Vehicle Description
The President Classic Sedan was Studebaker's top line sedan for
1956. The car's styling was in response to Studebaker's management
requiring a look for 1956 that conformed to the styling established
by General Motors that featured high, blunt front ends, straight
fenders and a more box-like appearance. Studebaker proclaimed their
stylish 1956 models possessed "Craftsmanship with Flair". Seldomly
seen today, Studebaker made the President Classic 4-door Sedan for
only two years, 1956 and 1957 and the production numbers were quite
low. Only 8507 were produced for the 1956 model year. Compare this
to the 270,000 Chevrolet Belair 4-door sedans and the 245,000 Ford
Fairlane 4-door sedans built that year. In addition to the revised
styling, in 1955 Studebaker totally redesigned its V8 engine. For
1956, the displacement was increased to 289 cubic inches for
"Sweepstakes" V-8 standard in the President Classic Sedan. When
combined with the standard four-barrel carburetor and dual
exhausts, it creates 210 horsepower, making it capable of a top
speed over 100 mph. Quite a nice package paired with the optional
"Flightmatic" automatic transmission that this car has, making it a
pleasure to drive. This lovely Studebaker was built on March 14,
1956 in South Bend, Indiana and shipped to Roanoke, VA. An
exhaustive amount of research went into verifying the authenticity
of this rare car that included the services of the Archivist of the
Studebaker National Museum. The research determined that this car
has its original chassis and body as well the original 289 V8
engine that came with the car new. The original build sheet
accompanies the car to further document is authenticity. Although
the 1956 President Classic Sedan had a base price of $2489, this
car's sticker price was over $3000 based on its many options, which
include automatic transmission, high compression head, power
steering, power brakes, white wall tires and turn signals. There
were an astonishing 28 two-tone paint scheme combinations available
on the President Classic Sedan. This car is painted the correct
Midnight Black basic color with Snowcap White accents on the window
frames and in the unique "lightning bolt" trim on the body sides.
The smart "Temp-Tone" interior is resplendent in black and white
cloth and vinyl upholstery that fully captures the mid-century
design elements that are so admired today. The stylish dash is
highlighted by the intriguing "Cyclopes Eye" speedometer.
Studebaker was proud of this feature, claiming "You know your exact
speed at a glance! The Unique magnifying glass 'bubble' makes it
the easiest viewing, fastest reading speedometer in the industry!"
It is rare to see a 1956 Studebaker in any condition today and
restored cars are even rarer. This car was restored by a passionate
collector who loved the car. His goal was to make it the finest
1956 Studebaker on the planet - regardless of the cost, which in
this case was in excess of $150,000. The closer one examines this
car, the more convinced you will be that this gentleman may have
achieved his goal. The comprehensive restoration by a team of
dedicated professionals is fully documented and was completed in
2016 and remains in pristine condition. The close attention to
detail is remarkable. The deep, mirror-gloss Midnight Black paint
finish is accented by gleaming chrome and brightwork that is
mesmerizing to behold. The restoration efforts have been recognized
multiple times in national events, shows and concours d'Elegance
events. Some of the honors include awards from the Antique
Automobile Club of America (AACA), capturing the National Award for
Outstanding Restoration of the Year and the National First Prize
Winner at Hershey, PA in 2016. It was the Senior Award Winner in
Hershey, PA in 2017, the next year it won First Place at the Annual
Grand National Meet in Greensburg, PA 2018, then was awarded the
Senior Award at the Annual Grand National Meet in Gettysburg, PA in
2020 as well as the Repeat Senior Award at the Annual Grand
National Meet in Virginia Beach, VA as recently as 2022.
Additionally, it received the Palmetto Award (American Production)
at the 2016 Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance, and the Best in
Class American Production (Closed - 1946-1964) at the 2017 Boca
Raton Concours d'Elegance. Rare, interesting and in pristine show
condition, this fabulous 1956 Studebaker President Classic Sedan
stands out from the rest of the cars on any show field. Here is a
rare and unique opportunity to acquire the best of the best
Studebaker Presidents of the era. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7579-1956-studebaker-president-classic-sedan/
