[Fot] Studebaker stories

koblinger at verizon.net koblinger at verizon.net
Thu Oct 2 16:04:10 MDT 2008


Interestingly enough, Studebaker almost became the Triumph 
importer/distributor for the US. One of the prototype TR2s was even sent 
over for evaluation but they couldn't come to an agreement. Soon after 
Dorothy Deen and Arthur Anderson met Sir John Black and the rest is 
history.

For a time, Studebaker was the importer/distributor in the US for 
Mercedes-Benz.

Kurt O.

On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 12:12 PM, westerneagleracing at att.net wrote:

Bud,
In 1953 and 54 they were either Comanders (V-8) or Champions (6 cly) in 
55 they added the President and beginning in1956 they were mildly 
restyled and given various Hawk names.
It's funny but a lot of TR owners are Studebaker  lovers as well.
Ron Western Eagle Racing Jacobs
-------------- Original message from "RACER BUD" <budscars at comcast.net>: 
--------------

Thanks Bob..for the Terrific history...I am forwarding it to my 
Newsletter Group
Racer Bud
----- Original Message -----
 From: Robert Johns <mailto:rjohns at woh.rr.com> 
<mailto:rjohns at woh.rr.com>
To: RACER BUD <mailto:budscars at comcast.net> ; Steven Preiss 
<mailto:spreiss at verizon.net> ; edwardbarnard at prodigy.net 
<mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net>  <mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net>
Cc: fot at autox.team.net <mailto:fot at autox.team.net> 
<mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 7:45 PM  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Subject: Studebaker stories  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>

  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
All right guys, you have done it.  I am going to have to tell you my 
tale of woe.  Visualize this!  I was attending the Swiss Auto Club 
Racing Drivers School in Monza, Italy in 1956.  After we attended 
classes, they grouped us in classes (more like bunches) to do some 
racing.

After Studebaker had merged with Packard, they built a variation of the 
Hawk with the huge Packard engine of the day.  What did I know of such 
things?   I was stuck in Europe at the time.  Guess what they stuck in 
the class with me, one of these monsters.

Off we went, racing our little hearts out.  Me in my little TR2, the 
Stude (model?) Hawk, and several more interesting pieces of iron.  That 
Stude would blow my doors off going down the straight and I would pass 
him on the next set of curves.  Back and forth we went, and I think I 
finally got far enough ahead of him that he didn't catch me again.

Speaking of interesting iron.  That race was my first and only 
experience of running against a genuine Austin Healy S (not M,  but S). 
They were not many built, and the Importer for Switzerland had this one, 
and it ran very well,  with its cross flow head and lots of tricks.

Any ways,  that is my Studebaker story.

Bob Johns


----- Original Message -----
 From: RACER BUD <mailto:budscars at comcast.net> 
<mailto:budscars at comcast.net>
To: Steven Preiss <mailto:spreiss at verizon.net> ; 
edwardbarnard at prodigy.net <mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net> 
<mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net>
Cc: fot at autox.team.net <mailto:fot at autox.team.net> 
<mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 9:12 PM  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Non-LBC group question  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>

  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
One of my favorite cars for Style was the (I think 53 stude..Golden 
Hawk?..no fins...when the fins were added..they were literaly 
'attached')..i saw a NASCAR Hawk in a movie theater lobby promoting a 
movie which I cannot remember(mid -late 1950s)...That was one of the 
cars that added to the racing bug
Racer Bud
----- Original Message -----
 From: Steven Preiss <mailto:spreiss at verizon.net> 
<mailto:spreiss at verizon.net>
To: edwardbarnard at prodigy.net <mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net> 
<mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net>
Cc: fot at autox.team.net <mailto:fot at autox.team.net> 
<mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 2:04 AM  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Non-LBC group question  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>

  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
One of my neighborhood friends growing up was a Studebaker nut, a 
passion (or perhaps a genetic trait) no doubt inherited from his dad. 
They would work into the night in the carport on one or another of their 
cars, droplights providing a weary glow. The cars, which as I recall 
ranged from a 1950 convertible, painted red with a white top, to a sleek 
Silver Hawk with a 289 and glass packs, always seemed exotic in an 
atypical American sort of way. A buddy of theirs had what they referred 
to as 'the Studebaker farm', which was actually a small dairy farm , the 
main pasture of which was lined with over 100 Studebakers that had been 
hauled in from all over the countryside and carefully placed side by 
side around the perimeter, providing an endless supply of parts and 
projects. Martin was a somewhat laconic fellow who carpeted his cars 
with an array of carpet "chucks" gleaned from a local flooring company. 
He also was the first in our group of carpoolers to drive his own car to 
school. Some wild rides down narrow curving residential streets are 
emblazoned in my memory. One striking characteristic of the cars was the 
overdrives, activated by a little toggle switch always placed 
inconspicuously under the dash. Another was their propensity for burning 
oil, which meant that the dipstick became a familiar friend. Which leads 
me to the point. Whether a result of unintentional poor' design or 
intentional daily abuse, cans of STP were always kept in the trunks of 
the cars, along with quarts of inexpensive motor oil, giving true 
meaning to the term, "Studebaker Tested Products"!
STeve P. ----- Original Message -----
 From: EDWARD BARNARD <mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net> 
<mailto:edwardbarnard at prodigy.net>
To: ehusmann53 at yahoo.com <mailto:ehusmann53 at yahoo.com> ; 
dkettler at tcbi.com <mailto:dkettler at tcbi.com>  <mailto:dkettler at tcbi.com>
Cc: FOT <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 3:44 AM  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Non-LBC group question  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>

  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Lister's: Thank you to all that answered my question about STP. A call 
to their H.Q. public relations office this morning has revealed what we 
should assume is the truth. The STP does stand for Scientifically 
Treated Petroleum. The Wiki reference to it standing for Studebaker 
Tested Products is in fact true. The company did tie their name to the 
product for a short time until Andy G. took over. But, the Wiki 
reference to King Richard no longer being a spokeperson for the company 
is false. According to the P.R. department, they have the longest 
commercial endorse in history.  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
Thanks again to the list!  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
  -Ed-

--- On Tue, 9/30/08, David Kettler <dkettler at tcbi.com> wrote:
  <mailto:fot at autox.team.net>
 From: David Kettler <dkettler at tcbi.com>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Non-LBC group question
To: ehusmann53 at yahoo.com
Cc: "FOT" <fot at autox.team.net>, edwardbarnard at prodigy.net
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 9:52 PM

I recall when I was a kid collecting STP stickers at gas stations.
I always understood it to be Scientifically Tested Products.

Dave Kettler

At Tuesday, 30 September 2008, Ernest Husmann <ehusmann53 at yahoo.com>
wrote:

> Ed:
>
> From STP's web page: STP = Scientifically Treated Petroleum--- On
Tue, 9/30/08, EDWARD BARNARD <edwardbarnard at prodigy.net> wrote:
> From: EDWARD BARNARD <edwardbarnard at prodigy.net>Subject: [Fot] Non-
LBC group questionTo: "FOT" <fot at autox.team.net>Date: Tuesday,
September
30, 2008, 11:06 AM
>
> Lister's: I'm writing a magazine article about Indy roadsters
(Kurtis',
Novi', etc) and am examining the Studebaker/Packard powered cars.
In 1963 Studebaker purchased from three gentlemen a little known
company named Chemical Compounds, which had an oil additive product
they were selling from the trunks of their cars. Studebaker gave
Andy Granatelli, then head engineer and chief test driver for Studebaker
the position of CEO of the newly acquired company which he then renamed
STP. Now my question...does anyone know for certain the meaning of
STP? I am getting mixed answers from The Racing History Group. Most
say it stands for Specially Treated Petroleum, while a few are saying
it stands for Studebaker Test Products. Do any of the FOTers know
the "true" side of the story?
> BTW, later I will relate this past Saturday spent with three great
guys, Johnny Rutherford, Lloyd Ruby,  and Jim McElreath, at a car
show we had.
> Thanks - Ed - _______________________________________________
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