Here’s a rare look inside the Studebaker Proving Grounds in South Bend, Indiana, as the 1964 models are put through their paces.

Studebaker’s familiar tagline, “Different by Design,” is featured right up front in this 1964 commercial spot from the South Bend, Indiana automaker. Unable to compete with Detroit head-on, Studebaker in its final years offered a passenger car line that was smaller than the big full-size sedans, but larger than typical compacts, which it presented as the intelligent, logical choice between the two. The company further differentiated itself from the Motor City carmakers by touting advanced engineering features, including disc brakes, Twin-Traction limited-slip differential, and ergonomic cabin design.

But as we know, Studebaker was unsuccessful in rowing against the Detroit tide, and 1964 would be the company’s last as an American automaker. Production at the South Bend plant ended on December 20,1963, midway through the model year, but there’s no hint of impending doom in this original commercial spot. In the opening scene at the Studebaker Proving Grounds, a new ’64 model flashes by at a reported 130 mph, and there are some great views of the big oval track and the many miles of dirt and gravel test roads there. (Read some history of the facility here.) We enjoyed the look inside, and we hope you will, too.