Studebaker’s newfound success with the compact Lark line continued in 1960, but it wouldn’t last.
A few years back at Mac’s Motor City Garage, we told the story of the 1959 Studebaker Lark (see Reinventing Studebaker” here). By chopping off the overhangs and cleverly repackaging its aging platform as a compact, the struggling South Bend carmaker scored a relative sales bonanza. Compacts were the hot market segment of the moment, and volume shot up from 44,000 to 127,000 cars, a stunning 188 percent gain. That was more than enough encouragement for Studebaker president Harold Churchill and his management team to continue on the path for 1960.
Styling changes were minimal for 1960: Mainly, the grille insert mesh was revised. The bigger story was the addition of two new body styles, a convertible and a four-door station wagon. The Lark Convertible happened to be Studebaker’s first since 1952, and while it didn’t add much to the company’s total volume, around 8,000 cars, the ragtop brought some much-needed glamour to the showrooms and sales catalogs. The addition of a four-door wagon alongside the two-door gave buyers more choices, and by far most buyers in 1960 chose the four-door. However, total wagon sales remained roughly the same.
Engine choices for the Lark remained unchanged for 1960. With a two-barrel carb, the 259 cubic-inch V8 was rated at 180 hp, while the four-barrel version offered 195 hp. With their shared 8.5:1 compression ratio, either could run on regular gasoline. The base inline six was actually a legacy of the 1939 Studebaker Champion, now displacing 169.6 cubic inches. With a 3.00-in bore and 4.00-in stroke, the L-head was rated at just 90 hp. The six and V8 models were distinguished in a novel way with roman numerals, Lark VI and Lark VIII, available in two trim levels, Deluxe and Regal.
The 1959 Silver Hawk returned in 1960 as simply the Hawk (above) with only a few minor trim changes. When the line was introduced in 1956 there was a Golden Hawk, a Silver Hawk, a Power Hawk, and a Sky Hawk, but now there was simply a Hawk. The 289 CID V8 returned in ’60 as the Hawk’s standard powerplant, offering 210 or 225 hp. However, the Hawk added little to the company’s total volume for 1960 with only 3,939 produced.
The success of the Lark continued in 1960, though production actually dropped a little compared to 1959. Where Rambler and Studebaker once had essentially a clear lane in the domestic compact market, now General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler were piling into the category with newer products, larger dealer networks, and bigger ad budgets. In 1961, Studebaker sales fell dramatically to fewer than 65,000 cars. The company was now in a downward spiral from which it would never recover.
My biggest retrospective regret in car choices: I could have specially ordered one of these with a little V-8, four-on-the-floor, cop suspension and tires. (New cars came through with ridiculous 2-ply tires in those years.) Instead, I bought that dumb Corvair….
I oft-time wondered what a difference a year would have made.Had the Lark been introduced as a 58 instead of 59. An extra year with only one real competitor (Rambler) would have done wonders for Studie’s bottom line. As well as pay for a new series of sedans to truly compete with the big 3’s compacts.
I Loved THE 59 4 Door Lark Vll.
Our family bought a new 59, 61, and 64 , being dependable cars with v8’s. I would love to have the 64 Daytona yet. It was a white on white, 4 speed with a very pretty cherry colored interior. It was traded for a red 69 javelin and never seen again. My mother drove a 59 LarkVI and I had a 53 Commander that we installed a 331 cu in Chrysler hemi making it a fun hot rod.
Ive owned a total of 5 Larks in my time. I had a 60 Lark 8, 3 on the tree. One of the best small cars ever.