1951 Studebaker Champion
Pentax ME, 50mm f/2 SMC Pentax-M
Fujifilm Superia 100
2017
Being from South Bend, I’ll always stop to look at a Studebaker. I was born after the company ended operations, but long enough ago that during my childhood Studes still commonly prowled my hometown’s streets.
I’ll share much more tomorrow, but late last month I went to a giant car show in Carmel, just north of Indianapolis.
Last updated on 14 March 2020 by Jim Grey
Jim- While I am at least a generation older, Studebakers were already rare in Michigan in my early adulthood. My friend inherited a very nice ’56 Studebaker 1/2 ton pickup from his grandpa in Iowa. We had an adventure bringing it back to Michigan. A couple of years later I borrowed it to move from one town to another. Always after, my little daughter called any pickup she saw a “Studebaker”.
The trucks were pretty thin on the ground even in South Bend while I grew up there!
Being from Hamilton (home of Canada’s Studebaker plant) I concur.
Our local microbrewery installed a Hamilton built Stude pickup in their building this year.
http://lagershed.com/2016/10/28/newest-addition-to-the-shawn-ed-brewing-company-team/
It’s a non-runner but pretty cool to have it on hand.
Canadian Studes were not well received in my hometown, at least at first. After all, when the South Bend plant shut down, only the Hamilton plant still operated. And they stuck, horrors, Chevy engines in ’em.
By the 80s, however, any vehicle flying the S was finally considered part of the family.
Found it: my photo of the last Studebaker produced, a ’64 Cruiser, from Hamilton. It’s in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend.
https://jimgrey.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/img_7337-sm.jpg
You mean 66 Cruiser, gotta think like a Hamiltonian and not a South Bendite (?)
derp. Yeah. 66. And for whatever reason SB peeps call themselves Benders now.
Read the story about Studebaker on Wikipedia … thanks for pointing on that.
As so often in those days, the founders were … Germans ;)
Their changeable life is … interesting.
Ja, die Studebakers waren Deutsche! Northern Indiana saw a lot of German immigration. It’s where my family is from; my mother’s parents were both of German descent.
… and not to forget … this Champion looks beautiful ;)