This car is a champion, in more ways than one. It’s a heavily modified 1953 Studebaker Champion and it regularly set records at over 200 mph on the salt flats in Bonneville. Now the heavily patinaed coupe, dripping with history, is to be auctioned by Gooding August 18 during Car Week in Monterey.
Gooding hasn’t posted much information about this car yet—it’s coming—but the photographs are quite evocative. The car is a total time capsule, with all its period decals, badges and flair. It’s an other-worldly car, with blue-tinted plexiglass windows and multiple louvers. It appears relatively complete. It bears the number 400, and a tribute to Chet Herbert’s cams. There was a parachute.
So what do we know? Old car magazines show that the car Thompson built was super-quick. It had an aerodynamic later-period Corvette nose and a 1953 Studebaker chassis, but details beyond that are thin on the ground. Chet Herbert still makes cams.
Thompson passed away in 2012, and a friend reported that he was “a University of Southern California-graduate chemical engineer, an owner of a Harley-Davidson franchise and the CEO of a Lincoln-Mercury dealership, an electrical mechanic and a super tuner all in one.” He was said to “never use nitro.”
Thompson reportedly joined the 200 mph club as early as 1966. An old car magazine from the 1960s shows timing slips with speeds approaching 300 mph. His two-way average in this car was 272 mph, and made a single-direction run attaining 290. Painted on the car in peeling glory is “World’s Fastest Coupe, 271.78 mph.”
Still there under the hood is the Chrysler Fire Power V-8. This was the first generation of the hemispherical combustion chamber over-head valve engine circa 1951, though the Hemi name came later. It produced 180 horsepower from 331 cubic inches, though we can assume Thompson’s engine was heavily tweaked.
The story is that Thompson was inspired by Belmont Sanchez’ 1953 Studebaker coupe, which he took off his father’s used car lot. With a “blown fuel Ardun” he ran 178 in 1957. Driver Joe Locosto took the car over 200 mph in 1959 with a Clarke Cagle blown fuel Chrysler engine. Studebakers were becoming a fixture on the salt!
Since its glory days, the historic Studebaker has apparently been cooling its heels at racer George Callaway’s ranch near El Mirage, California. “I had it here for a long time,” Callaway told Hemmings Motor News. “It was only here because Neil left it here 20 years ago and never paid any rent.”
A marker of history on 4 wheels, when the true measure of overall speed in America was The Salt. Rollie Free on the Vincent, Burt Munro on his Indian, Mickey Thompson in his four engine Challenger, and later came the low flying four wheeled jets.
And it started with guys like this driving cars like these to crazy speeds.
Cool.
To me, they ruined a nice looking 53 Studebaker and made it into this monstrosity …
It still has some salt on it…
Good thing he didn’t build the car for you. He built it to go fast not look good.
Not sure what it can be used for now, a daily driver perhaps?
You don’t really think this one Studebaker is the only car made into race cars in that era do you? Thousands and thousands of Chevys, Fords, Hudsons, etc. were cut up to make stock cars for local and nation wide organizations like NASCAR. I saved my ’53 from a junk yard and made a street/drag car out of it. Ran great on the street and ran great on the drag strip and I enjoyed every minute of it.
That “monstrosity” made history on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Getting close to, then surpassing 200 miles per hour was quite a feat for its day. A car doesn’t have to be OEM to make its own unique mark on the automotive world. Nobody is asking you to write a check, but don’t be that grumpy sourpuss who can’t appreciate a unique, modified automobile. You could probably find an original 53 Studebaker if you looked around. No need to dump on one just because its not an original car. People modify vehicles all the time but they almost never hit the near double century mark as this one did. I am hoping this one goes to a good home. GLWA.
Geez ……..
A very interesting sidetrack was the Hemmings write up about the cars past history and partnerships involved, Hot Rod History 101, pay attention. I think it’s pretty neat that what amounted to back yard engineering ran 271.78 MPH. Those WERE the good old days for sure.
He didn’t get those times with that Corvette front end, it hadn’t been made yet. Better or more accurate information is needed, please.
Corvette first year 1953
True, but the front end that is shown in these pictures is based on a third-generation Corvette (aka C3), which first debuted in 1968.
What a cool find, can you still take this thing to the salt flats or have the environmentalists messed that up with everything else
Hi Troy, and other anthropogenic climate change deniers. Sorry to blow your engine, but it is NOT “environmentalists” destroying the Bonneville salt flats, and “everything else”!
My favorite uncle was a multiple-year Society of Automotive History President, and I was lucky to grow up reading in his library and meeting his car collector friends. Uncle Frank often began a story with, “When I was a boy…”
Well, when I was a boy, there were less than 3 billion people here on earth. Now there are more than 8 billion. I invite you to explore the world of science to learn more about what “gifts” industrialization has brought to our planet.
…and yes: I AM a lot of fun at parties!
No one said the envirmentalists were destroying the salt flats, Just stopping regular fossil fuel car drivers from having any fun. Look at any new muscle car made today and how instead of giving people a choice, They are going the way of the dinosaur (pun intended). We should all be able to buy the car of our choice not just certain peoples choices. Electric cars will NEVER sound as good as a good old fashion V8. and recordings of that sound doesn’t work. Already missing muscle.
Correction: Society of Automotive HISTORIANS, not history.
It is thanks to Uncle Frank, (Walter F. “Frank” Robinson, Jr.) that my childhood hero was Tazio Nuvolari, that I know Harry Millers middle name, and that I can still remember a couple of Les Charlatans names without looking them up!
I remember buying one of my Mustang’s in the early 90’s. Cuz, according to the “experts,” the earth was going to be gone by the year 2000. And I wanted to enjoy life as we knew it, for a couple more years. Good times…
Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH6JcvqlULk
When building race cars back then was an art. Today not so much jump on the internet and order a frame, built engine, suspension and brakes and even a body.
As far as I know they still run cars at Bonneville if it is dry, someone said that they went by there a few months ago, it was back to Lake Bonneville…
Yes. They still run speed week every year and other events besides. It is still one of the fastest spaces of land in the world and still very exciting to watch. Also still a lot of the original cars that have ran through the years. Very cool to see all the history. Being a Salt Lake City boy my whole life (since 63) I’ve seen a lot of events and it never gets old or boring.
Ruined a good 53 Studebaker!!????…don’t even know where to start! So…what did you do with your 53 STUDEBAKER….oh yea!,….that’s what I thought !
If you Google” ’53 Studebaker salt flats racers” you will find out what LOTS of people did with their ’53 Studebakers.
If you google Goodwood historics you’ll periodically see
Studies making the podiums against Jaguars, Corvettes, Camaros etc!
“His two-way average in this car was 272 mph, and made a single-direction run attaining 290.”
Oh my god.
Studs were bad ass then still are. My parents had a couple and so did their friends. I would love to put one of my spare Gen II Hemis in one and go cruising.. The OP never said anything about the environment so how did this become political? You would have to be blind not to know things aren’t as they should be and humans are the cause.