Among the American station wagons of the early 1960s, the Studebaker Commander Wagonaire holds a special place. Designed under the direction of Brooks Stevens, the Wagonaire stood out thanks to a particularly innovative feature: a section of the rear roof could slide forward to allow for the vertical transport of bulky items. <\/p>\n
This example is even more unusual because it is the rare \u201cSolid Roof\u201d variant, equipped with a fixed roof. Studebaker offered this configuration as an alternative to the famous sliding roof, particularly after the water leakage problems encountered on the first cars. <\/p>\n
With chassis number 64V11506 and body number 923, this car is a 1964 Commander Wagonaire V8, built at the Studebaker plant in South Bend, Indiana, in 1963. Based on its serial number, it was likely manufactured in the fall of 1963\u2014just a few weeks before automobile production in South Bend came to a permanent halt in December of that same year. <\/p>\n
Under the hood lies the robust Studebaker 259 ci V8\u20144,247 cm\u00b3\u2014powered by a dual-barrel carburetor. It produced approximately 180 ch SAE and a generous torque of about 353 Nm. The transmission is one of the most interesting features of this car: unlike many American station wagons equipped with an automatic transmission, it features a three-speed manual transmission controlled from the steering wheel, supplemented by an overdrive that significantly reduces engine speed on the highway. <\/p>\n
The design remains typically American: a longitudinally mounted front engine, rear-wheel drive, independent front suspension, a rigid rear axle with leaf springs, and drum brakes. At approximately 4.90 m long, 1.82 m wide, and with a wheelbase of 2.87 m, the Wagonaire remains relatively compact by American standards of its time. Its curb weight is approximately 1,650 kg. <\/p>\n
The interior is designed to seat six people, spread across two wide bench seats. The fold-down rear bench seat transforms the Wagonaire into a true cargo vehicle, staying true to the highly versatile philosophy envisioned by Studebaker. Air conditioning was added to this particular vehicle at a later date. <\/p>\n
But this car\u2019s main appeal undoubtedly lies in its exceptional condition. It is described as largely unrestored, retaining a very large portion of its original structure and its Golden Sand Metallic paint color, which is also listed in the Wagonaire Registry. <\/p>\n
Its history is particularly well-documented. In particular, the car still has its 1963 sales contract, its original owner\u2019s manual\u2014which still contains handwritten notes from its first owner in Iowa\u2014as well as a substantial file of invoices and documents tracing its history. <\/p>\n
According to the vehicle history report, it is said to have had only six owners. Notably, its third owner was reportedly a curator at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, while one of its German owners was a renowned automotive journalist. This succession of owners, who were clearly aware of the car\u2019s historical significance, likely explains in part why it is in such remarkable condition today. <\/p>\n
With its 259 ci V8 engine, rare manual transmission with overdrive, fixed roof, Golden Sand Metallic paint, and exceptionally comprehensive history, this Studebaker Commander Wagonaire is a truly authentic testament to the final years of Studebaker production in South Bend.<\/p>\n
An American car that is at once unique, practical, and mechanically simple, whose individual history is now almost as interesting as that of the model itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rare manual transmission version, unrestored, with a known history – \u20ac25,000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13458,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"portfolio_category":[107,132,109,111,127],"portfolio_skills":[],"portfolio_tags":[],"class_list":["post-13496","avada_portfolio","type-avada_portfolio","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio_category-for-sale","portfolio_category-less-than-30-000e","portfolio_category-the-collection","portfolio_category-the-american","portfolio_category-vehicle-of-the-collection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n