'55 Speedster - The "Family Sports Car"...

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The 'family sports car'

Classics | '55 Studebaker Speedster had power, looks, features aplenty

October 1, 2007

BY DAN JEDLICKA Chicago Sun-Times Auto Editor

"The 1955 Studebaker Speedster was called a sports car because almost any sporty American two-door auto could be called a sports car in the mid-1950s, especially if it had wire wheels.

The general public accepted the "sports car" description because America was still mostly unfamiliar with genuine sports cars. The only true ones were the limited number that came from Europe, such as MGs, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys and Jaguars.

However, Ford didn't call its new 1955 Ford Thunderbird two-seater a sports car, correctly figuring that description would limit sales. Most sports cars were uncomfortable, with hard rides and no power accessories, but the stylish Thunderbird rode nicely and had those items.

So did the Speedster, which has doubled in value since I last looked in January 2002. It was valued at $21,275 if in excellent condition then, but a Speedster in such shape now is worth $42,550, says the Collectible Vehicle Value Guide. One in "good" condition still is worth $21,275.

The Speedster's low-slung "European-style" body, which could easily seat four to five adults, was nearly identical to the body of the 1953 Studebaker Starliner. That car didn't look like it came from a U.S. automaker and is widely regarded as the best-styled auto of the 1950s. The Starliner was developed under design guru Raymond Loewy, who convinced Studebaker it needed a car so radical-looking that much larger General Motors, Ford and Chrysler wouldn't dare match it. Which they didn't.

The Speedster had more chrome than that Starliner because, like nearly all domestic car producers, Studebaker began using far more chrome trim in the mid-1950s. The $3,253 Speedster officially was part of the automaker's top-line President car line, and was the most costly Studebaker. It was relatively inexpensive, considering what it offered, but the new Thunderbird undercut it with a $2,944 list price and the 1955 Chevrolet Corvette cost $2,799 to $2,934.

Only 20 Speedsters initially were built as concept cars for display at 1955 auto shows, including the Chicago show. But they were so popular Studebaker put the car in limited production as a one-year-only model for the remainder of that model year.

Besides an alluring body, the Speedster had a high-performance

185-horsepower V-8 with dual exhausts that gave it fast acceleration with either a manual or automatic transmission.

Special features included diamond quilted leather and vinyl upholstery in color-keyed shades, and white-on-black sports car instrumentation, including a tachometer, in a striking, tooled metal dashboard.

Besides special badging, the Speedster had simulated wire wheels and wild two- or three-tone paint combinations, including pink and gray and the unforgettable "lemon and lime" combination most closely associated with the auto. The colors initially were concept car colors to help draw attention to Speedsters at auto shows.

A bright, broad chromed band followed the curvature of the roof directly ahead of the rear window, and there were unique combination bumper guard/fog lights.

Standard were power steering and brakes, radio, clock, whitewall tires and backup lights.

"The many custom touches and 'extras' which are ordinarily extra-cost items -- power steering, power brakes, special paint job -- combine to make it a high performer ideal for family driving," Motor Trend magazine said of the Speedster.

The Speedster's seats were low and the driver's legs stretched out nearly horizontally, with the steering wheel set flat in the driver's lap.

The Speedster's low-slung body gave it a low center of gravity for outstanding handling. Studebaker called it a "family sports car" in colorful advertisements, although genuine sports cars were supposed to have only two seats and a convertible top.

Still, Motor Life magazine said the Speedster performed "more like a sports car than any other hardtop."

Experts loved the car. Motor Trend magazine said the Speedster was "fun to drive, both from a performance and handling standpoint. It should make an ideal automobile for anyone who wants a car with semi-sports car characteristics and a 'different' appearance, but who needs room for four or five people."

The Speedster found 2,215 buyers, while the less-comfortable 1955 Corvette, which was three years old, captured only 674 customers. The new Thunderbird attracted 16,155 buyers because Ford made as many as it could, had a much larger dealer network than Studebaker -- and a considerably brighter future.

The Speedster inspired Studebaker's also classic 1956-58 Golden Hawk, which had a similar dashboard but a less-luxurious interior. Studebaker had little money, so the Golden Hawk had the Starlight-Speedster's basic body, with added items such as a raised trunk lid, grafted-on fiberglass tailfins and a big squared-off grille.

The 1956 Golden Hawk had poor handling because it used a heavy Packard V-8 that made it too nose-heavy. But the 1957-58 Golden Hawk had a lighter, bigger version of the Speedster V-8 with a power-boosting supercharger.

Studebaker built 9,305 Golden Hawks, which has made it less exclusive than the 2,215 Speedsters built. And the Speedster is worth more than a Golden Hawk, which is valued at $19,000-$38,000.

The Speedster isn't as fast as a Golden Hawk but looks sleeker and is more luxurious.

I bought a 1957 Golden Hawk from a movie critic but wish I could have purchased a Speedster, which is much harder to find.

I restored the Golden Hawk, then sold it. I'd probably still have a Speedster."

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Gregory Morrow
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