This driveway shot posted by Dino S. is a superb pairing. The Studebaker coupe was the closest thing there was to a Tesla in 1953, with its shockingly low profile and sleek aerodynamics.
My CC on the ’53-’54 Studebaker Coupe is here
Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: 1953 Studebaker Coupe and Tesla M3 – The Leading Edge Cars of Their Time
– Posted on March 11, 2021
And both have (had) issues with poor panel gaps! My neighbour has a new Model Y with terrible fit and panel alignment issues. One door skin you could see slight ripples in it before he got it wrapped. While the Tesla operates well I wonder how it’s all put together underneath where you can’t see it. Tesla should up their quality issues rather than still farting around with self-driving cars.
Your neighbor should take it back or never have accepted it in the first place. My Y is excellent. It had two small issues that we didn’t note until we had it for a week which were both fixed without issue when we took it back for a service item. It would have been handled at delivery had it been noted then. No, I’m not a Tesla freak and am the first to admit there are plenty of things that can be improved on, but anyone that accepts a car with obvious issues (from any manufacturer) has themselves to blame. Period.
I’ve also reviewed brand new cars from “traditional” manufacturers with similar issues, proof that 100 years of experience doesn’t mean jack. I try to point those issues (the more egregious ones) out during my reviews. See the Cadillac CT4 review for example that is linked above in the “New Car Review” tab for multiple very specific examples.
Another happy Tesla owner that parked his old car after taking delivery and apparently hasn’t touched it since. 🙂 And provides his own charging power too, nice.
That IS a great pairing, the cars even look similar from the front in size and execution.
That would be great if the owner had used the Studebaker as a daily driver prior to getting the Tesla. Super unlikely but an interesting thought.
This photo makes me think of seeing a modern organism alongside its long ago evolutionary ancestor, say a human and an Australopithecus, and trying to piece together the intermediates in the pathway.
While I agree with the premise of leading edge in their respective eras, I would never say that the Tesla is an aesthetic milestone car like the Stude. I think it looks like an updated Renault Caravelle. Just needs a CGI Sammy Davis Jr. to endorse it!
In the nose maybe, but the overall effect is what people in 1985 thought we’d be driving in The Year 2000.
Agreed, Tesla strives because the looks are so conventional, and not “cutting edge” weird like stereotypical pre-Tesla EVs. Even the grilleless look (which came in the form of a facelift on the Model S) has been used on many mainstream designs, since even on modern ICE cars they’re mostly vestigial.
I wonder – has this pairing ever existed anywhere else in the entire world? 🙂
I am so used to old and modern cars being so different in their size (with new cars so much bulkier than their older counterparts) but these two look really evenly matched in their overall dimensions.
One thing I will note from the Stude. Is this where Toyota got the idea for droop nose look?
Eewww yuk! I can’t un-see those fender skirts on the otherwise beautiful Stude. Why, oh why?!
Great pic! And the comment is oh so true. What a stunner in 1953. I didn’t care for the finned versions but the 60’s Grand Turismo Hawk looked just as good a decade later…