Studebaker and romance? Who says they can’t go together? The brand may have been on the ropes by the early ’60s, but in these images, it certainly was selling the idea that if you were up for a dandy good time, Studebaker was the ride to have. We’ll start with this double date on a night out, riding ’62s; a Lark Hardtop and a Gran Turismo Hawk. And how fashion-conscious of these party-goers to leave in color coordinated cars.
This ’63 Lark Regal is shown in a rather evocative image; a carefully lighted scene, with a gently courtship at play. Of the lot, this is my favorite shot. I can easily see myself playing such a role, while trying to be ‘Umbrellas Of Cherbourg’ romantic. Without the French singing, of course.
This image has it all: a content couple, a red ’62 Lark Daytona Hardtop, and puppies in an idyllic setting. Talking about puppies, nowadays most women I know would rather be with the pups than the guy. After all, can anyone really compete against puppies?
Is there a date or a work meeting happening on this ’60 Regal Convertible? I honestly can’t tell, though I suspect it’s the latter. If so, I don’t have work meetings like that, nor do I want to.
This is one I’m not sure about. What was Studebaker trying to say? Yes, nice ’61 Lark Cruiser in the image, but what’s up with the fuzzy and ghostly wedding couple? A statement of sorts? Something about the transient nature of commitments? Maybe I’m just too happy with my marriage to fully understand it.
Let’s leave qualms aside and finish with another happy couple, this time next to a ’62 Lark Cruiser. So, are Studebakers romantic rides? I’m not entirely sold, but with a bit of French singing and misty rain added, the picture would be complete.
Must just be the twisted way my mind works, but in the first picture, I believe the couple on the right is trying to convince the couple on the left to try the swinger lifestyle. The lady in purple seems amenable, but her husband has a problem with the idea.
If that’s the case, we can easily imagine which couple belongs to which car.
And with all those headlights left on what are the chances only one would start and they would all have to leave together.
I’m not seeing it… Let’s assess the body language here: lady in purple responding to man on right’s suggestion by pulling away and clinging to her husband’s arm. He’s the only one here whose arms are not outstretched, with one of them behind his back or in his pocket – a classic closed posture that suggests he doesn’t want to be approached. Lady in red is also not amused and pulling her man towards her. Despite strategically positioning himself between the two women, he’s clearly the only one here who’s up for that sort of arrangement. Bottom line: So not gonna happen…
Looking at the body language I’d say that it’s clear just who woofed down all of the garlic bread at supper. It’s strange that the archaic fender vent is open on the GT Hawk to draw attention to it. In 1962 that vent might as well have been a rumble seat. The Thunderbird lost them in 1958.
Photographing the more modern-looking, very clean, and near timeless design Gran Turismo Hawk side by side, with the dated-looking Lark Daytona, perhaps wasn’t the best look for the Lark.
Agreed, but the amazing thing is that both cars’ basic design date back to 1953, and the Lark had been updated much more often and more thoroughly in the intervening time. It shows how elegant and timeless the ’53 hardtop coupes really were.
A detail I always spot with car design, is the unattractiveness of upright windshields. The Citroen DS as modern as it looked in the late ’50s, would have looked significantly more futuristic, with a more swept, and sleek windshield angle. The notably more modern greenhouse on the Hawk, another big advantage here. Besides the lower profile, and cleaner body design. The large, exposed steering wheel on the Lark, looks clumsy. Keen styling observers saw/see all this. The ‘kickup’ in the chrome beltline trim in the rear doors of the last two photo examples, had the effect of simulating the look of tailfins. A mistake.
The lead photo highlights the design deficiencies of the Lark, as much as anything.
The pic with the yellow convertible looks straight out of the 1940’s.
Every angle, every design cue says it’s a leftover from another era.
Or a later one, with its’ nice big wheels pushed out as far as possible to the corners. The opposite of the elephant-on-roller-skates look most domestic ’59s had (the other exceptions were the senior Ramblers and to a lesser extent the Wide-Track Pontiacs).
It may be just me, but does anyone else think that in the last one, the 1962 Lark Cruiser has taken on a bit of extra length in an artistic-license attempt to make the rather stubby looking Lark appear just a little bit sleek?
The Lark did get a butt extension in 1962, along with the grille being pulled forward some, and four inches of added wheelbase previously restricted to the top-line model (and taxicabs). But in that picture the reflection under the rear window wraparound area makes the trunk lid look longer than it really is. Similarly the reflection under the wraparound windshield makes the hood look longer. Even with those illusions though, it looks a tad stretched to me too.
Um, no. The Lark “Cruiser” was actually longer than standard Lark 4-door sedans. Introduced for the 1961 model year, the “Lark Cruiser” had a 4-inch longer wheelbase (and overall length) than standard Lark sedans to provide more rear seat leg room.
That was true in 1961, but in 1962-1966 all Lark sedans went to the long wheelbase. Wagons also used the long wheelbase, while coupes, hardtops, and convertibles stuck with the shorter wheelbase.
1953 Loewy Studebaker coupe shouldn’t have been put into production because it killed Studebaker. We love it, but the design forced Studebaker to double their costs for essentially the same car. The coupe didn’t have any flexibility to become a sedan or a wagon, and no one would want a Champ coupe when they could have a Hawk, right? The Loewy coupe cost Studebaker dearly, preventing the company from creating a much needed Lark replacement, even as the Hawk’s popularity forced the company into creating entry-level Hawks to keep sales alive. Studebaker needed a “Come to Romney” moment by 1955 and kill off the coupe so that the company could be saved. (Romney killed off Nash and Hudson to save AMC with Rambler – and still came close to losing everything by 1958.) Studebaker needed to have done the same thing within their own brand.
What kind of nerd would buy a two door Lark over a Hawk? What kind of nerd would buy the car peddled around the country as a cheap Taxi? Honestly, a K-Car version of the Imperial was more convincing than the Packards and Presidents coming out of South Bend.
Love the Coupe all you want – but it killed Studebaker within only a few years.
Should have rejiggered the product line.
“Studebaker” swb (fleet only)
“Studebaker” lwb taxi
Champion 6/8 swb sedans/wagon (base/Custom trim)
Commander 6/8 lwb 4dr (like Champ Custom)
Land Cruiser 8 deluxe lwb 4dr
Lark 6/8 post coupe (like Champ Custom)
Hawk 8 deluxe hardtop
Conestoga 8 deluxe wagon
I think your right, and it looks better with the extra length.
The Lark as romantic? Oof!
The Hawk by all means, but wouldn’t you really rather have a Pontiac (showing Aaron 65’s photo from yesterday)
The couple with the yellow ’60 Regal Convertible are not having a business meeting. They just flew in on his twin engine private plane and are plotting their further route in the Lark on something called a “map”. Probably on their way to a ball or something at a country club.
A map is a folding paper thing with roads and things marked on it.
The actual number of Lark owning twin engine private plane owners was approximately zero.
The blurred people in the second last pic, was popularly used later in ’60s and ’70s movies, to simulate the effects of alcohol, or drugs. Photographer was probably going for the abstract look of a watercolour-washed background.
The second car in the first pic shoudl have been an Avanti
Random thoughts, one pic at a time:
– The photo of the two couples dancing out to their two white Studes is the sort of image I’ve never seen outside of brochures. In real life, those cars would have been towed hours earlier since they’re blocking everyone else from leaving (it does look like whatever event they were attending ended hours ago – where is everyone else?). If our foursome were only inside for a few minutes, they would have parked the cars just outside the front door under the portico.
– The couple with the umbrellas better hope their car starts after being left out in the rain with the lights on. This is one of those images I can’t tell whether it’s a photo or a drawing, or some heavily airbrushed hybrid of the two. Also, look at that Lark Regal sedan and tell me that wasn’t designed to look like a Mercedes…
– The red ’62 hardtop, despite being bright red, gets lost behind the puppies. If you want to draw attention to your car, don’t put it behind puppies!
– The yellow convertible – yeah, right. Anyone who can afford their own plane doesn’t drive a Lark.
– The black ’61 Lark, yeah that looks strange and creepy. It appears to have been made by rubbing a wet print with a finger up and down until it was sufficiently smudged. The car looks like it was pasted over it afterwards.
– The ’62 Lark Cruiser – another umbrella, only this time it’s not raining. Huh?
Lead in pic would have been improved if one of the cars was “red out, white in”. The “ghost wedding pic” appears to be protecting identities..H’mm
Weddings are all about creating a new identity.
The building in the lead photo is rather a grand structure. Is it a hotel? Conference center? Church? Corporate headquarters? It has a very distinct mid-century architecture. I wonder if it still exists?
The couple with the plane are clearly plotting where to go to get away from the international spy ring chasing them after they stole the super secret plans to a perpetual motion machine.
The wedding scene is a real head scratcher. Black is usually associated with funerals, not weddings. Nor is the car one most would aspire to drive off from their wedding in. It makes me think the people are intended to be ghosts perpetually reliving a nuptial tragedy.
The first photo was definitely taken in Palm Springs, CA, though I cannot find the location. It may have been remodeled, as the area has been trying to minimize ornamental fountains, to save water from evaporating away.
When Studebaker lopped off some of the front and back to make the Lark, they should have shortened the body vertically by a few inches. They would have looked better if they weren’t so stubby. The Gran Turismo Hawk is gorgeous. They should have made a convertible.
Top shot: Hey girls, Bob and I got really drunk earlier this afternoon and he bet me we couldn’t find a matching pair of Studebakers. I won! . . . Oh, wait . . .
Red Daytona on the bridge: “Sweetheart, I keep telling you that you have to look at the little needle over the word “fuel” every once in awhile. That’s why the car stopped on the bridge.
None of these couples will look so happy in a couple years when they find out there are no longer any Studebaker dealers to service their cars.
These pics bring out something weird in the Brooks Stevens revisions. The rear wheel opening flares upward instead of fading downward. There’s no “rule” against it, but it just looks wrong.
As a high schooler in the mid eighties, I can definitively state that driving a Studebaker to school was a romance killer. Studebaker also was using the romance advertising in 48/49
The last photo of the ’62 Cruiser in light blue/silver looks really nice to me. would be interesting to try a test drive in this car.
Did anyone else notice how bad the body panel gaps are in the 2nd photo? I could practically insert a finger between the front clip and front fender, or between the front fender and front door.
There seem to be a number of ‘touch-up’ flaws in several pics. Check out the rear bumper end in the third pic, featuring the red Daytona. It appears unusually shaped, and angled downward.