Museum Opens Prototype Exhibit
<!--END Page Title --><!--BEGIN Content Body //-->May 16, 2008


SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Studebaker National Museum recently opened a new exhibit entitled “What Might Have Been: Prototypes” in its special exhibit gallery. The display will be shown until Sept. 15, 2008, exhibiting seldom-seen vehicles featuring alternative designs, radical styling and experimental engineering. Featured are design proposals and prototypes from the 1950s and 1960s that possibly could have been the Studebakers of the future.






Prototype Studebaker cars and art, such as this Champion, will be in a new display at the Studebaker museum.

Three Brook Stevens prototypes will be featured: the 1964 Wagonaire proposal, 1965 sedan and the Sceptre show car of the 1960s. The Sceptre was expected to usher in a new generation of Studebakers with its impressive, futuristic design. It would have been the most modern car on the road in 1966, the year it was planned to go into production.

Other prototypes on display include the 1956 Packard Predictor, a 1954 styling proposal from Robert Bourke, a 1964 Avanti four-door proposal and a behind-the-scenes look at the 1947 Studebaker woodie wagon prototype restoration.

In conjunction with the “What Might Have Been: Prototypes” exhibit, the museum will be conducting a design contest. Original design submissions must be completed by Aug. 4 for consideration. For further information about the contest, contact Tony Smith at 574-235-9714 or tsmith@studebakermuseum.org.

For more information, call the museum at 574-235-9714 or 888-391-5600, or go to www.studebakermuseum.org

 

HJ, I have a special place in my heart for Studebaker. They weathered so many storms and TWICE lost their leader, in equally tragic ways.

I'll venture that NO company EVER retreaded, reworked and reskinned older models as well as Stude managed to pull off! Arguments welcome!

Having fallen in love with a '62 Hawk Coupe T/T four-speed, I have to say that Stevens' final update was (without being an actual NEW car) nothing short of superb -- despite the fact that the chassis went back to 1953 !!!

 

QUOTE HJ: Ironically, Studebaker's death struggle and Sherwood Egbert's herculean efforts to keep it in the car business provided two wonderful automobiles: Loewy's Avanti and Stevens' Gran Turismo Hawk. Stevens can be proud that the simple, elegant beauty of his Gran Turismo Hawk will always have appeal because of its purity of line. Had Egbert survived to take Stevens' Sceptre and the other two cars to production, perhaps Studebaker would have recovered and still be building cars today. The working prototypes survive and can be seen "in the flesh" at the Brooks Stevens Museum in Mequon, Wisconsin. Looking at them, one can tell that Studebaker had been at yet one more crossroad -- and had chosen the wrong turn. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Jimi: HJ, these words are elegant and true. BUT, that final line puzzles me. WHAT was the wrong turn???

 

Not my words. I think the author meant that they were not put into production. IMHO

 

QUOTE: I think the author meant that they were not put into production.

Jimi: Thanks, HJ. Yes, that's what he meant, though he went for drama, rather than clarity. And that's a mistake of choice nowadays for many journalists -- just watch the TV news, and you can see standards went into the shitter sometime back.

I agree with him on the Sceptre. Given all the features & appointments, fresh gimmicks and spare, clean lines, I think this might have worked -- if ONLY Stude could break out of their eternal problem of high production costs = high sticker price. (By production time, it would have been a tad more refined, too. But moot point, since tme had run out.)

As MUCH as I loved Stevens' Hawk GT update, I must disagree, and the actual sales figures tell the story, so it's not a matter of speculation. Cool as they really were, not enough people were gonna buy a warmed-over Hawk to make any black ink of measure for Studebaker. That was a desperate, last-minute effort at a vain hope. The few hundred buyers who actually went for them, well, no more need be said about Hawk consumer demand.

Now, all that's said as someone who loved the make and the model. I saw them with McCullough superchargers. I saw them with all series of Avanti engines in them, too.

The real-world saving grace, I feel, was the Avanti. The following (led by Andy Granatelli) just stayed alive, even after all other Studes were antiques. In that respect, the futuristic Avanti reminds me of the '36 Auburn speedster and Cord 810/812s.

A design just TOO fine to be allowed to die!!!

 

This 2001 Avanti convertible is thanks to UltimateCarPage.com, and the photo was shot by Wouter Mellisen. With each iteration, the Avanti keeps evolving -- headlamps, corners, bumpers, etc. It's always the Avanti, but not the first version. Months ago (before the recession started) there was a company in (I think) Colorado looking for potential investors and buyers to, well, DO IT AGAIN!

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Page 59 Post 1162

Studebaker Motor Company Out To Build The Best Vehicle On The Road
Studebaker Motor Company



http://www.studebakermotorcompany.com/

This sounds like Tucker reincarnated. The only items for sale are shirts and caps!

Since Studebaker is a start-up company, which requires a lot of time and money, and we have yet to receive funding, I have not given up my day job as a commercial real estate broker in metro Denver. Mostly I sell business opportunities like motels, restaurants, truck stops, gas stations, convenience stores and liquor stores, see www.ricreedrealty.com.

My intentions are to continue visiting and learning first-hand from experienced car people who are in the industry now, or recently retired from the Detroit auto industry. This past year I attended the SEMA convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada (October 30-November 2) and was amazed at the number of display booths, attendees, and manufacturers from all over the globe, mostly US and China, but still, impressive representation from other countries.

Nearly everyone likes the idea that Studebaker is attempting a comeback. You’d think that only the older folks remember Studebaker, not so. I discovered members of younger generations know the Studebaker brand name. It’s really amazing! I met hundreds of grown men and women who shed tears when they saw my name badge ‘Studebaker Motor Company.’ These wonderful emotions mirror the emotions I witnessed from people in Detroit and all over southwest United States this last year (I took several road trips) (wearing my Studebaker shirt and spreading the word of Studebaker’s plan to come back). I wanted to see what people want. I found out…

My former partner (Tom Raines) has the gift of gabbiness (so to speak) and arranged for me to meet with some very important people in the auto industry while I was at the SEMA show. I met with car designers, engineers, aluminum panel makers, parts manufacturers and distributors, an American race winner, vehicle manufacturers, acoustic specialists, engine manufacturers, carpet manufactures, and more. For sure, my Rolodex has definitely increased!

Because of relationships formed at SEMA, a few weeks after the show I traveled to Detroit and met with SuperForm USA, Tesla Motors, Mayflower/CVT, GVS Corp. I’m also developing a working relationship with Panoz Auto, whom I respect as a niche automaker. Many discussions of vehicle platforming, and other discussions pertaining to advantages and disadvantages of SMC’s versus aluminum skins for prospective gas-electric and diesel-electric hybrid concept-to-production cars. I've met, and continue to meet with engineering firms to discuss the relative feasibility and costs of concept design, engineering, prototyping, safety and crash testing, EPA certifications of the Studebaker Lark within a reasonable time period (plans of limited production in North America the first year or so). This will be a small, yet roomy gas or diesel-electric series hybrid sedan. I don’t know the base retail price yet, however, I’m in discussions with a newly formed green platform manufacturing company in Detroit, and should zero in on costs relatively soon.

If you haven’t read the Overview page yet, please do so, as it briefly explains my plans to make scooters in Step One, then progress to the Studebaker Lark in Steps Two and Three, followed by the Hawk, President and Champ in Steps Four and Five. If you have comments or ideas that Studebaker may benefit from, contact reed@studebakermotorcompany.com.
Cordially,

Ric W. Reed
President, CEO & Chairman
Studebaker Motor Company Inc
7155 Newton Street, suite 4, Westminster, Colorado 80030
STUDEBAKER MOTOR COMPANY, "A Time Honored Name, A New Company for the Future"

 

Here's another -- albeit more RECENT -- never-was car: the Gullickson-attempted revival of the old Packard marque. About 2003, Mr. Gullickson of Phoenix promoted the idea and sought backing to do it as a sort of high-end "retro" car -- I suppose, like the Stutz and Deusenberg of the '60s and early '70s. The prototype car had a fuel-injected 525-CID V-12 and was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance of '03. Gullickson reportedly gave up the project and now lives in Canada. The prototype was offered on eBay in mid-2008.

Really, you can't blame a guy for trying, but even the "Pack-a-bakers" of '57/'58 couldn't recapture much measure of the Packard magic lost when the factory was boarded up in July 1956. If you include the final two "Packards" made off of Stude lines, Packard was officially marketed for 60 straight seasons in the business, beginning, of course, 1899.




Maybe something somewhere between
this '55 "Request" and the above?

 

Quote: This sounds like Tucker reincarnated. The only items for sale are shirts and caps!

Jimi: Yup, that's the spiel I remember reading. Not to rain on anybody's parade, but it takes way more ($$$) thna a sincere interest in builidng cars to make it happen in reality (and in sufficient quantity, quality and a motivated distribution and service network, as well).

BTW, where can I ge a Tucker cap & tee??? LOL!!!

 

The Packard Request is an interesting story. I tried googling it up but couldn't find anything worthwhile. It was presumed lost for many years but found in a garage somewhere. I thought they did a good job of integrating the classic Packard grill into an 1955 car.

 

BTW, where can I ge a Tucker cap & tee??? LOL!!!

http://www.shop.fashionstinks.com/shirts/movieshirts.kaptainmyke.1754711+tucker-motor-corp


Tucker Cap


Classic Tucker '48 Ash Grey T-Shirt


Tucker Classic Thong

 

Now THAT is freakin' funny !!!



(If you flip it over, does it feature Preston's
likeness on the rear?)

 

AlsAncle, THANKS for that info! It's sad, sometimes, that so much work went into a lot of these demo/concept/show cars and, then, many were summarily chopped up or simply "got lost." Great to hear this nice car got saved, as it should be restored to drivng condition, kept in a museum for all to see AND get out and drive once or twice a year on beautiful, sunny days!

I thank the Lord for quality museums and serious collectors that maintain our automotive heritage -- mostly without assistance from taxpayer funds. But (save for funding!) it would surely be great if a goal were to be: to get every car out and drive it once in a while (I think thats a sort of goal of Jay Leno, to keep everything in driving condition, too).



I agree with you about the classic-style grille, curving under. WOW. I only think that the designers got carried away on the front bumper! Huh? The grille strikes a great balance between the imposing and the aquiline. The BUMPER is WAY, WAY too heavy and massively DETRACTS from the visual focus, which SHOULD be on the pleasing grille. If somebody could PhotoShop the OUTER portion of the double-bumper OUT and just leave the Dagmars and the two central-horizontal side pieces, I'd love to see the effect THEN! Could be VERY nice.

 

Oh, I wanted to add, you're the only person I've talked with who really LIKES this model. Myself, I always thought it had potential to be MUCH more attractive than lots of other '55/'56 Packards (save for the Caribbean and, maybe, the 400).

 

As the mid-1950s drew nigh, FoMoCo was still a privately owned company and, having won the number-two automaker position from Chrysler Corp., was in a position to think outside the box a bit, even take some chances! Besides beginning planning for the all-new Edsel line, Ford spun off Continental from Lincoln, as a separate corporate division and marque in its own right (shades of Imperial around the same era).

For 1956 and 1957, Continental built a world-class car of classic style and grace, a mostly handmade car so time-consuming to build that the finished car, priced around $10,000, cost about twice as much as a Cadillac. Like the greatest cleassics of the '20s and early '30s, the Continental was unabashedly aimed at buyers of significant "means." Among the entertainers and luminaries with spare cash for these elegant cars were Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Louie Prima, Spike Jones, Howard Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Kaiser(!), the Shah of Iran and President Sukarno of Indonesia.

By Ford's own account, they lost $1,000 on each of the 2,550 '56 Continental Mark IIs built. But the company was apparently willing to lose $1,000 a car for the prestige it might lend the company. And, one assumes, there was hope for, eventually, a luxury niche to make the Mark II actually profitable. When Ford went public in later '56, this practice -- and the Mark II -- were put on a fast track out of town. (For the record, 462 Mark IIs were built as 1957s, though there was virtually no difference between the two cars.)

The division had even had a retractable hardtop drawn up, and the hardware had been developed! Runaway production and development costs, however, resulted in the hardware for the project being transferred to Ford where it was used for the '57 through '59 Skyliners. So, one might say that the '56 Mark II was a retractable hardtop that NEVER WAS!

As it was, however, two '56 Continentials were custom-converted to convertible form by Hess and Eisenhardt. Barry's car, below, was the first Mark II so customized for the Continental Division. This is such a significant car that the owner has a website and more photos! See more at CarDomain. Member "Barry" (Barry's Custom Garage) apparently resides in Farmington Hills, MI. He is rightly -- and obviously -- very proud of the beautiful car, and it has been featured in MANY venues, garnering as much attention as a movie star. If you want to fall off your chair ogling all the great visuals on the superb car, I started at www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/lincoln.htm and after their own write-up, they provide a link to the proud owner's own website. If you love cars, a visit there MIGHT just make your day!

To come clean, I have an ulterior motive here, though a benign one! First, anyone else have sharp pix of one or both of these cars. The Mark II is one of THOSE rare cars that literally looks good from ANY angle -- and not many cars can escape at least SOME little criticism.

Secondly, many -- myself included -- feel that the Mark II, for a lots of reasons, should be grand-fathered in as a true American CLASSIC car. Anybody have thoughts to add???



Sincere thanks to owner Barry and CarDomain for both of these photos.

 

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Sincere thanks is expressed to HowStuffWorks (Publications International, Inc.), source of this Mark II schematic.

 

As we've discussed, Vigil Exner was, in retirement, instrumental in the resurrection of the Stutz marque. To the best of my recollection, this was the only reasonably successful retread of a long-defunct make. Singer Dean Martin may have been the most avid fan, buying THREE Stutz Blackhawks -- one of which he made EXTINCT by seriously wrecking it. His three were only equaled by Elvis Presley.

Monied entertainers seemed to comprise the majority of modern Stutz buyer base. Stutz owners included: Elvis, Wayne Newton, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Evel Knievel, among others, rich but not so famous. Surprisingly for a man who had owned Cadillacs since becoming rich and famous in 1956 (and who had a serious special-interest auto collection), Elvis said the first Stutz was his favorite of ALL cars he'd ever owned. (As one who has owned or driven the Tempest, LeMans and Grand Priz, I can certainly see some aspects of his satisfaction.)

The new Stutzes were built, officially, for individuals on a custom basis. In fact, no two were exactly alike. Based on the excellent Pontiac Grand Prix chassis and drive train, the bodywork for new Stutzes was done in Milan, Italy. Quite apparently, not all of the ostentatious style touches on the new Stutzes were intended to appeal to average auto buyers! Retro side pipes and Continental-style spare-tire impression on the trunklid included! Myself, I feel the fog lamps (or whatever they are) have a very tacky look for a car that cost nearly $70,000!!!

To the best of my recollection, the new Stutz was basically a phenominon of the early to mid-'70s. An earlier effort to resurrect the Duesenberg, with styling also strongly influenced by Exner, reportedly did not catch on with many buyers.



Quarter-view of Martin's Stutz shows some of interesting style
features. To see more shots of Dean Martin's Stutzes, please
go to www.madle.org/edean.htm


This car was owned by Martin and was purchased directly
from him by a private party.

 

Re: the Packard Request.

You know I never really noticed those bumpers until you mentioned it Jim. They did get a bit carried away. I'm not a huge fan of Packard styling in the 50s save the 53/54 Caribbeans.

 

Al, how about a pea-green '52 Pan America??? This just grows on me the more I study it over.



'52 Packard Pan America roadster concept. The car, though well received
by management, was too expensive to produce, in order to market it successfully,
and the Caribbean was the eventual alternative choice. Only a car with such
nice lines could ever make pea-green paint look THIS good! For more
Packard concept cars, see Randall Glover's "Packard Concept Cars" at
Automotive History Online.

 

The PanAmerican would be at the top of my list but I wasn't including the "show" cars. I'm really a big fan of the straight 8, but ultimately I think the lack of a V8 really doomed Packard. There are a couple of threads on the Hamb that go into more detail (and will argue the v8 point).

 

AlsAncle, NObody respects an informed opinion, or personal taste, more than I do.

But actually, I can and do find fault with EVERY series of post-war Packard. Though Packard was a solid company, I feel they tended toward the traditional, often only embracing change when the horse was out of the barn and various opportunities had been missed (dumping the prestigious V-12 too soon and getting on the OHV V-8 bandwagon too late -- not to mention the fatal blunder of buying Studebaker -- JUST to name a few miscues).

The '48 - '50, my favorite, but far from ground-breaking, looked as ordinary as a Nash or Hudson, etc., not to mention putting off trad. Packard clientelle. Though the "High Pockets" Packards could look nice when decked out at higher prices, the "work-strike" cars looked ho-hum. And though I like the Caribbens and 400s of '55 and '56, the styling was already a step behind, with quality control issues and vicious rumors swirling.

LOTS of theorie -- as well as spot-on criticisms -- have been cited to explain Packard's decline and death. I feel that there are some cold, hard facts that have as much to do with the changing auto market and the American consumer as anything that Packard brains ever did. To that end, Packard began to wither during the '30s, as they shifted more production to profitable lower-priced cars. Surely, that kept them in the black and fostered survival when all independent luxury car makers bit the dust. But, hard-bitten luxury PACKARD buyers were put off, now that the NAME did NOT carry the exclusive appeal it had previously!

Further eroding Packard's sales, after the war, I see a definite trend by other companies -- in particular, Lincoln and Mercury -- quickly to adopt Packard style cues. If you doubt it, just look at the models from about '49 through '58 or so. They say imitation is the finest form of flattery, but when it cost Packard badly needed sales, it's a shame. Here you had, perhaps, the finest of the original independents, now on the ropes, and many of the style cues meant to set Packard apart in the consumer's eye start to appear on cheaper cars by other companies. I rest my case.

 

AlsAncle, you are so right. But Packard was RIGHT that their various versions of their straight eights WERE still excellent and compeitive engines. They proved as much with the Packard Panther/Daytona time trials at Daytona Beach.

Where Packard management missed the boat is in failing to recognize that perception is reality for 9 of 10 people. If the PUBLIC felt that the straight eight was old hat, well, THAT was their REALITY. As PERCEPTION goes, there go the dollars. Marketing and advertising issues. Again, a shame, but Packard should have seen the emerging problem much sooner.

(It's just as bad as Kaiser BUYING Continental, THUS, tying Kaiser cars down to nothing bigger than a Super Hurricane 226-CID six -- when the whole industry was offering big- then small-block OVH V-8s. Sheesh. Kaiser was surely single-minded, eh?)

 

Got your point there, AlsAncle. Yeah, if -- magically -- all production Packards could look as good as the show cars (AND have V-8s available, too!), gosh, what a difference we might have seen in terms of volume of ownership !!!