Re: Last Days in the Bunker

Posted by BH On 2012/12/4 18:58:43

It was common practice to execute two different bodies on single clay back in those days. If you sample enough styling studio photos from the various manufacturers, you'll find styling so different between the two bodies that a dividing panel was run down the center. I've seen station wagons done on one side that way.

Yet, Studebaker even extended that practice all the way to to a couple of running and driveable prototypes back in the 60s, with styling inspired by the production Avanti - two-door on one side and four-door on the other. Two of these cars found their way to Youngstown, OH back in the late 80s. To the chagrin of those who knew better, local management publicized their discovery of a secret project by Studebaker to develop a new line of three-door cars.

Yet, I digress...

Though the intent was to (wisely) extend sharing of panels to the Studebaker line, I don't believe they could have gotten by with just one roof panel. Two- and four-door hardtops could have shared a stamping, but traditional pillared sedans, in addition to the unique C-pillar, had a drip edge that was also crowned, fore-to-aft.

However, judging from the illustration in the KIMES book, it almost looks like Packard models would have a different stamping than the one that would have been shared between Clipper-Studebaker line - perhaps longer, as you suggest. Then again, maybe not.

Meanwhile, I won't even venture a guess as to the panel for the new passenger-car-based Coupe Express (pickup) that was to be cut from a station wagon roof.

Pity that so comparatively little has been published about these cars after so many decades.