Charles Phoenix JOYRIDE - 1963 Studebaker Lark

1963 Studebaker Lark
When I hear the worlds LOW and MILEAGE together my ears perk up … but when its survivor class AND low-mileage … I really pay attention !!! … and this stern, stout, sensible 1963 Studebaker Lark is all that and more … factory original paint and interior and driven a mere 17K miles … so, sit back and enjoy the JOYRIDE !!! …

[@geraldscott4302]

Nice. I am a 63 year old recently retired auto mechanic, and I have always driven 1960s cars exclusively. Most of them have been daily driver 4 door sedans and wagons, like that one. My first, at age 16, was a 1961 2 door Plymouth Valiant that I inherited from my dad. I have never seen another one, except in pictures. I tend to avoid the really large cars. I have owned several '60s VW Beetles, and a couple of specialty cars, a 1967 Mustang and a 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner. I've also owned a couple of '60s pickups, a Ford and a Chevy, both half ton 2 door standard cab 2 wheel drive models. They've all been American except for the VWs. Not only do I love the styling and simplicity (NO computer GARBAGE on them) and being a mechanic, there is nothing I can't fix on them with simple tools. I have rebuilt the engines in a few of them. As "modern" cars descend into the abyss of absurdity, I love these old cars more and more every day.

[@carolynstrecha2371]

My Dream Car!!!! I LOVE STUDEBAKERS ❤️ 😍

[@daviduliana9950]

By 1963 most cars were out of the Mid-Century styling. As you realize, this is one of the few cars that still retained the 50's styling. Another excellent video. Bravo, sir.

[@Matt_from_Florida]

No cash, no restyle; and very soon: no cash, no Studebaker!

[@martentrudeau6948]

@@Matt_from_Florida ~ True, but never the less, R.I.P. Studebaker, once a great American car company.

[@Matt_from_Florida]

@@martentrudeau6948 My first car, *VERY USED,* was a 1964 Studebaker Daytona Convertible. That was the late 1970's way before it had assumed the status of "collectible." It was just a rusty car sitting outside in someone's yard very much in need of a new top.

[@thunderbirdauthority8315]

Keep them coming Charles your the finest

[@navyaustin]

I had a paper route from 1978-81, and a house on my route had not one but TWO Studebaker Larks! They were in excellent condition, no rust or dents. It wasn't just that they were older, there was something dignified and "proper" about them in a way that my dad's 59 Cadillac could never be. Not ostentatious, but with with graceful lines and confidence. Many compact cars broadcast poverty and sadness; the Lark earnestly holds its head high , a junior Air Force ROTC cadet proudly standing perimeter guard around an F-16 at an air show alongside the actual guys with guns.

[@chesterthawkins7510]

I love everything about this car. My uncle had one - it was champagne with red interior It drove and rode so nicely!

[@asteverino8569]

Thanks, Charles. I like it more now then when they were new on the road.

[@bigjoe330]

Thank you again for a wonderful and informative video. That Studebaker is a little 💎!

[@jamesleathers5488]

Underrated and under appreciated they were great cars. Glad you found this one.

[@donaldleavy4379]

Well Chass,, YOUVE DONE IT AGAIN.. You My Friend Are Cool As A Jewl… Good Video Chuck..

[@wacoflyer]

Oh Charles. You always make me smile. And those cars.......I KNOW!

[@kayeninetwo3585]

First of all, Charles, I must say..."MAY the 4th BE WITH YOU!!" I love the Studebaker Lark. It's one of those cars that I didn't appreciate so much as a little kid, but they really grew on me. Back then, of course, I wanted a '63 Corvette or mid year '64 Mustang - like every other boy in the neighborhood - but now I'd probably enjoy a Lark more than those other cars. Thanks for the great video!

[@shiftintohigh5564]

Yes we love mid century modern. Great place to film, how perfect...I know! Liked the toggle switches on the dash. Great review👍👍😎🇺🇸

[@TheChoochooboy99]

Love these little Larks. With a small V8 these cars can really get up and go. And the styling is soooo classy.

[@hondaxl250k0]

Wow I grew up with studebaker. First vehicle I drove was a 1950 truck with 3 on the tree.. then a 53 Lowey coope all original in sea foam green, a 50 bullet nose commander. And a 62 Daytona lark. My grandfather was a collector and had over 23 studebakers.

[@lewispaine4589]

I now have a greater appreciation for Studebakers

[@christopherkraft1327]

Wow!!! This 63 survivor Studebaker Lark is stunning, & it has such low mileage!!! Palm Springs is truly a treasure trove of everything mid century modern!!!! I Know!!!! 👍👍

[@emjayay]

The basic design of these is from 1953, on a frame that was probably basically from 1947. To make the Lark they took the shortest wheelbase Studebaker and removed overhang from the front and back to make a compact car. Since the 1953 Studebaker body was narrower than others when it came out and got relatively narrower as others got wider a couple times over it sort of worked. This car is a Brooks Stevens facelift of the original Lark with a different rear end and the grille pushed a couple inches forward and Mercedesized. The greenhouse and/or windshield of the Lark was remodeled a number of times from the 1953 based original, but still the whole car was basically a 1953. Never got a modern ball joint front suspension or integrated AC.

[@BillLaBrie]

So a visitor to a Studebaker showroom in the early 60’s had a hard choice between this and the Mercedes parked next to it. Interesting.

[@caribman10]

..and also became the Avanti...

[@ROXSTARCorvette4371]

Charles! You have done it again! You have transported us in time to that amazing era of mid-century modernity with your unique skill! Thank you!

[@maurykendall]

Double Cola! The pride of Chattanooga, especially when paired with a Moon Pie.

[@kenk7451]

I would love to spend a day with Charles. He is awesome! Just a day, not a night. 😉

[@friendofdorothy9376]

Some may want a night (grin)

[@trudygreer2491]

@@friendofdorothy9376 I know!! 😃

[@drpreposterous1]

I don't need prompts or cajoling to get wound up for a Studebaker, Charles, but somehow you make me enjoy it all the more! (I want that car!)

[@craigcohen1817]

Charles, only you can make a Plain Jane old car into a magnificent beautiful cruiser. I'm even ready to trade in my 2017 Mustang Convertible and 85 Buick Riviera convertible for something like this. Great car and great story teller👍

[@georgewetzel4380]

My mom used to drive a 63 2-door, three on the tree; everyone LOVED that car for short trips! She sold it when Studebaker went out of business.

[@williamschoemann4209]

Thanks Charles. Original cars are so rare. Although I love Cadillacs, and drive an Eldorado Biarritz, I can appreciate workingfolk's cars. Dear Old Dad bought the Chevy Two-Ten, not Bel Air. It was good (enough) value. By the way, my brother-in-law was an undertaker at Rose Hills. I spent my childhood in Whittier.

[@terry94131]

Another fun outing! Having learned to drive in a Studebaker pickup, I do have a soft spot for the cars from South Bend. But it's easy to see how far Studebaker was falling behind the Big Three by this time. Comparing this to a 1964 Chevelle Malibu, a Fairlane 500, or even a nicely equipped Valiant, well, there is no comparison. The others had better styling and more advanced engineering. Studebaker was well know for being easy to work on, reliable, and simple, but by the time this car was on the market, these were no longer important. People wanted modern styling and horsepower. Too bad to see Studie disappear, but they just couldn't compete.

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

The Hawk GT (last of the breed) was a Thunderbird beater, but rust out was inevitable, and the engines hogged ALL the compartment room, and as such, were a bear to work on!

[@larryfisher5796]

My Dad and Mom had a 63 Lark wagon I remember us taking trips as a kid Great times

[@angeloavanti2538]

Diggin' Palm Springs. Have a Lark, have a Lark, have a Lark today!

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Lovely Lark! Never saw one of these before. It's ashamed Studebaker went out of biz. They designed some really cool stuff. Thanks Jeff for keeping Studebaker relevant! Everything neatly balanced in details on this car.

[@emjayay]

The glove compartment is a Brooks Stevens idea similar to those in his concept cars for future Studebakers (that never happened) the Sceptre, Cruiser, and a station wagon. The Studebaker National Museum has the Sceptre. Not sure what happened to the others.

[@garylangley4502]

I had a '62 Lark Cruiser, which was similar to this car. I like the "New for '63" roof. The color matches the city hall color. My V8 Cruiser would get 22 mpg on the highway. It was a very comfortable car to drive.

[@josephconsoli4128]

Charles, you know how to make a person fall in love with any car. Normally this would be filed as a "grocery-getter", yet you made it seem so chic! I love the classic soft pastel, early '60's color. I applaud the owner for putting black-walls on it. It just fits the car. By the way, you make me so want to live in Palm Springs! Such cool eye-candy.

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

The '63s are my favorite of the Studebaker avians. And THIS one I want all for myself; I won't take no for an answer. Who needs a Mustang?

[@danielulz1640]

Did you notice the padded dashboard, upper and lower and even the ash tray. From the early 50's at least, Studebaker also reversed the typical placement of the window winder and door handle. That way, if you grabbed at something to steady yourself in say, a sharp turn, you were grabbing the window crank and not the door release.

[@charlesacker8552]

Beautiful car. I have owned three Larks in my time but not even the one I had 55 years ago was as clean and nice.

[@CowboyStag]

That glove box for smokes would be a different smoke nowadays

[@spencersmith2798]

OMG!! Daddy bought a new Lark VIII at Xmastime 1961…Black with red interior, PS, PB, automatic with beautiful hammered aluminum dash…the wonderful small V8 got 28 mpg on a trip back then! Rode and drove like a dream.

[@orionwarren4244]

Charles Phoenix...Behold The Glory!

[@jamespn]

I like the 50s and 60s cars that I’ve seen in Palm Springs at a older dealership/auto service station.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Wow!!! What a classic

[@andrewromano3105]

SO GREAT ! Hey Charles how did you know my favorite color is green and I love this car

[@danielulz1640]

Ditto!

[@uptoit100]

I had on of those Larks assigned to me one summer to drive for agricultural extension work, while I was still a student. There were not many of those around. That one was a "61 I believe, but it looked exactly the same as the one in the video, except with fewer options but still luxurious compared to the other cars in the fleet. It was a brownish grey color. Nice car to drive. Oil burner.

[@byronh60]

Those always remind me of the same vintage Mercedes, like my grandparents 1963 Mercedes 220SE.

[@danielulz1640]

In the late 50's and early 60's, Studebaker was the distributor for Mercedes in the U S. The Hawk and Lark grille shapes were, shall we say, inspired by Mercedes.

[@johncaballero8013]

I once owned a '62 Lark Cruiser, '63 Lark with the 259 V8 and a '56 President! Love Studebakers! At present, I am considering the purchase of a '62 Gran Turismo at a dealership. I will keep you posted Charles! Loved this video and that beautiful low mileage original '63 Lark! :)

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

Great final Studies, the Hawk GT. They perform as masterful as they look, but without intent to discourage, there are brickbats to these cars that await. Rust equals that of the concurrent Mopars, the '62 vinyl upholstery was paid for by Diamond Jim and subject to rapid wear issues, and the 289 takes every inch of the compartment, making service a challenge not unlike the concurrent Square bird Thunderbirds. But you gotta love that styling, and you'll appreciate the handling, performance, and to a reasonable point, gas mileage much more than a Square bird 🐦 or a Riviera. Go for it!

[@jchoward6451]

It's the Wilbur Post car! Or at least I think so ... haven't seen "Mr. Ed" in decades. LOVE the salesman comments. "And look at that trunk ornament ... I KNOW." The car is in beautiful condition and looks great, but the narrative put it over the top! Great job, and a lucky find.

[@hutchcraftcp]

The 62-63 Lark is my favorite Studebaker. My first car was a 62 Lark 2 door.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Nice!!!!

[@carltondobbs5774]

Really Cool 😎 Charles!!!!!!!!!

[@wattsd12]

I learned to drive in a '64 Studebaker Lark that looked like this. My dad had dropped a 327 with a race cam in it. That was in 1970.

[@jazzfan6]

You're a little 'over the top' Charles, but bless your heart, you make it work. LOVE Studebakers! LOVE mid-century modern!

[@barsixful]

In a world of doom and gloom…there’s a LIGHT ! I know RIGHT?! It’s CHARLIE..😊

[@ronlynch7744]

Cool one, Dad had a 1960 Lark in 1965

[@tedwalker1370]

I see the man that owns the car keeps his keys in a lather key pouch just like they did back in the day. How prefect.

[@eutimiochavez415]

I wish I had one love it❤❤❤❤

[@knitterscheidt]

she's a beauty, always one of my favorite cars, as a kid I remember the neighbors had 2, his was white, the wife's blue, they were so cute!...the cars that is

[@MisterMikeTexas]

I'm digging this low-mileage survivor orphan! It would have been nice to see Studebaker the automaker survive.

[@dembones8009]

My dad had a blue one when I was a kid. He had said that it was a very good car.

[@joemackey1950]

Friend of my mother brought a '63 Lark in late '62. IIRC (yes, I remember these when new, I was a teenager) it was a dark blue. I think Lark's are under appreciated, probably because being orphans. I am a bit strange, since not interested in muscle, horsepower, all sorts of bells and whistles. And liking four doors over HT/convertibles. And survivors also hold a special place for me.

[@garv2111]

This car is awesome

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Sweet!

[@teenchy]

I had this same car in the same spec in a different color - silver over red - as a hobby car from 1998 to 2007. It rode and handled nicely for a car of its time and market segment. Gauges and switchgear well laid out and easily readable. Unfortunately more than a bit underpowered for modern traffic as it struggled at speeds over 50 mph. It also had a propensity for cracking cylinder heads under the valve seats. I really liked the looks. People born after 1970 would ask me what kind of Mercedes-Benz it was. Every time I see one I feel a little affection but know I won't go back. Kind of like an old girlfriend who moved in a different direction from you. Thanks for sharing.

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

The original Skybolt 6 with only 17k miles; not many have survived up to what this one has, at least.

[@robertreid1907]

I have 1960 Lark 8 that's the same color!

[@greenonions5296]

My grandfather had a 1960s Audi that kind of looked like that, in green as well, though not as light mint, more of a darker matte mint. And maybe not as bubble shaped as the Studebaker, a little squarer in lines I guess. But similar enough looking for me to remember.

[@RichardinNC1]

My grandfather had an early 60's Studebaker Lark, maybe the same shade of green. Don't remember the year.

[@markbehr88]

Nice. I have a metallic pink V8 one.

[@slicksnewonenow]

Funny he mentions having gone to become a Mortician... There was a small, family owned chain of Funeral Homes where I grew up... By the way, all five of them were incredibly Kool Mid Century complexes... We jokingly called them "Funeral Land", because they all looked like amusement parks 😃 Anyhow... All six brothers in that family drove Studebaker's... 👍

[@drakbar5957]

Behold the Lark…as seen on Mr Ed. I know!

[@garysandiego]

I have a soft spot for Studebaker. Dad bought a new ‘55 Studebaker President sedan in pink and black. Would enjoy you finding one to review.

[@seed_drill7135]

More a little bit Mercedes than Rolls-Royce. At the time Studebaker was the US distributor for Mercedes and they restyled the Lark to resemble the Mercedes they were sold alongside.

[@scooterdover2771]

When I was a kid we had neighbors who had Larks or Ramblers and BMWs. I thought they were all Ramblers.

[@jonathanbanks8749]

Steely Dan: I Got The News - You, in your Lark, you're a mark, you know how to hustle.

[@cristianvera8506]

Studebaker Lark, Impressive. charles voice more Impressive .

[@tombrown1898]

The grille looks very Mercedes-Benz. Studebaker was U.S. importer of Mercedes for a number of years about the time this car appeared. Classy lines!

[@caribman10]

They really were good cars, and the station wagon versions even more so. But Stude just didn't have the sales to drive the money needed to create the new pieces needed, like a new motor, or a chassis that was actually not a Starlite derivative. Even taking over the distribution of Mercedes-Benz wasn't enough in the end.

[@jimkeo6954]

Just saw it is for sale on Facebook marketplace Palm Springs

[@wilsixone]

Never cared for Studebakers, but neighbor across the street thought they were great!

[@frasermcburney270]

THE FIRST CAR I BOUGHT WAS A 1957 STUDEBAKER SILVER HAWK. HOPW I WISH I STILL HAD IT.

[@TheVagolfer]

I had a '66 Daytona I still regret selling.

[@5610winston]

ZSA ZSA Gabor did a commercial for the Lark Cruiser.

[@alanmorrison3598]

Are those headlamp assemblies from the early Corvair?

[@kennelson3848]

Gem

[@srercrcr]

No, it's a little bit New York taxi.

[@scottmckay9535]

We had these hot rods for driver's ed. in 1964. Never got over 30 mph. We HATED these. We ducked in the back seat, and made jokes about them. Typical teenagers. But they ran, kinda.

[@goldenboy5500]

I might be mistaken but to my understanding that car ether came with or offered front disc brakes studebaker was first car to offer them

[@rpeterson223]

Nice showcase, share with owner his carburetor is running too rich, black smoke..

[@calbob750]

Lark was a better car than Corvair or Falcon. With fewer dealerships, higher manufacturing costs and a 38 day strike in 1962 the end of Studebaker was inevitable.

[@ValdezJu]

🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒

[@oneradicalgayngsta2659]

Grill and body lines are very Mercedes like, no?

[@danielulz1640]

Yes. Studebaker used to be the distributor for Mercedes cars in the U S and their cars, more and more, resembled M B.

[@cjdesign5700]

Very European look and in sensibility.

[@kennixox262]

A least you could have driven through warm sands to see the gents are up to.

[@elveggoloco]

Charles, love, love *LOVE* your work (especially with Studebakers!), but there's no such thing as an 'original mile.' A mile is a mile is a mile on a car, regardless of what has or has not been done to the car along the way. But in any case, keep up the beautiful work showing us these fantastic cars!

[@bigjoe330]

Charles is not incorrect. Car enthusiasts and mechanics have routinely used 'original miles' when describing a vehicle's odometer reading for a multitude of reasons. Go Google it and educate yourself.

[@danielulz1640]

X number original miles means that the odometer has not rolled over or, especially, been turned back.

[@elveggoloco]

@@bigjoe330 I've heard all the reasons and a mile is still a mile is still a mile.

[@MrWill73]

Charles, I appreciate your enthusiasm but just a bit dramatic.

[@robertpace901]

These were old people cars like Rambler was.

[@danielulz1640]

I drove a " Rambler" Rebel SST hardtop when I was in my early 20's !

[@chipdayton9426]

I know of a stock '64 Studebaker Challenger that runs 12+ seconds in the 1/4 mile. Yes I said stock!

[@bobleroy1924]

Love the name, but never cared for their look

[@spechti2045]

this looks like a fridge made by mercedes lol

[@elveggoloco]

LOL! :D But yeah, I was thinking that if the Mercedes-Benz W110 body had been put through an American styling department, it would look like this.

[@danielulz1640]

From the mid 50's to the mid 60's, Studebaker was the distributor for Mercedes in the US. I guess the Studebaker stylists were "inspired" by M B.

[@asa1973100]

This is one car I can’t love the styling of . I’ve tried but I just can’t it always looks to me like it’s a pig, However the plus side it is have you seen the original commercial for this car with Zsa Zsa Gabor ( FABULOUS )

[@dougditfort4047]

Lark! Our one was two tones of red, and right hand drive on account of the part of the world we live in. It finished up as a stock car