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If you would like to own something that would make a Caribbean seem doggedly commonplace, this is your car. My plan was to combine this with a derelict Lark convertible and some custom trim to make "The Last Caribbean", but time has gotten away from me.

Someone before me did a lot of work to this car so it has a clean engine that runs well, a transmission that shifts and brakes that stop. All that needs some freshening at this point, but the car is not a mechanical pig. The body is way better than average with only minor damage to the floors, good rockers and a very nice frame. Front fenders are meh, but a new right front goes with it along with NOS fiberglass "cheeks. Call me at four 4 3 three77 9569 for a full description. $3500

AND, if you would like this made into a convertible as "the last Caribbean" you can be accommodated. I'd already figured out how to do it.

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I asked Ross on the "last Caribbean" meaning. To be more specific, it would be to brace up the car, chop off the top, then transfer all of the convertible-specific doodads from one of these, to make it into a "58 Packard Caribbean".

A 58 Packard, though much different in the front and rear, is already all the correct dimensions in the middle to do that.

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Nice concept... but on a unit body?

Body on frame. The Lark and the '58 already share doors, cowl, windshield and a myriad of other major and minor components. Those boys at Studebaker were geniuses at making something new with a very small budget.

There was a gentleman in my area who built a convertible 1953 Studebaker convertible using a Commander Starlight hardtop body and convertible parts from a 1960 Lark. The result was quite nice and was even written up in an edition of the Studebaker club magazine. I met the gentleman at a car show about 15 years ago and had a nice chat with him. He told me that he had worked in Studebaker's South Bend, Indiana plant during the 1950's and 1960's. As we all know, Studebaker never built a convertible on the sleek 1953 Ray Lowey designed body though a prototype was built. The gentleman I spoke to told me that he had once tried to buy the prototype but was refused. So, years later, after retiring to Connecticut, he decided to build his own, completing it around 2000. It is possible to do something like this, but it is a lot of work. While the Lark convertible top did end up mating pretty nicely to the 1953 Studebaker body, quite a bit of hand fabrication was still required to get everything to work.

I seem to remember reading in one of the Studebaker books or articles that the convertible on the new 53 body was under serious consideration since they had one in earlier models -- although some higher ups didn't think it would sell. The big issue it seems was the frame they would have to use was found to be too weak. Even after adding the multiple strategic reinforcements needed, results would be marginal. There must be some truth to the weak frame theory because IIRC, in some of those cars and also some of the later models one of the frames -- I believe it was the hardtop frame -- was prone to stress cracking near the front cross member due to flexing.

In addition to a weak frame, Stude was also under styling constraints by Raymond Loewy whose big mantra during his entire tenure was "weight is the enemy". Stude was doing everything in their power to cut weight where possible. Even though the convertible was desirable, adding heavy frame reinforcements was a big issue and money for a complete new frame was also out of the question since the naysayers would need to approve any expenditures.

EDIT: A day later in afterthought: I wonder if the people that thought a convertible wouldn't sell are the same ones that thought most would want the sedan instead of the 2 door coupe. When the cars hit the market that presumption was way wrong and there were not enough coupes for the demand so a mad scramble ensued to provide parts and production capabilities for more coupes. Maybe that same faulty crystal ball was the same one used by those who fought the 51 Packard convertible and then decided to make a cheap version and put it on a small chassis only to quickly realize the mistake and have a mad scramble to make the convertible appear to be more upscale.