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In this Discussion
- 66patrick66 October 2006
- Cadetgray March 2006
- Dr Nick Riviera March 2005
- Karn Utz January 2006
- lonemalt January 2006
- Martin200 March 2006
- Reagam October 2006
- tristansdaz July 2005
Last independent car manufacturers of America
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Studebaker was one of the last independent car manufacturers of America with a history that goes back as far as 1852. The Lark was the last real attempt of the company at breaking the stranglehold of the big three (GM, Ford and Crysler) on the American car market. It was far ahead of its time, being a small compact car with European looks and without the until then popular tail fins. Its introduction in 1959 was successful and the company made a nice profit that first year, but due to a change of management and an irrational marketing strategy the success stopped in 1960. In 1963 Studebaker ceased car production in its main facility at South Bend, Indiana. In Canada Studebaker continued production until 1966 on a small scale.
On these pages RitzSite offers you an overview of the 1960 Lark models, still in their original design. Most pictures are Studebaker advertising material. Compare these pictures to those of other 1960's cars, even the European ones, and you'll see how modern these Larks actually were and how undeserved their unpopularity on the classic car market is.
The pages are set up as a tour: by clicking on the arrows at the top or bottom of the pages you can go to the next or the previous page. This page is the beginning and end of the tour.
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I thought AMC was the last, before being bought by Chrysler?
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The Lark and the Avante were the last Studebakers to go up against the Big Three.
(I would argue the the Avante was the best shot as it lasted far longer than the company).
AMC was formed in 1954 by Nash buying Hudson, then Willys.
AMC was in Wisconson
Studebaker was in South Bend, IN -
Studebaker had a sister line, the lower-priced Erskine. Studebaker went into receivership in 1933 and was bought out by Paul Hoffman and Harold Vance. Studebaker merged with Packard in 1954 to form the Studebaker-Packard Corp.
What those mergers, or the merger that formed AMC, have to do with which company was the last independent US automaker to compete with the big three, is not clear from your post.
Please clarify.
Also, The Avanti (with an "i") was an interesting but doomed last chance for the South Bend crew. Studebaker never built 5,000 in a month, and after the company folded, the various continuation cars never sold more than 300 in a whole year. A much better "best bet" would have been a more attractively priced mainstream model to compete in the new cheap performance market.
Finally, AMC was headquartered in Detroit, MI, not Wisconsin. AMC did build some, but not all, of their cars in WI. -
I agree that AMC was the last to really compete with the big three. AMC's biggest success was the Jeep line including the very successful Wagoneer and CJ series. The 4.0 six cylinder can still be traced back to the 258 cu in six that AMC used in a lot of vehicles. Alas, if you can't beat them, buy them. Chrysler purchased AMC and in turn was gobbled up by Daimler/Benz. So, in reality we have the big two left...
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When Nash and Hudson merged in May 1954, Nash HQ was in Kenosha and Hudson was in Detroit. The merger (AMC) stayed in Kenosha as their HQ, though some cars continued to be built in Detroit.
Kenosha was the AMC headquarters. When AMC was bought out by Chrysler in 1987, the Kenosha AMC plant was building Jeeps, and later, built minivans."The time has come", the Walrus said, "to speak of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings..." -
Page 322, "The History of Hudson", by Don Butler
AMC HQ'd in Kenosha. End of story."The time has come", the Walrus said, "to speak of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings..." -
Yes, I see it now.
One book by an amateur historian certainly trumps the piles of marketing, warranty and service information printed by AMC, numerous articles in other publications, and the existence of AMC HQ buildings in metro Detroit.
Here is some more reading, should you be interested:
AMERICAN MOTORS; THE LAST INDEPENDENT: By Patrick R Foster
Rarified Rambler / Hemmings Motor News
Car and Driver, March 1968 issue - specifications on the 1968 AMX.
etc., etc. -
Everybody remembers AMC as the pride of Kenosha
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Except that one guy. Never mind, you can go to the AMO web page, any book that has the history of American Motors in it, any AMC club member, and they will ALL tell you that AMC was HEADQUARTERED in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Yes, AMC did have some of their corporate types in Detroit, but that does not change the FACT that AMC is a Kenosha company.
Facts is facts."The time has come", the Walrus said, "to speak of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings..." -
So if you repeat that enough times, it's true, is that it? :rolleyes:
You are wrong, Patrick.
Sorry.
AMC's "American Center" headquarters (or the place where "some of the corporate types" worked).
AMC's previous headquarters on Plymouth road in Detroit, which is now a DCX/Jeep engineering facility.
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/5/40963.html?1111905886
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3165/is_v20/ai_3207573
http://www.amxfiles.com/amc/romney.html
Isn't it odd that AMC chairman George Romney didn't retire to pursue politics in Wisconsin, and didn't participate in a committee to improve Kenosha's schools? :confused: -
So hundreds of AMC fans are wrong and you're right, I guess. Still the "pride of Kenosha"."The time has come", the Walrus said, "to speak of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings..." -
My, what a well-reasoned response. You have certainly rebutted or disproved everything I stated with that "hundreds of fans" comeback.
The issue isn't me vs. the nameless 'hundreds' that you claim 'know' your version of the truth. The issue is the facts, vs. your spurious assertions.
You got nothin', Pat. -
FWIW, I checked out the AMO site you keep harping on. I see nothing there that disproves my statement. "Pride of Kenosha" is a great line. The folks in Kenosha should be proud of the cars they built over the years.
I put the question to some other folks over at amcforums.com. Have a look, if you get a chance.
Enjoy your day. -
Karn,
You are 100% correct. My father was the Import/Export Traffic Manager for AMC from 1974-77. Each day he drove to the Plymouth Road headquarters. Roy D. Chapin, Jr.'s office was just down the hall, and I was given several tours of the design center by Dick Teague. Nash moved into the building when they merged with Kelvinator who was the original occupant. I remember the offices in the front were beautiful with lots of wood paneling. I believe the headquarters moved to the American Center around 1979, after my Dad left the company. But there is no question at all that AMC's world headquarters was in Detroit. -
Okay, I think this discussion started out about Studebaker. I think the opener about the Ritz Site meant to say that Studebaker was ONE OF the last independents, not THE last. American Motors is not the last, either; if you count Avanti Motors and several of the specialty car makers who are very much alive right now. In fact, if you check out Avanti Motors' website, they are all set later this year to release a Hummer-style limited-production SUV which they are calling... a STUDEBAKER!!
BTW, to politely correct 'miklwhite', Nash and Hudson merged (technically; the fact was that Nash took over wholesale). AMC did NOT buy Willys; Kaiser did in 1953, kept the name for 10 years while making Jeeps; then in 1963 called itself "Kaiser Jeep Corporation" until AMC's buyout of the Jeep line from Kaiser Industries in 1969.
As far as the AMC headquarters question, I think Karn Utz is right, TECHNICALLY. Kenosha did the lion's share of the manufacturing and therefore got the notoriety. I think it's just one of those Wisconsin-Michigan rivalry things for the most part; people from Kenosha (and Janesville, for that matter) like to think they build a better product than "dem Trolls under da bridge down dere in da Mitten." (Yooper talk)
Okay, that should put the bullseye on me for awhile. Flak jacket's on; fire away."Problems are merely opportunities in workclothes." -Henry J. Kaiser -
Studebaker was one of the last independent carmakers in the U.S. in the last century. Yes several carmakers exist today including AM General, once a subsidiary of AMC. Addressing what a carmaker was remembered for vs. what or where they actually were, AMC was headquartered in Detroit. It's own literature is the only and final say on that matter. Where the bulk of manufacturing occurred was even divided. Brampton , Ontario produced a high percentage of later AMC's and Jeeps were produced in Toledo, Ohio.
Studebaker is associated with South Bend, Indiana, yet they also had significant production in Canada.There are facts and then there's popular lore.
Steve -
All that info and five bucks gets you an overpriced coffee at Starbucks.
Detroit it is. Not that it matters."The time has come", the Walrus said, "to speak of many things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings..." -
Okay, I think this discussion started out about Studebaker. I think the opener about the Ritz Site meant to say that Studebaker was ONE OF the last independents, not THE last. quote]
It's good that some people "READ" the articles, rather than using "THE FORCE" to interpret them. I was hoping to get a disscussion going on these cars, rather than a debate on semantics.
This discussion has been closed.
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