This 1953 Studebaker Starliner coupe has been beautifully restored by a Studebaker marque specialist, and is one of the best examples of the pioneering streamlined 1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner.
Most industrial designers name the 1953-54 Studebaker coupes as the outstanding American car of the Fifties. In 1953 the Starliner won Motor Trend’s award for “the most aesthetically styled,” and it was later cited as a milestone by the Museum of Modern Art
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This is the Raymond Loewy design firm styled Starliner coupe, a car that was bold and new and looked ahead to the future. It is much, much lower than it’s competitors of the era – Studebaker beat Pontiac to the Longer Lower Wider approach by 6 or 7 years!
Credited to Raymond Loewy, the Starliner was actually the work of Loewy chief of design Robert E. Bourke. “I patterned it after the Lockheed Constellation aircraft,” Bob said. “The nose-down feel of the fuselage in particular was reflected in the front fender and hood contours. For side definition I used a sweeping ‘character line’ running from the front fenders through the door, then down in a reverse angle matching that of the rear fenders.”
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It was designed with streamlining in mind, and these slippery, low drag coupes have been popular at the Bonneville Salt Flats for many years.
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This view shows the fin-like chrome highlights on the rear fenders.
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Absolutely beautiful! A 100% original show-winning Starliner, early production with tri-star badges, 232 V-8 and stick-overdrive. Restored by Studebaker expert Jack Lentz, who documented every step with detailed photos and applied a flawless “foot-deep” paint job with original colors.
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The plating and trim on this car are especially nice
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The dashboard and steering wheel are gorgeous and done in the correct pattern.
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Excellent interior! Note the arm rest for the rear passengers.
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Another view
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Nicely trimmed trunk with liner of the correct type.
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Excellent headlining
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There’s the first version of the Studebaker V-8, a 232 Cubic inch powerplant with 120 Horsepower. It runs perfectly at modern highway speeds and gets over 20 mpg on regular
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I like the proper colors, the correct decals, and the stock air cleaner. Also notice how sharply raked the fan shroud is to support to allow the streamlining of the hood.
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Here’s a nice view of the undercarriage, including a good view of the overdrive unit and overdrive solenoid. It’s clean and tidy underneath.
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A view of the gas tank and undercarriage from the rear.
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The front chassis and suspension.
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Undercarriage and floors are nice and solid.
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The engine bay is spectacular!
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Excellent chrome!
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Commander trim looks new!
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“Studebaker” !
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Compare this to everything else on the road in 1953, – only the Corvette, the Kaiser-Darrin and custom built European cars could match it for styling!