Studebaker Car Club Of New South Wales Inc.

30th June ~ 6th July 2013

Studebaker International Meet - Colorado, USA

Many thanks to Ray H for the report and photo's.

This year the Studebaker 49th Annual Meet was held at Colorado Springs about two hours out of Denver.

I met up with the LA Chapter crew who I have got to know over the last three meets. We hired a rental car from Hertz and drove the two hours down to CS on a pleasant 85f day. The meet was over four days with a great range of models coming from all over the ‘States by trailer (trailer Queens) and driven.

I counted about 250 cars which I captured on video soon for our web site. The associated swap meet was particularly fruitful for me with a number of missing bits and extras for my ’52.

I picked up two missing outside front overriders (bumperettes) for $50 which had been sitting on a hook in a LA garage for 40 years, a clock which occupies the third window in the Commander dash.  This clock was only on the ’51 & ’52 and were extras like so much of what was offered either supplied by the factory or the dealer.  Next was a Stromberg Carbie AAUV-26 which came with an oil bath air cleaner AND a manifold sporting it’s original green livery …… all for $10!  I couldn’t quite manage the manifold as hand baggage, the formed radiator hoses are made in Oz by Mackay’s who supply GM and imported into the ‘States. I also picked up a new Pertronix kit for Scott’s ’51.

After CS I headed back to LA for a bit of R&R but not before visiting a personal car museum with ….. wait for it ….. 500 AMC vehicles all in going order and attached to a ‘boneyard’ containing another 400 cars, the word finance came up as we then learnt he was an oil man and had retired at 31 now 51, he also had a fully functional Sinclair 40’s Service Station complete with large Dinosaur trade mark.  His property was over 25 acres but he only had three Studes. I spent the next three weeks in LA going to car shows which are a weekly attraction, a big one in Simi Valley was the highlight.

I also paid a visit to Palm Springs which was undergoing a huge bushfire threat.  One of the LA members has got a huge luxurious garage there containing about 12 Studes and a RHD 1936 convertible Hupmobile which he imported from Oz, it was brought out for a Melbourne motor show.  Needless to say he’s not short of a quid and also had all the old signs and trinkets.

I had a hand in getting a ’52 Commander Auto Landcruiser back on the road, it just needed maintenance and a wash, brakes a bit dodgy but now in line for a full fix, first time to drive an auto which was very smooth given the period ……. now thinking about Delaware next year.

www.RayHenman.com