Vehicle Description
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING SOLD ON THE "HEMMINGS"
AUCTION WEBSITE amp; THERE IS A LINK TO THE AUCTION ON OUR
"AUCTIONS" PAGE. West Coast Classics are proud to present an
extraordinarily well presented and great daily driving and
beautifully restored as required over the years example of this
very striking top-of-the-line model for 1955 Studebaker President
State Speedster 2 Door Hardtop 259 V8 with an automatic
transmission and power steering with a beautiful repaint in 'Velvet
Black' paint with the interior restored to factory correct specs in
'Ivory' with a new headliner and all the chrome re-plated. The
floor boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are solid
and rust-free.The car looks extremely impressive with a very
striking 'Velvet Black' repaint with the 'Ivory' interior also
having been restored as required in to original factory
specifications throughout with the dashboard, the headliner, the
carpets and all the seats having been restored and in exceptional
condition throughout and the car has all new chrome!The original
factory correct high performance rendition of the Studebaker small
block V8 was now bored out to 259 cid and this engine is extremely
strong and powerful and this particular car drives very well - must
be driven to be fully appreciated - a truly remarkable daily driver
that will give any modern day sports car a run for it's money! The
Speedster featured quilted pattern leather and vinyl upholstery,
power steering, power brakes, and the 'Starline' 6 tube or optional
8 tube radio, heater, windshield washer, electric clock, hubcaps,
full wheel covers, whitewall tires, deluxe steering wheel, front
amp; rear armrests, dual sunvisors, automatic dome amp; courtesy
lights, rear quarter panel stainless trim amp; full carpeting and a
full complement of White on Black instruments set into a dash with
an engine turned tooled metal applique with this particular example
having been ordered with a padded vinyl dashboard top which was a
safety feature.The Studebaker Speedster was an automobile produced
by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana during the
1955 model year. The vehicle was considered Studebaker's halo model
for the 1955 season and the top-of-the-line for the years revived
President series. Studebaker had previously used the Speedster name
in the early 1920s, and was a marketing strategy revival of the
President during that time. The Speedster was a member of the
President series, and was based on President hardtop coupe. For
1955, the company heavily restyled its models to incorporate a
larger front bumper and a massive chrome grille more in keeping
with American cars of the era.An initial run of twenty Speedsters
was made to be displayed at car shows for the 1955 model year.
Reaction to the show cars caused Studebaker's management to put the
car into production mid-year and offer it for the rest of the model
year, after which it was replaced by the previously planned Hawk
series. It allowed the company to offer a competitor to the Ford
Thunderbird and Chrysler 300. Power came from Studebaker's 259
cubic inches (4.2 L) V8 engine producing 185 horsepower and 258
pound-feet of torque.The 1955 President Speedster was loaded with
standard equipment including: choice of Studebaker Automatic Drive
or overdrive transmissions, power steering, power brakes, power
front seat adjustment, 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)
a six or optional eight-tube push-button radio, an machine turned
instrument panel with a Stewart-Warner 160 mph speedometer and an
8,000 rpm tachometer, hill holder, 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 within the bumperettes. There was also Speedster-specific
trim including a hood-length hood ornament, stainless roof band,
Speedster nameplates and checkered emblems as well as chrome-plated
ashtrays, rear-view mirror, moldings and tailpipe extensions. They
also came in 2- and 3-tone paint jobs, the most famous of which was
Hialeah Green amp; Sun Valley Yellow, called "Lemon/Lime" by the
public. The green was a gold flake metallic. Studebaker produced
2,215 Speedsters during the 1955 model year.In summary, this
particular example is a beautifully restored example in a very
striking color combination with both cosmetics and mechanics
attended to in great daily driving and turn-key ready to enjoy
today condition and a simply fabulous example of this increasingly
desirable and collectible top-of-the-line and desirably optioned
1955 Studebaker President State Speedster V8 2 Door hardtop!