Unknown car

[Eve]

Unknown model.

Who knows more ?

Erik.

[8E45E]

1958 Studebaker Scotsman.  Early model as it has the vent doors on the front fenders.

 

Craig

Edited September 28, 2019 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

The Scotsman was a low-priced model in the

Studebaker line-up, and low-priced cars in that

era had little exterior trim and very basic interiors.

The same styling could be had in a more deluxe model.

 

The car had pretty good lines, didn't it?

[Walt G]

I agree with John that the car had pretty good lines for that era. I saw a Studebaker Scotsman here on long island about 35+ years ago,

wow talk about a car that had "no frills" what so ever! Gave new meaning to the words "basic transportation". Even at that time when I saw the sedan I thought how

unique a survivor it was.

[60FlatTop]

I had a radio delete plate for one of those once. Couldn't sell it, everyone said I wanted too much for it.

[Eve]

Gentleman,

Thanks a lot for this identification.

Greetings from Flanders,

Erik

[trini]

Nice looking car.

[58L-Y8]

The Scotsman was central to the survival of Studebaker-Packard through 1957, it was introduced in May, and all of 1958.  In a fine Drive-Report on the '58 Scotsman in Special Interest Autos magazine June 1984, they pointed out that the model accounted for 17% of 1957 sedans and wagons sales and a shocking 46.3% of those for 1958.  Without it, its unlikely they would have had the continued cash flow to develop the Lark.  Bare-bones as it was, it was the right car, at the right time, for the right price. 

[Guest]

I never miss a chance to share with my wife any reference to the stereotypical Scottish thriftiness. Her background is Scot and she gets a good laugh from it. I wish a car company today had the cajones to name their cars in this fashion. From their top of the line "Dubai Town Car" all the way down to their "Thrifty Scot Commuter". 😂

[Rusty_OToole]

The Scotsman was the most stripped down car made at the time. They eliminated sound deadening, insulation, automatic choke, oil filter, chrome trim, even the hubcaps were plain painted steel. But it allowed them to sell a full sized sedan for under $1800. Only the sedan and station wagon were offered and only in a limited range of colors, I think they were plain gray, green or blue, no metallics, no 2 tones. There was also a Scotsman pickup truck.

It gave them something to sell when car sales were crashing. In those years all car sales were down, except for the economy Rambler. Medium priced makes like Oldsmobile  and Mercury took the worst hit. DeSoto, Packard, Nash and Hudson went out of production. But the Scotsman let Studebaker hang on until their new Lark was ready. The Lark saved Studebaker and was the basis for every car they made afterwards.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, GregLaR said:

I never miss a chance to share with my wife any reference to the stereotypical Scottish thriftiness. Her background is Scot and she gets a good laugh from it. I wish a car company today had the cajones to name their cars in this fashion. From their top of the line "Dubai Town Car" all the way down to their "Thrifty Scot Commuter". 😂

 

I've been told I have Scottish ancestry, but I spend more than I can afford to on old cars, so I may have been told wrong.

Edited September 29, 2019 by JamesR (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

5 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Medium priced makes like Oldsmobile  and Mercury took the worst hit.

 

It really hit Edsel!!!!!!😉

[58L-Y8]

The true anomaly of that 1958 market was the success of the new four-passenger Thunderbird.   

[padgett]

Luxury cars never follow the economy.

[John_S_in_Penna]

8 minutes ago, padgett said:

Luxury cars never follow the economy.

 

Sorry, Mr. Padgett, at the risk of going on a tangent,

I'll have to present an opposite opinion.  Luxury cars,

I would say, are indeed affected by the economy.

For example, in the 1930's, production numbers fell

tremendously, and many luxury makes went out of 

business.  In the 1958 recession, Cadillac, Lincoln,

and Imperial all lost sales substantially.  In the 1973-74

recession and oil scare, big cars including luxury cars

saw their sales go away down.

 

But anyway, it's an interesting Scotsman.  One man in

northwestern Penna. has a Scotsman in excellent condition.

I believe it's original.  And boy, does it look plain!

[8E45E]

Here is a 'loaded' Scotsman:

Yes, radio, and chrome trim WAS optional on 1958 Scotsman models.

 

Craig

[Rusty_OToole]

For comparison, here is the 1958 Studebaker President sedan, their top  model. The same basic car in dressed up form. Packard was even more expensive, and based on the same body and chassis but counts as a separate make.

 

[Rusty_OToole]

Range topping Packard station wagon.  Based on the same body and chassis but in super deluxe form including supercharged V8 engine.

 

 

[8E45E]

4 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Range topping Packard station wagon.  Based on the same body and chassis but in super deluxe form including supercharged V8 engine.

 

 

 

The supercharged engine was only true on the Hawk for 1958.  Sedans, wagons, and the J-body hardtop all had naturally-aspirated engines.

 

For 1957, all Packards, including the Clipper Country Sedan (station wagon) were equipped with a supercharger.

 

Craig

[Buffalowed Bill]

All 1957 and 1958 Golden Hawks came stock with supercharged engines.

Bill 

[nzcarnerd]

To put the Scotsman wagon into perspective Studebaker sold 7,680 according to my copy of The Standard Catalog. A drop in the bucket as far as the total market was concerned.

[Rusty_OToole]

2 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

To put the Scotsman wagon into perspective Studebaker sold 7,680 according to my copy of The Standard Catalog. A drop in the bucket as far as the total market was concerned.

Considering the model was introduced in May, and the model year ended in early August, and that sedans usually outsold station wagons 4 or 5 to one, Studebaker did good business. As I pointed out before the Scotsman was a stop gap or low price leader to give their dealers something to sell during a recession when cars were not selling. It's the sort of car that was important at the time but of little or no collector interest now.

[58L-Y8]

7,680: Drop in the bucket for the total market, best selling model for a severely-strapped company striving to survive until its able to field its last hope new compact car.