Prototype R2!

[mfg]

The original owner of the Avanti R2 powered 'Studebaker SS' was Studebaker Corporation.......True?

[studegary]

6 minutes ago, mfg said:

The original owner of the Avanti R2 powered 'Studebaker SS' was Studebaker Corporation.......True?

This is a difficult one.  Studebaker provided the chassis and drivetrain for a show car to be built by Brooks Stevens.  Because of this, I will say true.  When Studebaker wouldn't show it in NY, Brooks Stevens showed it as his Excaliber.   The difficult part is that Brooks Stevens later claimed that all of the Studebaker prototypes, like the Sceptre, were his.  

[mfg]

1 hour ago, studegary said:

This is a difficult one.  Studebaker provided the chassis and drivetrain for a show car to be built by Brooks Stevens.  Because of this, I will say true.  When Studebaker wouldn't show it in NY, Brooks Stevens showed it as his Excaliber.   The difficult part is that Brooks Stevens later claimed that all of the Studebaker prototypes, like the Sceptre, were his.  

God assessment of what happened Gary...which makes the answer, however, FALSE!

[studegary]

57 minutes ago, mfg said:

God assessment of what happened Gary...which makes the answer, however, FALSE!

Please explain your answer.  The Studebaker SS was a Studebaker when it arrived at the NY Auto Show.  When Studebaker decided not to show their show car, Brooks Stevens got a spot and showed it as the Excalibur.

[mfg]

1 hour ago, studegary said:

Please explain your answer.  The Studebaker SS was a Studebaker when it arrived at the NY Auto Show.  When Studebaker decided not to show their show car, Brooks Stevens got a spot and showed it as the Excalibur.

Elementary my dear Watson!,...Although Studebaker supplied the chassis/engine/trans for the then 'Studebaker SS', and it was originally built as a Studebaker prototype, the car was built in Wisconsin, and the original title was in Brooks Stevens name...not Studebaker's.

This is why, when Studebaker decided not to show the car in New York, it was easy for Stevens to display it under the 'Excalibur' marque, a name which he held a copyright on for several years!

[studegary]

1 hour ago, mfg said:

Elementary my dear Watson!,...Although Studebaker supplied the chassis/engine/trans for the then 'Studebaker SS', and it was originally built as a Studebaker prototype, the car was built in Wisconsin, and the original title was in Brooks Stevens name...not Studebaker's.

This is why, when Studebaker decided not to show the car in New York, it was easy for Stevens to display it under the 'Excalibur' marque, a name which he held a copyright on for several years!

I agree with all of this except for the title being in Stevens' name.  It is sort of like the other Stevens prototypes, built for Studebaker, that Stevens liberated (his term) from Studebaker and then the SNM paid to get them back into the Studebaker collection.  

[mfg]

1 hour ago, studegary said:

I agree with all of this except for the title being in Stevens' name.

Sorry to have to tell you you're wrong Gary, however, you're wrong Gary!........

My info states "Title to the prototype was never actually vested with the Studebaker Corporation"

The 'Studebaker SS' was definitely owned by Brooks Stevens, or the Brooks Stevens Company!

[8E45E]

The Production Order for the Studebaker SS:

I question why it is 'Avanti trivia'.  It has a Jet Thrust engine as used in an R2 Lark or an R2 G.T. Hawk; not an 'R' engine as used in an Avanti, and received a non-Avanti serial number. 

 

Craig

Edited December 29, 2020 by 8E45E

[mfg]

On 12/28/2020 at 10:14 PM, 8E45E said:

The Production Order for the Studebaker SS:

I question why it is 'Avanti trivia'.  It has a Jet Thrust engine as used in an R2 Lark or an R2 G.T. Hawk; not an 'R' engine as used in an Avanti, and received a non-Avanti serial number. 

 

Craig

Elementary my dear Watson!!.....The Studebaker Avanti R2 supercharged engine, (prefix RS) and the Lark/Hawk R2 supercharged engine, (prefix JTS), are one in the same!

(Except, of course, for the Paxton SN-60 supercharger orientation.)......After you've been around Avantis/Studebakers for awhile, you'll find that all owners of R1 and R2 powered Larks and Hawks refer to the engine under their car's hood as an 'AVANTI ENGINE'!!

 

 

[Dwight FitzSimons]

The Studebaker SS was labeled a "Studebaker SS" when it was shown in kind of a corner at the NY Auto Show.  That is, the nameplates on it were still "Studebaker SS", not Excaliber SS.  I was there and was surprised to come upon it during my tour.  I remember also seeing the pink Mademoiselle '64 Daytona Conv. in the Studebaker display area.

--Dwight