Ran In 2019: 1953 Studebaker 2R6 Half-Ton

Ranking among the coolest of the 1950s pickups and Studebaker’s second “real” light-duty pickup after their M-series, this 1953 Studebaker 2R6 is a rare model. The 2R series was important for Studebaker and this truck is worthy of a full original-spec restoration. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Everett, Washington and they’re asking $2,900. Here is the original listing.

If I would have invested in Apple/Google/Amazon/Tesla/cryptocurrency, this truck would be headed to a restoration shop as we speak for a nut-and-bolt, no-expenses-spared restoration. As with Hudson, Studebaker made unusual and interesting pickups in that they were car-based early on. Their M-series pickups were the company’s first attempt at making light-duty pickups from a clean slate. The 2R series came after and they were even better, and the 2R6 is a half-ton pickup with a larger inline-six.

Entering the market for the 1949 model year and continuing until the end of 1953, the 2R series was a more-streamlined design from the minds of Raymond Loewy and Robert Bourke. It was a tough task as Ford and Chevrolet owned the light-duty pickup market, and Dodge and International were big players as well. You may have already noticed one of the biggest factors in the 2R trucks appearing to be so modern: there are no running boards. All of the others (at least the “big four”) had running boards and this Studebaker looks positively modern in comparison.

There aren’t a lot of photos but the seller has hit all of the key areas, other than not showing the underside at all. Frankly, for $2,900, I can’t believe that this truck is still for sale. Although, caaarguide.com lists a 1953 Studebaker 2R6 as being extremely rare, but puts a value of a truck in this condition at only $1,550. Ouch. You can see that it would need everything, but it appears to be all there, or mostly there, which helps. What a gorgeous truck in restored condition, though!

This truck has optional signal lights, which in 2023 are absolutely unnecessary as nobody but me signals their lane changes anymore. The interior has a few nice standard features in that the dome light automatically comes on when a door is opened, along with dual sun visors and armrests, and a column-mounted gearshift. No other pickups at the time reportedly had those as standard features.

Being a 2R6 model, this engine would have been the larger of two engines available, the Power-Plus, a 245-cu.in. L-head inline-six with 102 horsepower. The seller says that this truck ran in 2019 but has been sitting since then. A V8 wasn’t available in a Studebaker pickup until 1955 in the new E-Series trucks. This looks like a fantastic project and if a person does most of the work him/herself, Hagerty’s $30,400 excellent-condition value is doable without breaking the budget. Are there any Studebaker pickup fans or owners out there?