Can you think of a manufacturer that has had great styling success, only to squander it? Chrysler Corporation comes to mind, as several of its 1961 models were a far cry from the stupendous ‘57s. However, the 1957 and 1961 cars save Imperial were of different generations. Our Pick of the Day, a Studebaker, is a car that lost its strong styling from only a few years before, but is of the same generation. This 1956 President Pinehurst wagon is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a seller in Watford, Ontario, Canada. (Click the link to view the listing)
Let’s start with the name: Pinehurst is a reference to a village in North Carolina famous for being the “Home of American Golf.” It’s not unusual today to name vehicles after prestigious places or to invoke an image but, back in the day, tony Pinehurst made sense as much as Bel Air or Montclair.
Studebaker was on a roll after World War II as it was “first by far with a postwar car.” Studebaker also developed a V8 “on time” when it seemed many Independents were lagging on updating their eight-cylinder engines, if not offering an eight to begin with (hello, Kaiser!). Studebaker introduced a modern 232.6ci solid-lifter V8 in 1951 in the Commander series. By 1956, it was increased to 289ci, and performance-oriented versions would soon use a supercharger to participate in the “Horsepower Race” of the mid/late-1950s and beyond.
The lovely 1953 Studebaker line was designed by the office of famed industrialist Raymond Loewy. The coupes in particular were sleeker than most American cars of the time, and the styling was tasteful and attractive. A problem was that Studebaker used a shorter wheelbase (116.5 inches) for four-doors and wagons, giving Studebaker’s bread-and-butter a stubbier look that was not in line with its coupes, which featured a wheelbase longer by four inches.
Through 1955, this style of Studebaker maintained its good looks, upon which the company heavily restyled the series because that’s what was done at the time. The dashing good looks of the previous years took on some changes—yes, the coupes still existed, but now they were marketed as Hawks and featured a prominent Mercedes-inspired grille, with the Golden Hawk featuring fins, a first for Studebaker. Four-doors and wagons aped the heavy facelift of the Hawks, but the restyle was not as beautiful as those darling 1953s, stubbiness and all. All wagons were two-doors, with available models being Pelham, Parkview, and Pinehurst, each corresponding to the sedans’ trim levels of Champion, Commander, and President. By 1959, these four-door Studebakers would be no more, succeeded by the compact Lark, which was a hodgepodge of parts-bin cleverness.
This 1956 Studebaker President Pinehurst wagon was a rare sight even when new because only 1,522 were built. Per the inspection stickers on the windshield, it has a past in California and North Carolina (in Pinehurst, possibly?). A two-speed Flightomatic transmission backs Studebaker’s Sweepstakes V8, in this case a 289 two-barrel rated at 190 horsepower with dual exhausts. Painted in what looks to be Airforce Blue with Daybreak Blue highlights, this South Bend hauler features a white and blue vinyl interior, with the rear seat folding down. The instrument panel features a nifty drum speedometer and AM radio, with updates that include an under-dash air conditioner, FM receiver, and seat belts. A 12-volt alternator under the hood makes for a more reliable drive for modern living.
Yes, Studebaker squandered a good thing during these Studebaker-Packard years, but there’s no denying that this wagon looks contemporary for its time and, by golly, it features fledgling fins as well. The cost for a bit of individuality is only USD 25,500.
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
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