Vehicle Description
1955 Studebaker President Speedster. This one-year-only Studebaker
is fully functional except for possibly needing brakes and is one
of 2215 produced. It is a member of the President series which was
reintroduced to the motoring public after being retired in 1942.
The Speedster initially had a run of 20 vehicles that were
displayed at car shows around the U.S. with buyer reactions
prompting Studebaker to put the car into production at mid-year,
allowing Studebaker to offer a competitor to Ford's Thunderbird.
The Los Angeles-built Speedster was loaded with standard equipment
including a choice of Studebaker Automatic Drive or overdrive
transmissions, power steering, power brakes, four-barrel
carburetor, dual exhaust, "Shoemaker-stitched" diamond-quilted
genuine top-grain leather seating, carpeting front and rear, a map
pocket (but no glove box), an eight-tube push-button radio, a
machine turned instrument panel with Stewart-Warner 160 mph (260
km/h) speedometer and 8,000 rpm tachometer, turn signals, electric
clock, tinted glass, cigarette lighter, oil filter and oil bath air
cleaner, dual backup lamps, triple horns, two-speed electric
wipers, tubeless whitewall tires, simulated wire wheel covers and
fog-light bumperettes. List price for the car was $3346 which was
about $800 above the top-of-the-line Studebaker President State
hardtop. The exterior paint on this car is original along with the
original leather back seat. It also has the original wire wheel
hubcaps and a chrome trim strip in the center of the hood.
