It’s a good problem to have, but there are simply too many cars in the world that I like. In idle conversation with my lovely bride, I’ve often floated the idea of keeping one car “in rotation,” or in other words, buying it at the beginning of driving season and selling it at the end. That would be to the detriment of the rest of my fleet, because I’d feel the need to spend as much time as I could with that car before I passed it on. I’m simply too sentimental to foster cars. If I had a completely different personality void of any attachment to machinery, this ’62 Lark Convertible would be high on my list of fun summer classics. Reader Tony Primo found it listed for $12,500 on craigslist near Chicago, but there’s a much more detailed ad on the website for the local chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club, as a member is posting it for the owner, who is selling it due to illness. It’s a well-maintained driver with a well-documented ownership history.

Anyone who loves cars knows that Studebaker was perennially in financial trouble, but they managed to do a lot with a little, and if anything, the Lark looked better in 1962 than it did when it was introduced in 1959 (and both were based on the landmark ’53 “Loewy” coupe). One sign that money was tight at Studebaker was the fact that they didn’t introduce an overhead-valve six cylinder until 1961. Called the “Skybolt Six,” it was based on the decades-old flathead (same bore, same stroke, 170-cubic-inch displacement), but the new cylinder head gave the little engine 22 more horsepower and better fuel economy to boot. This car had a replacement engine installed in 1987 (at 95,000 miles), but it’s only been driven about 5,000 miles since that time (the odometer has just rolled over).

*As a side note, remember that Chrysler didn’t introduce the Slant Six until 1960 and AMC still had a flathead six on the books in 1965!

The Lark has the optional Borg Warner “Flight-O-Matic” transmission with its selector on the column. The SDC advertisement says that the interior “is by far the best part of the car,” and it does look like it’s ready to go (and kudos for the seller for vacuuming it out – they too often don’t!) The Lark was treated to a “frame-on” restoration in 1987 (ostensibly when the engine was replaced), when the car was treated to pages of NOS parts and a new paint job.

The club member who is selling the car has done an excellent job on the club website pointing out the car’s flaws and what he thinks needs to be done to make the Lark a safe driver. First and foremost, the tires have 1996 date codes (and one is older than that), so he recommends replacing them before doing anything else. He also points out that the lower fenders have rust bubbling through (a common Studebaker malady), but the hog troughs and floors are solid, as is the rest of the undercarriage (aside from surface rust). He shows pictures of the flaws in the paint and windshield, and it seems like an honest writeup done for an ailing friend.

I just love this trim little Lark, and it looks like such a fun summer driver. I hope someone can take it home and foster it, or perhaps turn it into their forever car.