Beautiful older restoration. Strong 259 V8 with Power Pack option, 3-speed manual with overdrive, loaded with accessories. Unusual car that's fun to drive, practical, and surprisingly fast!
The restoration is about 15 years old, but it was extremely well done by a lifelong Studebaker enthusiast who purchased it more than 25 years ago as a running, driving, complete car. He enjoyed it for a few years, then embarked on a rather comprehensive restoration that is beyond what most orphan sedans see these days. Wearing bright Saginaw Green paint with a Shasta White top, this cool Stude is pure 1950s fun. The paint is in good shape, about what you’d expect from a car that has been enjoyed properly since the restoration was finished—a few minor nicks and some touch-up to the right front fender—but the overall look is still quite nice. All four doors close with authority and the car feels substantial and well-built going down the road. Accessories like the Speedster-style fog lights and fender skirts help with the sleek look and the taillights certainly remind us of big brother Packard. It’s distinctive, yes, but not unattractive.
The spacious, bright interior also received a fairly extensive makeover that includes fresh seat covers in an attractive gray/green fabric that’s very period-appropriate. It’s possible that the door panels are original and there are fresh green carpets on the floor with matching mats. You’ll note three pedals on the floor, which means 3-on-the-tree shifting, which, when combined with the torquey V8 up front, makes this 4-door a very entertaining car to drive. Add in the overdrive and it was quite likely one of the fastest sedans you could buy in 1955, up to and including Chevy’s all-new V8-powered cars. The headliner is definitely original and very nicely preserved, and the ultra-clean trunk features a full-sized spare and correct jack assembly.
The sticker on the valve cover says ‘289’ but the stamping number proves this is likely the car’s original 259 cubic inch “Bearcat” V8. With a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, it puts out 182 horsepower and almost 300 pounds of torque, so performance is extremely entertaining. The engine was rebuilt when the car was restored and it runs superbly. It starts easily and idles well with a nice V8 burble from the twin tailpipes out back. A correct air cleaner and accessory air filter dominate the top of the engine, and it is correctly detailed with a blue engine block and gold valve covers. You’ll note there’s a new wiring harness, a rebuilt Carter 4-barrel carburetor, and a correct generator making the juice. It runs cool, makes good oil pressure, and offers no faults other than a minor exhaust leak that we’re going to remedy before the car ships to its new owner.
Underneath, it’s clean if not detailed, with no signs of rust or rot and no hacky patch work in the floors, The massive frame is grossly over-built for the size of the car and the intendent front suspension has a center-link steering setup that’s a bit more precise than most of the era. The aforementioned 3-speed manual transmission is backed up by a Borg-Warner overdrive, which works above 30 MPH, and we’ve found that 2nd gear with overdrive is a great gear for around town. With 3.54 gears out back, this is also a spectacular highway cruiser, just loafing along at 75 MPH in overdrive with the V8 purring almost inaudibly. The exhaust system is recent, the brakes are reasonably powerful, and it sits on correct G78-15 whitewalls, which, aptly enough, are the Commander brand.
This Stude includes a lot of documentation, including some period advertising mounted on show boards, some old issues of the Studebaker Club magazine, “Turning Wheels,” and some other papers.
Until this Commander arrived, we’ll admit that Studebaker wasn’t on our radar. But after seeing the cool look, the great interior, and discovering that it’s one of the best ‘50s road cars we’ve experienced, we’re Studebaker converts. This is a whole heck of a lot of car for not a lot of cash, and it’s ideal if you like practicality that stands out in a big way. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
