“In restorable condition.” That’s all the seller has to say about this 1957 Studebaker President! It’s located in Billings, Montana and is listed for sale here on eBay, where bidding is starting at only $200. While it looks pretty rough at first glance, there are parts of the car that don’t look bad at all.

Looking the car over in the pictures, it’s pretty complete (minus the left side tail light lens) and most of it looks straight. While there is a good amount of surface rust, for example the entire hood, if you like that “P-word” look maybe that’s up your alley anyway. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of rust-through, and I’m hoping that the rocker panels are the same, since we don’t get a good shot of those in the limited pictures.

This is probably the best shot of the rockers, and it doesn’t look bad at all, although the “Studebaker rust line” is evident in the rear of the front fender.

Here’s what Studebaker had to say — “High-fashion luxury that lives up to its classic name.” It sure does look flashy in this ad layout, doesn’t it? On the other hand, I found what might even be the same car that was sold at auction ten years ago for $85 (plus an $8.50 buyer’s premium). That one was in South Dakota, not a huge distance from this car.

While we can’t tell everything from this single interior picture, we can tell that the car is an automatic, and that at least part of the floor is there. The amount of dirt on the inside isn’t encouraging, though. It’s clear the car has been in the elements for a while.

If this is indeed the original engine, this is a 289 cubic inch V8 making around 210 horsepower. The unusual air cleaner housing is missing, or at least unaccounted for. There’s something about this car that makes me want to spend some afternoons making it run–you could say it’s calling me. Is it calling you?