1966 Studebaker Daytona 2 Door Sports Sedan

This V8 Daytona was found for sale on Ebay in 2012, being offered by classic car dealer MotoExotica. One of just over 600 V8s built in 1966, this car represents one of the last ever Studebakers built before the company closed its auto manufacturing doors. We have several other 1966 models on Classic Register, including an identification guide which can be seen here. At the time of sale, the seller made the following comments about the car:

After the South Bend closing, production continued at the Studebaker’s Canadian plant in Hamilton, Ontario, which was overseen by Gordon Grundy, the president of Studebaker of Canada, Ltd. Grundy was a dedicated Studebaker executive who, like Egbert before him, wanted to see Studebaker continue as a builder of automobiles.The “second series” Canadian-built ’64 lineup wasn’t much different from the South Bend offerings; however, the entire Challenger series (along with the Hawk and Avanti) was dropped. Six-cylinder Daytona models that had not previously been offered in the U.S. (but had been available in Canada and export markets) were added to the U.S. lineup. The 1966 Studebakers, advertised as having “The Smart New Look”, were slightly restyled, the result of a reversal of the company’s previous decision to make no annual model changes.

The cars bore a stylish new grille, single headlamps, revised and simplified side trim, luxurious new interiors (even in the cheapest Commander), and other refinements. Even the famous Hawk logo was brought out of retirement, slightly redesigned, and applied to wheel covers, grilles, and engine identification emblems on the front fenders. The redesign, which was evidently begun by Brooks Stevens, was completed by the Detroit design firm of Marcks Hazelquist Powers.This particular 1966 Studebaker Daytona is one of the 8,935 Studebakers produced in the final year of production and in wonderful condition.

These Daytona’s are incredibly rare and hard to find. This car has benefited from a nice restoration to bring it to the condition you see today. The paint looks very good with no major imperfections. The front and rear bumpers are both in great condition with no notable damage to be found. The vinyl top looks good with no bubbling. Inside, the seats and interior looks great and have been reupholstered recently. The seats are nearly perfect as well as the new carpet, door panels and headliner. The dash is solid with no cracking or buckling. In the glove box, the original vanity mirror is still there. All gauges are in good working order as well as the lights, blinkers and horn.

Under the hood, the “Thunderbolt” 283 runs great and starts up with a turn of the key. The engine is nicely detailed under the hood. Connected to the automatic transmission, the car runs down the road with no problems, shifting as it should. There have been updated wire wheels with spinners installed that look great. They are wrapped with radial tires with good tread life.In the trunk, you will find a full size spare as well as a jack. Included with the purchase are all of the original manuals for the car. This said to be an original California car that still retains its California black plates. Current mileage shows 57,619 and the VIN number is C532180. The car is being sold on a clean California title showing that the previous owner has had it since June, 2003.