Mr Ted Sparling

Mr Ted Sparling, former worker at the Studebaker of Canada plant in Hamilton standing next to a 1964 Studebaker Cruiser very similar to the cars that came down the line when he was working there.

                It all began back in 1964 when at the age of 22, Ted Sparling found himself working on the line at the Studebaker of Canada Assembly Plant in Hamilton, Ontario. He was happy as punch installing seats and the spare tire in many of the cars that went down the line to include the last Studebaker that when for final prep in mid-March 1966.  Although his time was short at Studebaker of Canada he enjoyed working at the Hamilton plant as they seemed to care about their employees and he thought they were well-built automobiles. He unfortunately never owned a Studebaker as he was just starting out and he couldn’t afford one at the time but his Dad Val, who was a Studebaker salesman at a local dealership in Hamilton had owned 3 of them over the years but his favourite was his Uncle Jim’s, a 1949 Starlight Coupe with the large “wraparound” window.

Once the plant was closed he had put his name in to work at the Ford Plant just down the road in Oakville and was quickly accepted in the summer of 1966. He found himself working initially at the Car plant on the line and within a couple of years found himself owning a 1968 Mustang “Bullitt” Fastback with a hi-performance 390 engine under the hood. He had to get rid of that car not soon afterwards as it was real fast and attracted too much attention by the local police when he “drove” down the highways of the GTA. Later on at while at Ford he moved over to the new Truck Assembly plant up until 1978 when he decided it was time for a career change.

In 1990, he and his wife Nancy decided to move to Northbrook which is just a stone’s throw from beautiful Lake Mazinaw. His family have been involved in building cottages and making this area a summer retreat since 1935 so it made sense to make this their new home. About six years ago they moved to their current home in Flinton. Ontario which is still nearby all of the things they love about this rural area in Eastern Ontario Cottage country.

You can occasionally find Ted and Nancy attending local craft shows selling their handcrafted jewellery and when the show has antique cars nearby he always has his eye out for Studebakers. He always had a soft spot for a “Stude” and if they were still making them he would probably own one.

Mr. Ted Sparling was honoured in 2015 for his hardwork and dedication while with Studebaker of Canada by being added to the list of honourees on the Studebaker of Canada Plaque being held at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.

Studebaker Made in Canada