Deep Avanti Emotion

[murph the surf]

To whom is the following remark attributed to, "My whole heart is in that car" in replying to a high-level Studebaker Executive regarding the Studebaker Avanti ??????

[mfg]

1 hour ago, murph the surf said:

To whom is the following remark attributed to, "My whole heart is in that car" in replying to a high-level Studebaker Executive regarding the Studebaker Avanti ??????

I don’t know the answer here… but I’m quite interested in finding out!

[Gunslinger]

I’d say Sherwood Egbert as if it wasn’t for him there would be no Avanti.  My second guess would be Eugene Hardig as he was in charge of putting it together.

[murph the surf]

Correct on your first guess. At the Studebaker annual stockholder meeting on April 26, 1962 at the Indiana Club in South Bend, Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert spoke about how he had developed the concept of the Studebaker Avanti. At the conclusion of his remarks, the stage curtain behind him swung open to reveal the gorgeous new car. Witnessing Egbert's enthusiasm, Studebaker Corporation Board Chairman Clarence Francis remarked  "I judge that Sherwood likes that car". To which Egbert replied "My whole heart is in that car, boy"

Edited December 29, 2024 by murph the surf

[mfg]

1 hour ago, murph the surf said:

Correct on your first guess. At the Studebaker annual stockholder meeting on April 26, 1962 at the Indiana Club in South Bend, Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert spoke about how he had developed the concept of the Studebaker Avanti. At the conclusion of his remarks, the stage curtain behind him swung open to reveal the gorgeous new car. Witnessing Egbert's enthusiasm, Studebaker Corporation Board Chairman Clarence Francis remarked  "I judge that Sherwood likes that car". To which Egbert replied "My whole heart is in that car, boy"

I was a bit surprised the statement was made by Egbert….

Although I considered he may have made it, I dismissed that thought, as Egbert has always been painted ‘all business’ and ‘non-emotional’……

Of course, I did not know the man, so all that is just speculation on my part!

[Mark63Avanti]

If I had seen the question earlier Sherwood Egbert would have been my first choice. He threw himself into saving Studebaker and the Avanti pointed towards the direction a young and vibrant America expressed. Harold Churchill worked magic for a brief time but he came up through the engineering ranks. Albert Erskine tried to move Studebaker in the direction of a low cost/ high volume maker but bankrupted the company. It took son-in-law Fish to move the family in the direction of automobiles in the first place. I suppose Egbert could be considered a prototypical corporate turnaround specialist a la what the 1980's saw but I think he was the spark that Studebaker strangely lacked.

[murph the surf]

15 hours ago, Mark63Avanti said:

If I had seen the question earlier Sherwood Egbert would have been my first choice. He threw himself into saving Studebaker and the Avanti pointed towards the direction a young and vibrant America expressed. Harold Churchill worked magic for a brief time but he came up through the engineering ranks. Albert Erskine tried to move Studebaker in the direction of a low cost/ high volume maker but bankrupted the company. It took son-in-law Fish to move the family in the direction of automobiles in the first place. I suppose Egbert could be considered a prototypical corporate turnaround specialist a la what the 1980's saw but I think he was the spark that Studebaker strangely lacked.

Very well stated...

[Dwight FitzSimons]

17 hours ago, Mark63Avanti said:

If I had seen the question earlier Sherwood Egbert would have been my first choice. He threw himself into saving Studebaker and the Avanti pointed towards the direction a young and vibrant America expressed. Harold Churchill worked magic for a brief time but he came up through the engineering ranks. Albert Erskine tried to move Studebaker in the direction of a low cost/ high volume maker but bankrupted the company. It took son-in-law Fish to move the family in the direction of automobiles in the first place. I suppose Egbert could be considered a prototypical corporate turnaround specialist a la what the 1980's saw but I think he was the spark that Studebaker strangely lacked.

A couple additions from my sometimes-faulty memory:

1) Albert Erskine bankrupted Studebaker by paying out dividends from corporate reserves until the reserves were essentially gone.  He way underestimated the breadth & depth of the depression,

2) There's nothing necessarily wrong about coming up through the engineering ranks.

3) A missed opportunity for Studebaker was the departure of Peter O. Peterson (late '40s?).  He subsequently turned one of the truck companies around in spectacular fashion.

--Dwight