Independent Makes with a Following

[geigs]

 

Regarding post war Independent makes, why do some have a decent following, while others have been mostly forgotten?  What are your memories of some of the Independent makes?  What type of person would drive an Independent back in the day?

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2017 by geigs
clarification (see edit history)

[edinmass]

None of the above. Which is very sad. The hobby is evolving in ways that is hard to predict. Buy what you like, the hell with what the market trends are doing, pleasure is your best dividend/return.

[Guest Skyliner]

I have to agree - there just doesn't seem to be a really strong interest in any of those makes. You see any of them featured on social media and they seem to get a fraction of the attention. Well, If "shares" are the indicator of today ;-)

 

Out of that list I'd have to say Packard are the strongest.

[alsancle]

Based on the forums I would say Buick by a mile but that wasn't a choice.  Otherwise,  all Packards enjoy support, although the post war certainly not as much as prewar.

[Doug Novak]

AMC has good support still. There are independent Parts Suppliers and some repro parts still being made. The National Organization American Motors Owners  or AMO is active and alive. We just had the AMO National Convention in Gettysburg Last week and there were 250 Cars on the show field plus a dozen or more Swap Vendors.

 

 

 

 

[Rusty_OToole]

They all have their fans and they can be somewhat fanatical. There are one make clubs for almost every car. When you get in touch with them it is surprising the amount of knowledge that is out there and the secret parts hordes known to the few.

[ericmac]

Since I only was allowed one choice the obvious answer was Packard but I think there is a good argument for all of them, especially if you happen to have (or have had) one in your garage. I remember the days when all of the cars on the list (except pre-war Packards) were near give aways at $2500 or less. Good ba or indifferent those days are gone, but may return?

[Gary_Ash]

The Studebaker Drivers Club has over 12,000 members, that for a brand that stopped making cars 51 years ago.  I believe it is the largest single-make club.  There is also the Antique Studebaker Club with about 1200 members focused on pre-war cars and trucks.  The AACA Forum here tends to serve owners of pre-war Studebakers, but the SDC Forum (http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com) has over 9,000 signed-up members (not necessarily SDC members) with more than 1100 of them actively posting.  There are more than 1,000,000 posts in about 100,000 threads on the SDC Forum, mostly about post-war cars and trucks, plus more than 17,000 posts here.  Additionally, the Studebaker Truck Talk forum, not affiliated with any club, is a very active site for owners of Studebaker trucks of all types and ages.  The SDC International Meet in Rhode Island last year drew 300+ cars and 850 people.  I'd consider those indications of strong support and following.

[Hupp36]

Hey,  I  am  very  offended,  what  about  HUPMOBILE

[28 Chrysler]

Here in southern Nevada there is a good size AMC club.

[capngrog]

I have also read and heard that the Studebaker owners had a very large and active club.

 

 

[Frantz]

IMO Nash/Hudson and AMC should be all together... since the former merged into the latter and often there is a mutual following (and parts support to a lessor degree). No news here. Packard and Stude didn't merge until the end of both makes (give or take a decade), AMC carried on a solid 3 decades. All that considered, I'm surprised to see more votes for either of them over AMC. I didn't realize the following was that strong. I think the AMC world is pretty good for what it is, so I'm glad some other independents feel so confident!

[Frank DuVal]

I second Sudebaker as the orphan with the most following. The Studebaker Drivers Club (no apostrophe is the common spelling) has lots of members as pointed out by Gary. The monthly Turning Wheels Magazine is jamb packed with activities (International Drive Your Studebaker day), expert mechanical help, help for both stock and modified applications, history, and what is stock for a particular year (like Stock Is back in the Corvair Communique).

 

Maybe because they made more cars and trucks than the other marques listed! 

 

And, they include Packard! Remember 1957 and 1958? The last two years of Packard production were for the most part, Studebakers. 

Edited July 2, 2017 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[DAVE A]

Hey Grog.....what about us Crosley people???   I am of course kidding , but for a marque that only made about 75,000 cars, we have a very loyal and dedicated following.  No where near as big as many, but as a percentage of cars made, we are pretty good.   Hope to see you in Wauseon!!!