The Daytona model, introduced in 1962, is a Lark with bucket seats and a console. The Daytona is as fancy as the Lark came. There’s very little information provided about this convertible in the craigslist ad so there’s no way to even guess what it might be worth without a closer look. It appears original and complete. It could be full of rust and bondo and covered in cheap paint or it might even be solid. It’s has been stored since 1984. It runs. And wait until you see the interior! This yellow fellow is in Hamburg, New York, but he has it advertised in several cities.
The interior looks really nice. This is Studebaker’s idea of bucket seats and a console. That cupholder looks just like one I had in the 1980s. Could that be carpet on the floor? Could there be daylight under the carpet?
The top looks like it might be OK. There’s no rust showing here, but it could be all bondo and a cheap repaint. Did the seller provide enough information to make you curious? He says they have run the car from a gas can and drove it around the yard. Hopefully it wouldn’t take much for this to be a nice driver. If this Daytona is really nice, what do you think it might really be worth?
It’s a rare model. The ugly yellow paint is not an original color, nor are the seat covers original. Still, it is the top-line Lark and a convertible to boot. Probably has bondo. Look at the way the lower door seems a bit “swollen.” Has automatic. Cannot tell if it is a six or eight. $10,000 in the apparant condition it’s in.
Love the orphan theme. This color was called “Suntone”, but it was a 1961 color, and doesn’t show up on ’62 color chart. Rarity alone justifies the price ( somewhat) They were good cars but sales had already begun slide and few were sold, much less a ragtop. Quite a find, for sure.
Even it it is solid, even if its a special order paint, its still a six banger with an auto trans. Quite likely the only car that could lose a drag race to a diesel Chevette (and I’m a Studebaker fan)
Little pricey, but not by much if it all checks out.
ick!!! diesel chevette!!!
That’s a patch of sunlight on the floor. You can see the shadow of the steering wheel and turn signal stalk.
The ad says 6-cyl. AFAIK all Daytonas were V-8. Likely a Lark, but not “Lark Daytona”. Worth about $10k with a 6-cyl and coming out of storage. The 1963 had “Daytona” tags, but I don’t think the ’62 did.t
While the Daytona did come standard with the small V8 engine, it was not a problem to order one with a 6 cylinder. I had a red 6 cylinder Daytona convertible back in the late 1970s, bought it from the original owners who had ordered the car with the 6 cylinder and factory A/C!
This was the new OHV version of the reliable Studebaker straight six, and the car was actually able to keep up with traffic, especially when the Borg-Warner auto transmission on the 6-cylinder cars started in low speed, unlike the V8 cars that started in second gear.
1963
Willllllllllllber Post had one on Mr. Ed.
Shame there wasn’t a better description & more photos.Great model !
Unless I’m gravely mistaken- the side bright metal moulding is 1963 not 1962.
drivers door and front fender look as if they have been worked on; it just doesn’t have that factory original appearance. Again’ I could be mistaken, but I don’t think so.
I believe the interior upholstery to be genuine- had one with black patterned cloth and red vinyl combo.
The Lark didn’t have a cup holder. The closest thing they had was the lid to the glove compartment. It had round indentations to set a cup on, but NOT while driving. A true Daytona would have the script “Daytona” on a side spear just behind the front door. As far as color, you could order a Studebaker any color for an extra charge. This was usually for fleet sales but all a dealer had to do was ask. As far as the 6 cylinder, it’s true they weren’t a ball of fire, but I sold my 62 Hardtop Lark this last summer. It would run with most any car that was doing the speed limit. I could do an honest 90 miles an hour, but on the opposite end, I used to own a 53 Champion coupe and that car would actually do 85 MPH, but then shift into Overdrive and only get 72. It was like the difference between night and day the comparison between the flathead and OHV 6 cylinders. I prefer the V-8 though.