What would a 1970 Studebaker look like??

[avant1963]

I know this really isn't triva, but I did not want it to get lost in the sea of the "Lounge".

Just imagine what the average car would look like if Studebaker had continued into the 1970’s and beyond. Most of that would be speculation, but thanks to an article in my newest copy of the Avanti Magazine, we have a better idea of what Studebaker would have brought to market in 1970. Robert Marcks, was an employee for Raymond Loewy in the 50’s and 60’s and partner in the design firm Marcks/Hazelquist/Powers that was commissioned to design the 1966 Studebakers. His firm also made proposals for models that would have appeared in the 1970 model year.

Robert shared these designs with attendees of the Avanti Owners Association International meet in 2006 at Palm Springs, CA. Makes you wonder where design would be today if Studebaker had continued.

The saddest part of all this is this history dies with those that made it, so it is great to see those that lived it share it with those that weren’t even alive at the time. These are some pretty remarkable designs and I’d hate to think of not sharing them.

[Robert Hall]

Pretty interesting... that would make a good Collectible Automobile magazine article.

By the way, where did you find that fake Time magazine cover? I'd love to have that image by itself..

[Flybrian]

Figure 10 is awesome.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I think someone should purchase two of the vacant GM plants, the Studebaker name, and launch an assault on the car market.

The Avanti could become a real 'Vette competitor.

[balthazar]

Has the '67 prototype survived, by chance? Looks like a completely operational (Cruiser??)- obviously a modified '66 or '65.

I wish to hell that Stude had survived- they had the best chance of all the independants, IMO. Lot of fresh, independant thinking lost there....

[Hudson]

I think someone should purchase two of the vacant GM plants, the Studebaker name, and launch an assault on the car market.

The Avanti could become a real 'Vette competitor.

I'm on board if someone can find the funding.

[ocnblu]

I wonder what the purpose was in raising the rear bumper on an otherwise barely changed '66 body?

[avant1963]

"In 1967, they planned additional changes that included raising the height of the bumpers to make the car appear lower."

Well, there you go, OCN. Appearances are everything - an optical illiusion.

[ocnblu]

Oh. They should have put it above the taillights then.

[Sixty8panther]

I was thinking our good friend Ralph "Safety Nazi" Nader was

probably somehow responsible for the bumper height thing.

Figure 10. 12. & 13. are awsome... the Super-thick-C-pillar

wagon is probably the ugliest but even that would be cool to

see versus ANOTHER Falcon or Valiant. Fig. 5-9 look like a

half-assed attempt at a restyle. This car would heve been a

1967 MY and yet it resembles a 1961 Chevy II more than

anything. I know that $ was the issue & something would

have been better than nothing.

Thanks for Sharing.