The 1950 Studebaker was quite a bold step for the South Bend, Indiana, automaker that paid off in boosted attention and heightened sales for the “bullet-nose” design, starkly unlike anything else on the road.
Penned by Raymond Loewy’s team of designers, the protruding “bullet” in the center of the nose was said to have been reserved for a third headlight that would swivel with the steering, ala Tucker. But cost consideration for this budget-priced brand eliminated that possibility.
The Pick of the Day is a 1950 Studebaker convertible street rod, powered by a ZZ4 Chevy 350cid V8 crate engine linked with a 700R4 automatic transmission and fitted with a full load of stylish modifications.
Actually, only the body is Studebaker. It’s mounted on the chassis and suspension of a Chevrolet S10 compact pickup truck, according to the San Angelo, Texas, private seller advertising the convertible on ClassicCars.com.
No word in the ad as to whether the Studebaker was originally a convertible or whether it’s a cut two-door, but the workmanship looks very good in the photos with the ad. The car has been driven just 6,400 miles since completion, the ad says.
The seller provides a brief rundown of the custom work: “2006 Nissan Murano Sunlit Copper paint, power steering, power brakes, electric windows, electric cloth top, electric seat on drivers side, tan leather-and-suede interior … Classic instrument gauges, Pioneer stereo system, disc player in trunk, new radial 16″ tires (and) Budnik 16″ mag wheels.
The result is a unique-looking craft, obviously a love-it-or-hate design but something that should command attention everywhere it goes. The Stude seems to have a nice stance and a brilliant finish.
A custom street rod such as this is an expensive and time-consuming project, which makes the Studebaker seem reasonably priced at $44,500, which would not come near covering the cost of duplication.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
sweet I like it
Bummer. ANOTHER boring drivetrain in an otherwise unique vehicle. Why do people keep doing this? I quit reading the moment I come across "Crate 350" , "LT whatever’, and/or "700R4 Trans" in anything other than a Chevy. I was a mechanic, their not any better.
Not a fan of the newer (metric) Chevy components being used in other than Chevy marques myself. The adaptability of these components in these types of builds though is unrivaled by anyone else, hence the popularity.
Yeah, I like crate engines almost as little as I like billet aluminum air filter lids, steering wheels, and pedals along with dashboards that have been replaced with flat panels of nothing but a couple of ugly gauges and a modern stereo.
I love the STUDABAKER, my aunt had one. I thought it was the cats meow when I was a kid
I love the stude, i wood trade my roadster that has over 200k invested in it
Is this automobile still available