Mr Gordon E Grundy - President , Studebaker Corporation of Canada

Hamilton,  January 2nd, 1964 - Gordon E Grundy, President of Studebaker of Canada Ltd shakes hands with Plant Manager W. A. Moeser across the hood of the first export Studebaker to roll off the assembly line at Hamilton today.

Studebaker closed its South Bend , Indiana plant in December transferring all of its car operations to Hamilton. First truckloads of cars left for the US Market today (CF wirephoto)

Why should you buy a Studebaker?

            Studebaker is a unique automobile, unique among the many motor cars being sold in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Studebaker is unique in its reputation for durability… unique in its convenient size and wheelbase…no longer a compact in appearance…unique in its engineering advancements…and now unique in its new concept of enduring styling.

            Studebaker automobiles are no longer “stubby” – they have been restyled from bumper to bumper for the 1964 model year with clean, distinctive, modern lines which have earned high praise from the experts of the motoring press throughout the world. This styling will continue with Studebaker models in the future and we believe it will wear well with our owners – like the rest of the Studebaker automobile.

            Studebaker is a SAFE, SOLID automobile investment. It spells security for its passengers with more built-in safety factors than any other car in the North American market. In addition, it is a safe car from the standpoint of investment. It has a build-in freedom from mechanical faults. Tomorrow, it will have built-in resale value, insured by the continuity of our new styling theme.

            Studebaker is in the U.S. and Canadian marketplace to STAY. Studebaker is manufactured today on a basis fully compatible with the selective nature of its market. Some details of our forward thinking and forward planning at Studebaker are set forth here:

A NEW CONCEPT – The past 40 days have been exciting ones at Studebaker. Our production has been centralized at Hamilton, Ontario. One of our first decisions was to break away from wasteful practice of the rest of the industry, that of imposing yearly styling changes on car owners. Studebaker from here on will make continuing mechanical changes in its cars. We will not wait until the end of a fixed “model year” to offer improvements to our owners. To you, the Studebaker driver, this means a top-quality, trouble-free car with built-in resale value. We certainly have no aim to build the lowest priced car on this continent. We are now building-we will continue to build-the best car in the low priced field.

OBJECT: PRACTICABILITY – We now have a single objective in design and manufacturing: to build the most durable, useful and practical automobile on the market. Studebaker aims to provide the ideal car for Canadian motorists. More than ever, Studebaker will be an ideal car for U.S. motorists who seek to combine maximum thrift with maximum function. Our reputation in those two fields has always been outstanding. We will strive to improve it – this year, next year, every year.

WHAT OTHER COMPANY OFFERS AS MUCH? – Studebaker feels it now offers an ideal car for the heavy duty use that practical motorists want from a car. We now offer heavy duty safety-frame construction. Our body metal is of a thicker gauge. We have a body coating process that really stops rust before it starts. Our windshield wipers sweep the entire vision field of both driver and passenger. We alone offer super-safety disc brakes as an option for every car in our line. Our 15 inch wheels offer maximum road clearance, fuel economy, road stability and tire life. Our Twin traction differential moves power from slipping wheel to gripping wheel in deepest mud or snow. Our cars are the only ones with fully padded instrument panels in ALL models – even the lowest priced. We alone in the North American industry provide a full dash panel of readable instruments without a single blinking “idiot light”. We alone have a dash panel clean and free of dangerous switch levers as still another safety bonus. Our cars have the most head room, flattest floors, greatest interior room, wheelbase considered, of any vehicles in the industry. Our variety of engines, transmissions and rear axle options let you custom build your own power train of your Studebaker for maximum economy, speed, pulling power or acceleration, or an ideal blend of all four. Wide options in paint, body styles and interior trim allow custom ordering for appearance.

WHAT THE EXPERTS THINK – This month, Studebaker was names “Car of the year” by Canada’s Track and Traffic magazine. They gave us their coveted Golden Wheel Award for the second time in three years. We are holders of an earlier “Car of the Year” award by Car Life Magazine. We were recently named “Recreation car of the Year” by recreation directors of the United States. Our cars have been signaled out for warm praise by every single U.S. and Canadian auto magazine this year because of the scores of features that are exclusively ours.

WHY MANUFACTURE IN CANADA? -  Studebaker has always been a relatively small volume builder of high quality automobiles. Following our new formula for success, Studebaker will not attempt to out-advertise, out-produce and out-sell the giants in today’s enormously competitive U.S. auto industry. From a smaller efficient base in Canada, however, Studebaker can continue to build the kind of quality of which we are proud. We can build with a profit in limited volume and continue to sell those quality vehicles to discriminating motorists who have preferred our kind of quality over the years, both in Canada and the U.S. Our Hamilton plant is perfectly matched to this immediate sales potential of Studebaker.

WHERE ARE WE GOING? – We will expand and develop the capacity of our Canadian plant to meet the entire demands of the Canadian, U.S. and world market for our automobiles. The first stage of our expansion program at Hamilton is nearly completed. We can build more than 30,000 cars a year in this factory. Studebaker Drivers CAN BE SURE that as demand rises in the marketplace for our cars, Studebaker will be prepared to meet that demand. There may be some short waiting periods for delivery but a fine product is worth waiting for. We want you to know that ample supplies of Studebaker parts and arrangements of the finest kind of Studebaker services will continue in the best Studebaker tradition Canadian – build products have already established a strong reputation for quality and durability. Already, the quality of our Canadian built Studebakers is being noted in our showrooms as a bonus of U.S. Buyers.

    We agree, Studebaker may not be the ideal car for every buyer – either in the U.S. or Canada. But it is a product for the discriminating buyer who demands quality, durability and smartness over all other things. 

    Don’t take our word for this. Ask any person now driving a Studebaker product. Ask the man who services Studebaker automobiles. I think they will agree with me that a Studebaker will reward you with value, performance, thrift and dependability – this year, next year and into the future.

Gordon E. Grundy                                                                       

President                                                                            

Studebaker Automotive Division

Note: This story/advertisement was published in many newspapers in North America in 1964

THE PRESIDENT’S CRUISER

                                            Merry Tinsley (Grundy) reunited with her Dad's 1964 Cruiser in 2008                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    By Will Norton

            While working up in Ottawa Canada in 2001 I was made aware of a Studebaker that was being advertised for sale on the internet. I went to the ad on the internet link I was provided and sure enough, it was a 1964 Cruiser, all black and lots of chrome as the ad stated.  I had a lot of free evenings and so I contacted the owners, Janet & Tom, to introduce myself as a SDC member and to get the lowdown on this vehicle. It seems that it was bought as a gift back in 1990 and the intended new owner was not interested in it. They drove it until it broke down and there it was sitting in their driveway for the next nine years.    I offered to come around and see it and offer any advice on how to sell it as they knew little or nothing about Studebakers and it’s real worth. They had tried to sell it over the years but due to its neglected state and being overpriced it didn’t get any takers.

            As I arrived at it’s location I was sadden by the sight of this neglected vehicle that deserved a much better fate. The car was not running at the time and the paint was faded but the overall body except for a hole in the size of a silver dollar in the  Left rocker panel, it was in pretty good shape and a prime candidate for restoration. The interior was very different as it was a deep blue velour and in excellent shape. On the back of the rear window was an Ontario Chapter decal and I know a SDC member had once owned this vehicle and had put alot of effort and time in keeping this car on the road. I asked to see the ownership and sure enough I recognized the name, Joyce Madjanovich who was the previous owner. I told him to attempt to start the car to see if the engine would start as he would get a higher price and went home to phone Joyce and see what she knew about this car.

            That evening I phoned the Madjanovichs, Joyce and Gene, who were longtime SDC members and who knew Studebakers inside out. I told Gene about the Black Cruiser and he says that’s a former family car of Gordon E Grundy, The last president of the Studebaker Automotive Division. It seems that they drove it for around six months and then it was replaced by a 1965 model and sent out to a dealership to be sold as Executive used car. Joyce had used it for around eight years herself and they were approached while up in the Ottawa Valley region about selling this car which was in very good condition at the time. Although not really looking at selling it, they decided at the time that they could part with it and a deal was struck.  Gene’s parting words were just check the service booklet and you will see Gordon Grundy’s name as the owner. I thanked him for his info and decided right there and then that this car needed to get back on the road where it rightly belonged.

            Over the next five years I worked on the Cruiser with a lot of help from Jan Boyd who had an interest in old cars. It seems that he use to work in an auto shop as a teenager and the cars from the 50s and 60s were a common sight. I finally got the vehicle licensed and painted in 2006, final cost invested was around $7000 and a lot of elbow grease. It took awhile to get some of the bugs out of the car and I called CAA a couple of times to take me back to the garage but by the summer of 2007 I thought that it was ready for the big trip down to South Bend for the 2007 International SDC Meet. The Cruiser held up well during the 1500 mile trip while also getting 20 MPG.  I thought the time was now right to see if I could look up the Grundy family and show off the old girl.

            Well, it seems that one of the Grundy’s daughters, Merry Tinsley, lived down the road from Peter and Marna Sant, long time SDC members in Belleville, Ontario. As I was restoring it he indicated that she had moved away but after informing him of my plans he was able to track her down in Prince Edward County. This years 2008 Studefest, which is our annual Chapter Car meet in Eastern Ontario, was being held in Brighton which is very near Merry’s home. So just before Studefest I decided to call Merry and introduce myself and see if she would be interested in seeing her Father’s Cruiser. Sure enough she said she would be delighted to see the Black Beauty, so Lorna and I on the Friday morning drove to Merry’s to bring back what I am sure would be fond memories.     The drive to Merry’s home was very enjoyable as we drove down some county roads on a very sunny spring day. We were pleasantly greeted by Merry who talked about her Dad and Mom who would drove many Studebakers over the years. It seems that one of her mother’s cars was the second to last Studebaker off the line in 1966. We took her for a drive down the road and I guess it was sheer bliss as the modern cars just don’t have that feel you get from being in a Studebaker. She was very pleased that we were able to drop by and I invited her to join us at Studefest. Sure enough, she and her husband, Peter, met us at the RCAF Museum in Trenton and she got a real treat as we had around 10 Studebakers for her to look over. I could see that she was enjoying herself and I am sure it brought back fond family memories when her father, Gordon who was a strong believer in all things Studebaker and made a very valiant but unsuccessful effort to try and keep the brand alive. Although the last Studebaker was assembled way back in the spring of 1966, I am sure that Gordon would approve of the continued effort of SDC members worldwide in their efforts to drive and showcase their favourite Studebakers while being loyal to a brand that produced vehicles that were definitely “Different by design”.                                                                 

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