This cool Custom 1955 Studebaker Champion Deluxe Conestoga Station Wagon is owned by Terry Best of Tacoma, Washington. Terry purchased the Conestoga in 2009 from Willard Stockton who did the build. The original 185 cubic inch Champion six has been replaced with a 232 cubic inch V8 from a 1952 Studebaker Commander. It has a three speed manual transmission with overdrive and 4.56 differential gears. It also has a Hill Holder and a period correct Fram partial flow canister oil filter. Terry's Conestoga came from the factory without a radio or a clock both of which were added later. Additional accessories include outside rear view mirrors on both sides, an under dash tissue dispenser, and a cigarette lighter. It also has an upgraded electrical system with an alternator for charging.

The grille surround and parking lamp housings have been painted to match the body of the car which is painted Hyundai Sunburst Yellow. Amber parking lamp lenses have been used in place or the original clear lenses. The original grille insert has been replaced with three horizontal bars. Tasteful pinstriping has been added on the front of the hood, top of the front fenders, the tailgate, and on the sides adjacent to the sheet metal crease. The five spoke alloy wheels are fitted with blackwall radial tires. The nicely done interior features bucket seats from a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass, a center console, and a steering wheel mounted tachometer. Terry's Conestoga is a late 1955 model with the mid-year indroduction Ultraview wraparound windshield that featured 20 percent more glass.

The Conestoga Station wagon was introduced in 1954 and sold well with 11,774 produced of which 6,984 were six cylinder Champions and 4,790 were eight cylinder Commanders. For 1955 the Conestoga received revised front end styling and a revised interior with a new dashboard. It continued to be popular with 1955 model year production falling slightly to 11,685 of which 4,889 were six cylinder Champions and 6,796 were eight cylinder Commanders. The automotive press praised the Conestoga's attractive styling but it suffered in the marketplace by having only two doors. Station wagons were primarily family cars and four-door wagons sold better than two-door wagons.

Thanks to Terry Best for the information on his outstanding Custom Conestoga Station Wagon.

If you own or once owned a Studebaker or related vehicle and would like to see your car as "Stude of the Month" or in the "Cool Studes" section, or if you have other pictures or material that you would like to contribute to this page, please e-mail me here at wj2d44@gmail.com. I can accept either electronic or hard copy images. The Main Page is issued every other month so the next edition will be August 2022.

All of the previous editions of the Main Page going back to October 1995 have been reposted. In the process of reposting the pages, I have made corrections and revisions as needed, and in some cases added material that was not used when a page was first posted due to download speed and file storage limitations. A complete list of Main Pages and Studes of the Month with links to each is located here.

If you have a particular interest in Bullet Nose Studebakers, visit Bill Junge's Bullet Nose Paradise which is dedicated to the 1950 and 1951 Bullet Nose models.

This 1959 Studebaker Lark VIII Panel Wagon is owned by Roger Harris of Grabill, Indiana. It is a regular Lark two-Door Station Wagon that has a panel wagon kit installed. The panels are removable and the normal glass windows are undereneath. Studebaker advertised the Panel Wagon as a dual purpose vehicle that could be easily converted from business to personal use and back again. Roger's Lark has the optional roof rack, backup lights, dual exhaust, and 1960 style tail light lenses. It also has trim rings on black painted wheels and a trailer hitch. The factory color for 1959 Lark wheels was the same as the body color. Another custom touch is the side and rear trim has been painted red down the center. Overall a very nicely done and seldom seen Lark Panel Wagon.

Lark Panel Wagons could be ordered as such from the factory or could be converted from two-door station wagons by dealers or individuals. Those that were factory made were part of the regular production run and did not receive unique body or serial numbers. The Panel Wagon Kit for 1959 Lark wagons is Part Number 1332409 and for 1960 and up Part Number 1337195. The only difference between the two kits is the "anti-squeak" piece. The panels are made of Masonite and are same on both sides. Each panel is held in place by 12 clinch fasteners. The 1959-64 Body Parts Catalog has a breakout of the parts that make up the panel wagon kit. Stephen Allen's Studebaker Parts has the 1332409 Panel Wagon Kit in stock for $250.

The pictures of Roger's car were taken by Peter Crisitello during the May 2022 SDC International Meet in South Bend, Indiana. Thanks to Peter for providing the pictures of this neat 1959 Lark Panel Wagon.

Dan Armstrong from Mansfield, Texas has created a number of crossword puzzles and games for car nuts. Dan has a strong interest in Studebakers, particularly the 1956 Sky Hawk, the performance equipped 1963 Lark Daytona, and the performance equipped 1963 and 1964 GT Hawks. The Studebaker crosswords are copyright by Dan Armstrong and are used with his permission. Thanks to Dan for providing the downloadable Studebaker crossword puzzles for readers of this page to enjoy.

Thanks to Timothy McLane for the pictures and Roy Buchanan for the updated information on his cool 1958 Scotsman.

Jim Amado of Utica, New York recently sent pictures of a 1953 Commander Starlight Coupe he made from an All American Models resin body and AMT 1953 Starliner model kit parts. All American Models produced several Studebaker bodies which required parts from an AMT kit to complete. In addition to the 1953 Starlight Coupe, these included a 1954 Conestoga Station Wagon and a 1962 Gran Turismo Hawk Hardtop. Here is a 1954 Conestoga Panel Delivery that Jim made from an AAM body and AMT parts and here is an AAM Conestoga in unbuilt form. AAM conversion kits typically included the body, hood, and other parts needed to complete a model. All are out of production but they regularly appear on eBay with prices generally ranging from $50 to $100 or more.

More of Jim Amado's Studebaker toy and model collection can be seen here. Thanks to Jim for sending the pictures and information on this very nice build.

The Hot Wheels Studebaker Champ Pickup has been reissued in blister pack in the 2022 Hot Trucks Series. This attractive model is painted black with gold trim and a red plastic bed cover. It has fairly extensive graphics including a checkerboard racing stripe on the hood and roof. There is also a Treasure Hunt version with special paint and Real Riders Wheels. The graphics are the same as on the regular issue except for a small "TH" on the door. The blister card for the Treasure Hunt is almost identical to the standard issue so it is hard to spot.

The Hot Wheels Studebaker Champ first appeared in the 2011 New Models Series in red as featured on this page in June 2011. Later that year it was issued in metallic aqua and finally in yellow. All three of the 2011 New Models colors had "Goodyear Eagle" lettering on the tires. It reappeared in 2015 in the HW Workshop Series in blue with flames on the sides and yellow trimmed wheels. Several more expensive versions have also been issued including Nostalgic Brands Hershey's Whatchamacallit, Boulevard Legends, and Pop Culture DC Comics The Joker.

The 2016 Hot Wheels Red Line Club Collectors Special Edition in metallic red and black in a plastic display case and special packaging cost RLC members $19.95 when issued. This version has steadily increased in value and has become a hot item on eBay. The Hot Wheels Champ was Number 10 of 10 in the 2019 Walmart exclusive series of American pickup trucks. This version was featured on this page in June 2019. The Champ was also included in the premium Vintage Oil Series.

Most versions of the Hot Wheels Studebaker Champ appear regularly on eBay. Prices range from a couple of dollars for the regular issues to $100 or more for the RLC Collectors Special Edition with display case and original packaging. The Boulevard Legends Champ with Real Riders Wheels seems to appear less often than the others and has been rising in price.

More toy Studes can be found in the Stude Stuff area of this page and on my Studebaker Toys Home Page.

Click here for information on ordering hard to find Studebaker toys made by manufacturers such as Johnny Lightning, Racing Champions, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Muscle Machines, Maisto, and EKO.

Jim Geary's book Studebaker Toy Treasures is the standard reference for collectors of Studebaker Toys. This wonderful book has 294 pages of color pictures and details on hundreds of Studebaker toys. Publication date is 2004 and just about every Studebaker toy and model produced up to that time is pictured and cataloged. Jim is making the book available for $25 plus $14 for shipping. Jim will sign the book if requested. It also comes with a CD of more toys than what is in the book. This is a must for the serious Studebaker toy vehicle collector. Jim can be contacted at sanjim76@live.com or send payment to Jim Geary, 181 Allendale Hills Road, Franklin, NC 28734.