CC reader Murilo sent me a link to an ad for a rather unusual vehicle. It’s called a “Barbada Studebaker Surburban”. Let’s take it from the top: On line translators suggest that “barbada” is most often used in relation to facial hair, but one of them also used it in the context of “a bargain”. I’m going to guess that’s the one that applies here. Its asking price equals 4,450 USD, so for a “Raro Modelo”, that may be a bargain. Or is it bearded?
Murilo sent me this with the question as to whether this body came from the factory. My answer is almost certainly not, as Studebaker never offered a Suburban style body, or even a panel van. So this was undoubtedly coach-built, but that was hardly uncommon back then. Lots of special-purpose vehicles were built by a variety of coach-builders, and this looks like one of them. And it’s a bit hard to tell, but it rather looks like there’s a rear door on this one.
The better question is whether this body was built in the US or Brazil. I have no clue, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was built in Brazil. Brazil and Argentina have a long history of building pickup-based utility vehicles, as they were much better suited to the difficult conditions outside of the few big cities. Needless to say, if any of you have any further insights, please speak up.
In the lower part of the ad, the Marca (brand) is identified as “Chevrolet”. Well, that’s obviously not right. And it keeps being referred to as “bearded”. Or not.
Any way you look at it, it certainly is a “Raro Modelo”. Quite possibly the only one left in the world. Now who wants to adopt and resurrect the only bearded Chevrolet Studebaker Suburban?
Hard to see in the photo, but it almost looks like the grill assembly has been welded to the fenders. In a production model, these assemblies would not have been welded. Although this is referred to as a 1950 model, that particular grill assembly was not introduced on US models until the 1954’s came out. If the base vehicle really is a 1950 model, it looks like the modifications were done some time later using whatever parts might have been available.
According to a brief truck history on the Studebaker Drivers Club website (http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/studebakertruckhistory.asp ), “At various times, there were Studebaker assembly plants in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, Israel, the Philippines, India, South Africa, Brazil, Denmark, Sweden, and Egypt.” Completely knocked down (CKD) kits were crated and shipped to these plants where they were assembled for local sale.
I have seen pictures of ambulances and panel vans on these Stude trucks in other markets and it would not surprise me at all if this were a locally fabricated custom, or maybe one of a small run. Though the attached photo is from Europe and not Brazil or South America, such things were rare but not unheard of.
One curiosity is that the front end of this truck says 1955-56 to me, but it could have been updated with newer sheetmetal either for stylistic reasons or as a collision repair, as they were interchangeable. A 1950 truck would look like the one below.
The rear portion of the body reminds me of the Chevrolet Amazona. But I guess it is only style coincidence
Wow the Chevy Amazonas (with an S apparently if what I read online is correct) is new to me. It’s like they were in on the SUV trend 35 years early.
Is just Amazona, without the “s.” And it was the Brazilian Suburban, basically a 3 door wagon on the Chevrolet Brasil pickup chassis. The Chevy Brasil is our Chevy 3100 Advance Design with a restyled front end
Wow, that hood and those front fenders look like they were molded out of clay by small children. And yes, it looks like this has a 2nd door, on the right side, anyway, while the right front door is missing it’s outside door handle. To me, the most important “bits” are the engine and transmission. I wonder what this has under the hood?
Would make a great foundation for a restoration or a resto-mod.
Brazilian made Chevrolet Amazona (1959-63). Chassis from the 3100 pick-up, semi-elliptic springs front and rear. Engine 261 c.i. ohv six (Chevy or GMC). Three on the tree (early models had unsynchronized 1st and 2nd, later fully synchro). Two doors on the right, single front door at left side. Seats nine in three rows. 1500 lb payload. Grafted-on Stude grille.
No; this is not a Chevrolet with Stude grille. The hood and other front end aprts are quite distinct.
Looking at the body lines of that rear “fender” I’d say it’s a Studebaker with an Amazona body somehow grafted on. Or not. Either way it’s pretty cool.
Whatever the heck it is, I hope it gets saved .
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-Nate