This Iowa barn find sent in by Robert R. has been in storage since 1961. The seller believes it to be all original except for an added Buick heater, and it’s showing 72,330 miles. It’s been cleaned up and vacuumed, but the seller can still smell the former mouse occupants. Other than some rust at the rear of the front fenders, the car looks pretty solid. It’s located in Mason City, Iowa, and is for sale here on eBay where the opening bid is $7,200 without a reserve. You have to look at the pictures of the interior to believe the color palette! I love this body style and this seems like a really nice starting point for a sympathetic refurbishment or a restoration.
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- Emerging from barn
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- Wow!
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- Dash
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- Engine
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- Fender rust
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- Sleek lines
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- Cleaned up
I love the dash! How did we ever go from this well laid out ergonomic gem to the later styles with bunch of idiot lights?
I think the Speedsters and Hawks are some of the nicest looking cars of the 50’s. With that said, the front fenders and rockers are well rusted. Also the seller said he could not turn the engine. I think this car needs to be restored, but beware, there is a lot of work on this one.
I agree, and this is one of my favorite styles and I love the color combination. However, visual exam of the pix show admission of “some” rust BUT also shows massive bubbling of paint – a symptom of severe rust. Also, ALL of the lower door and body panels, from bumper to bumper, show massive rusting. I think the car has potential to be a great “sunday driver” for the person with almost unlimited funds. To “repair” all the rust will require “major surgery” and rebuild. NO THANX
What I really like about cars that are outside of the main stream is how many of their engineering ideas and designs, wind-up incorporated into the main stream down the road, Studebaker’s car and pickup body designs were a solid decade or more before their time.
I have thought for a long time that the Speedster and Hawk influenced the design of the ’58 Thunderbird and spawned the whole class of personal luxury coupes.
Wow, this color is amazing! I usually hate yellow cars, but this and that 1966 Bonnie look great in it!
Wow, a real original lemon-lime Speedster! Someone please buy this gem, clean it and make it mechanically stable and just keep it that way. They’re all restored to within an inch of their lives these days, and this one isn’t! Maybe, maybe a new set of front fenders if you can find them, as they all rust there, but maybe not. Just put up with the noise they make when you open the doors and drive it as a good old hard luck Studebaker, the kind we used to see on the roads all the time in the ’60s — though we never saw too many Speedsters, as only 2215 were built! Awesome barn find.
Ah the memories. Christmas eve 1963? we broke down on the Golden Gate Bridge in one of these an uncle had just gifted to us. Mom and us two kids 12 & 4, and in a howling storm no less.
Remember the tow truck and the long wait in the admin building on Xmas eve.
Remember too the Stude sitting in the pasture for a few years and me sitting in IT, and the fantasy road-trips of a five year old.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Speedster
Ditto PaulB! The Lemon-Lime Speedsters are not for those who want to blend into a crowd. Keeping it unrestored would make it a big hit at Stude club events
concur
I like the seats! Somehow they look like they should be covered in plastic like in everybody hates Raymond’s moms house sofa lol. I would think they are not factory or are they?
Absolutely factory seats. See my previously posted Wikipedia link
Great and rare ride. Well worth the time and effort to bring it back up to par. As Paul B. says, most of them have been restored to death and are beautiful cars, but this one looks like it could be brought back to life and left somewhat original. Love that dash!
I would love to have one of these. I love studebakers.
seats are factory
Too optimistic on the price for a non-running, and needy President.
This person did the same thing w/ a running, polished and more complete Speedster that ended last week w/no bids!
I predict a no bid ending on this, also!
News flash, go to a real auction first and get a clue on how to start low enough to GET A BID started!
Just one of many peeves about Evil-Bay
If the rust is only in the fenders and rocker panels it is an easy fix. Fenders are bolt on and rocks can be bolted on riveted on.
Wow! I really do enjoy the body lines and the dash layout! I really almost lost my dinner on the interior color! In fact, it probably would have looked somewhat similar in color coming back up, come to think of it!
If I were flush, I would talk about a reasonable price, do the minimum needed on the exterior and the same with the interior but for the interior color! That would have to be changed! Sorry to all the “keep it original” clan!