1955 Studebaker Speedster Walkaround

I was entering high school when the Seattle Times had a photo of a facelifted 1955 Studebaker hardtop coupe.  "Oh, no!!  That can't be true!" was my reaction.  Time and experience has mellowed my feelings regarding '55 Studebaker coupes and hardtops.  But not much.

Back in 2024 I posted "What Were They Thinking?: 1955 Studebaker Starliner Facelift." I introduced the matter, stating:

"I might have labeled this post "Styling Crime: 1955 Studebaker Starliner Facelift" because that applies equally well.  The Starliner hardtop coupe Studebaker introduced for the 1953 model year is generally considered one of the finest automobile designs ever.   That means that improving upon it is a near-impossibility.  So what to do for next year?

"For 1954, Studebaker added small, thin vertical "teeth" or bars to the grille.  Retrograde, for sure, but only a small step.  Then for 1955 some kind of panic must have set in for corporate marketers and stylists were ordered (I assume) to slather the poor car with chrome and gaudy two-tone paint jobs in order to be in tune with the rest of the American automobile industry."

I stand by those thoughts.

Perhaps the wildest hardtop coupe facelift was the new Studebaker President Speedster, the firm's top of the line model.  Speedsters were listed at $3,253, the next lower model, the President State hardtop coupe, listed at $2,456.  So the Speedster cost about one-third more.

Speedster production was 2,215, and a surprising number of these controversial cars have survived, given what can be found on Internet image searches.

So let's take a look at a Speedster from several points of view.  I have nothing to say about the basic styling other than how it had been altered here and there.  Images below are of a car listed for sale.

Gallery

Car-for-sale photo of a 1953 Studebaker Comander Starliner hardtop coupe -- the classic Raymond Loewy design.

Its 1955 Studebaker President Speedster successor.  Structurally, the hood and grille are new, while remaining differences are via trim and paint.

Some Speedsters even had three-tone paint schemes.  For example, the roof here might have been painted white instead.

All Speedsters had that wide chrome band on the C-pillar and across the roof, serving as a strong model identifier.  It also was a paint divider.  Lesser '55 Studebaker coupes and hardtops lacked it.

Those round backup lights are also found on some other Studebaker coupes, but not on most, apparently.  Otherwise, this rear end design is the same as on other President coupes and hardtops.

Side chrome trim as seen here was found on most 1955 Studebaker hardtop coupes.  Note how the forward end of the broad strip aligns with the 1953-vintage side sculpting.  A nice touch.  But probably aesthetically unnecessary, aside from the need to be in step with the USA car industry's flashy fashions of those days.

Note the wide chrome fixture atop the bumper guards.  Very rare on Speedsters, possibly an aftermarket item.

Mecum Auctions photo of a Speedster lacking the extra bumper guard.  Most Speedster front ends looked like this.  All that chrome found here makes the front seem too heavy.

The dashboard instruments are set in a tooled panel.  Similar concept to that on 1936/37 Cords.