South Bend Survivor: 1964 Studebaker Wagonaire
UPDATE – The seller just updated the listing and sadly, it doesn’t feature the sliding roof.
When you think of Sport Utility Vehicles today, we doubt the name Studebaker comes to mind. Well, it may have if you were in the market for a kid and cargo hauler back in the sixties. With plenty of room for the whole family and a unique sliding roof in the back, this 1964 Studebaker Wagonaire would have been the envy of your suburb. It may not catch the attention of soccer moms today, but any Studebaker enthusiast will be salivating because this beauty looks as good as the day it left the factory in South Bend, Indiana. Find it here on eBay with bidding starting at $5,000.
The interior of this wagon may make you feel like you have entered a time machine. It can be hard to find one of these in good condition today, but somehow this one escaped the ravages of time and moisture. With just 41k miles on the clock and only a handful of caring owners, this Lark based hauler provides a look into Studebaker history. The only alteration done here is the addition of an air conditioning unit and we must say that if you are going to add anything to a car, AC would be on the top of our list anyway.
This is the last of the Studebaker built V8s because in 1965 they switched to Chevrolet sourced engines. Three trim levels were offered in 1964 and each offered the option of an inline six or a V8. Luckily this Commander is equipped with eight cylinders. It was the midlevel specification and the only way you could go higher was to get a Daytona with the engine from the Avanti.
The same guy who designed the Jeep Wagoneer whipped up this useful creation. It was intended to be an affordable way for Studebaker to expand their lineup, but sadly the company was headed towards financial ruin and the model was only produced for a few years. This Wagonaire is well preserved and deserves to live on, if nothing more than to give future generations a glimpse into what the golden age of the American automobile industry was all about.
Auctions Ending Soon
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now2 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now2 days$4,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now2 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now4 days$10,500
1974 Datsun 260ZBid Now6 days$750
Comments
Studebakers were quality durable vehicles. Bad management brought them down as well as high labor costs. But they were always innovative. Seems to me GM did that sliding roof section a few years back but it didn’t catch on. The only real problems Studebaker had with it were leaks.
My Gramps had one, never a better car for road hunting! :)
at least this one is in good shape put it in a museum and call it a day
Beautiful piece of automotive history. Why two different license plates?
superbe Wagon !!
Seller states that this one has the FIXED ROOF, not the slider…
@Bear – Thanks for pointing that out. Looks like someone asked after we had already written the post. That does drop it a notch for us, but it is still a great family hauler which would not have the leak problems so common with these.
If it doesn’t have the sliding roof then its not a wagonaire. its just a wagon the wagonaire designation was reserved for the sliding roof. They advertised it carrying a refrig. or a Christmas tree standing in the back, I had one loved it and it did not leak.The whole line was nice the felt really light driving down the road. Nice Car.
Although I didn’t own a Studebaker myself, those who I knew who had them as loyal customers loved their durability. Except fifties and sixties sedans had rust problems in the front fenders. But then back in 1984, As a Honda Dealer Service Manager I replace dozens of Accord front fenders, and because they had strut front suspension we had to buy some back.
It seems a lot of our SUV’s adapted that tail-end design. I have a 2008 RAV4 that looks similar in the back, save for the covered spare on the gate.
You have a rav4, poor devil, remember the Japs cannot originate any styling touch other than the occasional clown cartoon car.
Yes rust was a problem on the lark and Daytona models in the front fenders Kinda like the Vegas they gave you a new right front fender when you bought it new . But to this car really a nice example like I said earlier I really like mine I also had a 57 president great car loved it.
Yes the fenders just at the A pillars were a rust area of the Studabakers from 1953 on, but since they didn’t have the funds for a new shell design it hung around. All 1950’s cars rusted. It was not uncommon to see fender or rocker rust on 5 or 6 year old cars. Bondo covered a lot of sins.
@ J. Pickett: Right on the money. I do love the reliability of the RAV4. This one was one of the Japanese-built vehicles, and it’s just indestructible. Indeed, the Japanese auto manufacturers could use some lessons in originality. I owned a Miata too, ama
Cool! I drove nearly this same car all through college: a 1964 Commander wagon. It was fixed-roof like this one, but a 6-cylinder 3-on-the-tree with overdrive. It was a ratty $375 car that was almost worn out, and over the next several years I rebuilt or replaced the entire drivetrain, even buying an NOS rear axle after the original crapped out. At that time, there was a company in Indiana which had bought out Studebaker’s parts inventory when they shut down their US manufacturing, and they were still selling it off. I don’t know if they are still around today.Durability and reliability were not Studebaker strong points, in my experience. But it was a neat car, and I hope it still survives. It was already a collector car when I sold it a few years after college.
I remember that parts company in Indiana, I once directed a customer when I worked in a parts store and he was able to obtain door trims nos, of course that was late 70’s.
By the way I have owned 4 Japanese cars including 2 Toyotas. They are simple too bland for me now. That Fusioin is on my shortlist too.
Nice Stude, a much prettier car than the ’56 Stude wagon. That one was “homely” at best.
I’d like it, and I’m not even into them- although I made a detour to the museum at Sth Bend.
Well worth it too.
The parts company is still around. It has changed hand a few times as well as the location. It is now called Studebaker International. They are also in Greenfield IN.