Matt Harwood Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) As is my preference, I wanted to offer a new arrival to my friends on the AACA board before it goes to the general public. This 1932 Studebaker President St. Regis Brougham hails from the S. Ray Miller estate. Stunning in every way, it won the 1991 AACA “Outstanding Vehicle in the Show Year” award as well as National Firsts at both AACA and CCCA events. Two years later and still in perfect #1 condition, it won an AACA Preservation Award, a Studebaker National Museum Design Award as well as a class award at the 1993 Meadow Brook Hall Concours d’Elegance. Equipment includes rare chrome Budd artillery wheels and a Startix system that is fully functional. It shows virtually zero wear since the restoration was completed and has always been stored in a climate-controlled environment.This is a no-stories car restored to exceptional standards, and needs nothing more than a quick detail to be competitive again. A great opportunity to own a rare Full Classic from one of the most under-appreciated marques of the era.Drop me a line for more information or photos, or look for it on our web page in the next few days at Vintage Motor Cars :: Welcome.$99,900 OBO Edited December 8, 2011 by Matt Harwood Sold (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30 Hupp Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 That's a "Heart-Stopper"!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old car fan Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Great car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dick Whittington Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 The late Bob Yale would be all over that car in a moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 One beautiful car, and the kinship with the Pierce Arrow's of the era is evident. Studebaker owned Pierce at this period of history, and there's always debate about which engineers were working on what.....let's say that a Studebaker head will fit on a Pierce engine (even if cosmetically slightly different), and it wasn't a bad marriage of marques.....Although the price may seem steep, for a car of this calibre, quality, rarity, and acceptance into numerous clubs, not so much.....Am sure it'll find a good home, now if I can just wipe this drool off my computer.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landman Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Please Lord, let me win the lottery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 (edited) Oh, I can dream, can't I ??Matt, what a really great car -- wish we had room in the garage, and in the checking account... Edited August 4, 2011 by Marty Roth typo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Beautiful car. I especially like the lack of "tacked on" accessories and whitewalls. The subdued colors are very appropriate too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Yeah, I guess an even up swap for a '39 Packard 120 is out of the question.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Huston Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 One beautiful car, and the kinship with the Pierce Arrow's of the era is evident. Studebaker owned Pierce at this period of history, and there's always debate about which engineers were working on what.....let's say that a Studebaker head will fit on a Pierce engine (even if cosmetically slightly different), and it wasn't a bad marriage of marques..... Trimacar,<O:p</O:pYou have hit on a hot topic between Studebaker and Pierce Arrow collectors. Which is: who “borrowed” what from whom. However; the bottom line is they both benefitted from the short lived marriage of the two companies. In addition to some mechanical parts, the body on the President St. Regis Brougham was also used on the Pierce Arrow as a Club Brougham. Interestingly, far more Pierce Arrow’s with this body style survived until today than did Studebaker President’s. <O:p</O:pI would love to have this President St. Regis Brougham in my garage. It has always been my favorite Pre-War Studebaker. Here are a couple of pictures of a Pierce Arrow Club Brougham that I took a few years ago. You can clearly see the similarity in the bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Mark, you are correct on a few levels. In fact, the '32 Pierce club brougham was made in large numbers, and a corresponding large number of them survive. It's a beautiful body style, a two door close coupled sedan, and for sure one of the nicest "production" closed bodies of the early 30's.The President is much more rare, if that's correct English (I know, it's either rare or not, something can't be more rare), and this one is beautifully understated, as stated before...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 Sold! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I can only wish that one is headed for Dayton area, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you could see this one on display at, say, the Studebaker Museum in South Bend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob McDonald Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 One of these beauties graced the Edmonton old car scene for a while, about 25 years ago. While Studebaker was well known as a quality mid-range car, this was the first that many of us locals learned that the company had dabbled in the Classic range, too. Those vertical elliptical headlights set a unique design theme. These are outstanding cars; thanks for calling some attention to them.I've long wondered about the significance of the St. Regis name. Chrysler also used it mid-'Fifties for the New Yorker two-door hardtop. Good old Google - I now know that it's the name of a posh hotel on Fifth Avenue, of which there's now a world-wide chain.One of the St. Regis vacation packages is called, "Speed and Sport, The Bentley Engagement". It includes two nights in Rome, two nights in Florence, with your own Flying Spur or Continental to enjoy in between. How much? Well, if you have to ask... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahoning63 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 (edited) Trimacar,<O:p</O:pYou have hit on a hot topic between Studebaker and Pierce Arrow collectors. Which is: who “borrowed” what from whom. However; the bottom line is they both benefitted from the short lived marriage of the two companies. In addition to some mechanical parts, the body on the President St. Regis Brougham was also used on the Pierce Arrow as a Club Brougham.Mark - great point about the marriage and its benefits. I've been digging in pretty deep of late on the sharing between each marque in 32-33 as I try to extrapolate what a series of Pierce-Arrows might have looked like had the sharing continued up to the war. Have observed some interesting observations. Take with a grain of salt, have not been able to take a measuring tape to these cars, only compare and scale images.1. '32-33 Stude President sat on a 135" wheelbase. '32 Pierce Model 53/54 used a 137" and 142" wheelbase. The 137" was comparable to the President, the extra 2" being added forward of the firewall. The 142" chassis also added 5 inches aft of the firewall. '33 Pierce 836/1236 sat on a 136" and 139" chassis. The 136" was similar to the President with 1" added forward of firewall. The 139" also added 3" aft of firewall.2. 1932 St. Regis Brougham's body is not quite as long as the 1932 Pierce Club Brougham, the latter overhanging the rear axle a few inches more probably to give Pierce the rear legroom and/or differentiation it was looking for. Both use the same doors. Stude uses a longer detached trunk.3. 1933 5-pass touring sedans for each marque appear to be identical. 139" Pierce 7-pass sedan adds 3 inches to the rear door and several inches to the body's rear overhang. Studebaker's 7-pass models on the 135" chassis probably also had this longer rear overhang coupled with the shorter rear door.4. Front and rear fenders appear to be shared between both marques, the Pierce being differentiated by welded-on fender-mounted headlights. Running board lengths varied with wheelbase.5. Pierce's entire '32 Model 53/54 and '33 836/1236 line-up appears to be almost completely based on Studebaker stampings even down to the detached trunks (of which Studebaker had several in its hopper). Pierce was not shy in borrowing whatever it felt necessary to make the exact type of cars it wanted, and Studebaker's body stampings appear to be ingeniously interchangeable so as to allow a myriad of styles, shapes and sizes.Paul West Edited December 21, 2011 by Mahoning63 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Paul, some good points and good comparisons.I might agree that the rear fenders are similar, but the front fenders (even aside from the light pod) look quite different. Of course, if the basic shape is there, modifications can be made........The rear bodies of the two broughams are also quite different, it seems the moulding, rake, and rear window are all different. These differences would still require different stamping dies.And, ah, the difference underneath. The Studebaker President is a great car, but hard to beat the mechanicals of a Pierce. For example, the Pierce brake drums are made of tool steel, they can't be turned down, but must be ground, and if you rest one on its hub and tap it gently with a metal wrench, the prettiest bell sound will be in the air...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahoning63 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 (edited) David - love to hear those first-hand experiences, thanks. Tried to find some pics to shed light on the stampings. 1932 front fenders look to be the same, just timmed differently at the grill interface. That's just looking at pics though, really need up close observing. 1933 front fenders have slighlty different curve on front apron. My quesiton is whether these could have been trimmed once the basic shape was formed or whether different dies were needed. 32 Pierce Club Brougham appears to use same rear body stamping/overhang and trunk as 32 Commander St. Regis. All this stuff raises more questions than it answers. Would love to know details about how Pierce and Studebaker bodies were stamped and welded up in those years. For example, was there just a few big dies for the rear roof section with lots of trimming? Were unique backlight holes punched after the metal was formed? If so, Stude could have simply opted for a squared corner look while Pierce went more rounded. Edited December 21, 2011 by Mahoning63 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studemax Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Love the long doors...Hope Publishers Clearing House brings a check around soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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