For 1962, Studebaker decided to jazz up the Lark’s plain-vanilla image with a sporty new model with an exciting name: Daytona.
When Sherwood Egbert (above right), the dynamic CEO of McCulloch Products, took over the top spot at Studebaker in early 1961, he launched a dramatic makeover of the automaker’s image. From famed designer Raymond Loewy he commissioned the Avanti sports car, and from Brooks Stevens he ordered a transformation of the aged Hawk into the Grand Turismo Hawk.
Meanwhile: For the newly redesigned Lark, a sporty new model name emerged: Daytona, in honor of America’s birthplace of speed. As part of the promotion, the Daytona served as pace car for the 1962 Indy 500. Shown above with Egbert are speedway owner Tony Hulman (center) and Indianapolis Studebaker dealer Charles Stuart.
Footnote: While “Studebaker Lark” and “Daytona” may seem like mutually incompatible terms, a Lark did compete in the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. Competing against far faster cars and hobbled, no doubt, by its boxy styling and 259 cubic-inch V8, a Lark driven by Harold Smith started 50th in a field of 59 cars and finished 31st, completing 159 of 200 laps on the high-banked 2.5-mile oval.
For the 1962 launch, the Daytona was offered only as a two-door hardtop or a convertible, with bucket seats, a console, and other touches. While both six and V8 engines were offered, in 1963 (above) Studebaker brought some real performance credibility to match the sporty image with Bendix disc brakes and a Paxton supercharger package in R2 or R3 tune. Another distinctive extra-cost option (first offered in ’61) was the Skytop, a European-style roll-back sunroof supplied by Golde of Germany. Also in 1963, the Daytona lineup was broadened to include a Wagonaire station wagon.
Egbert, who’d been fighting cancer, stepped down at Studebaker in November of 1963, and the production lines in Indiana shut down a month later. With vehicle production limited to Canada for the 1965 model year, the pillarless hardtop and convertible body styles were eliminated. The sportiest Daytona offered was the Sport Sedan (above), a two-door post coupe, and the most powerful engine available was a 283 cubic-inch V8 with 195 hp sourced from Chevrolet of Canada. (A Daytona wagon was also offered.) By then the Lark name was banished from Studebaker and the model lineup consisted of Cruiser, Commander, and Daytona.
For 1966, Studebaker’s final year of vehicle production, the cars were given a very modest facelift by Marcks, Hazelquist and Powers, an independent design firm in Dearborn, Michigan. The Daytona (below) was offered in a single model, the two-door Sport Sedan with a black or white vinyl top and inline six or V8 power (both Chevrolets). A mere 8,947 cars were produced that final year. The Studebaker Corporation would continue for a few more years, but not as an automobile manufacturer.
Aunt B from Andy Griffith fame owned multiple Studebaker cars. The green Daytona displayed was her car.
Yes, Aunt B was a loyal Studebaker driver. Don’t know if the picture is the exact 1966 Daytona she owned, but the color is right. A small museum has her unrestored car on display.
I think the Lark’s main problem was that the 1959-1963 models were unattractive, even compared to Rambler. The later Plymouth Valiant had a similar theme up front and it’s hard to say whether the Simple Stude looked better than the overstyled Valiant. The car was introduced in 1959 and the styling was mid-Fifties. The 1964 restyle would have been very effective had it come earlier. The body wasn’t that far off from the Ford Falcon and the front was fairly contemporary.
It’s my understanding that the Studebaker engineers and designers were hobbled by the fact that they had to build a smaller car but use the same infrastructure as the Hawk, which itself was based on the 1953 Commander.
Don
I would agree on the rather unattractiveness of the early Lark models, save for the 2 door hardtop, the wagons and the borrowed front clip for the Champ truck. But the competition’s offerings weren’t really much better, except for the Chevy ll and 2nd generation Falcon/ Comet. The first gen Falcon, Valiant and Corvair were all a bit of odd looking ducks as well. The Rambler American was still the best looker of the bunch when the competition arrived.
The 1962/63 Lark restyling was helpful but merely incremental. Alas, the 1964 restyling was the right look, but came too late. Fundamentally, they were good cars, built on platforms dating to 1953. Body on frame until the end. Many first to market innovations and standard equipment offerings along the way.
I personally have a 1964 Daytona convertible. Great old car!
I’ve always thought the original looks good – the overall chunky shape with nice big wheels pushed out as far as possible to the corners, in contrast to the tippy, parade-float look of most other domestic ’59s.
But that’s from the point of view of someone born 15 years later who still sees a 1980s hatchback like a Rabbit or Omni as the platonic ideal of “car” (no, I don’t drive an Ioniq 5 but if it weren’t so deceptively big I’d be tempted…) I can see how it would’ve stuck out as an oddball to 1959 eyes.
The Lark allowed Studebaker to beat the Detroit compacts to market by a year. So sales were great in 1959, decent in 1960, and then tumbled in 1961 as the market was flooded with choices.
My brother had a ’62 Lark hardtop, black exterior, red & white bucket seat interior, 289 4 barrel, 4 speed. He and I both loved the car, a 3100 lb rocket,
that was very comfortable to ride in, and fun to drive.
Unfortunately it was prematurely retired when it was broad sided by a car that ran a red light.