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Who knew? Roger Ebert: Car Guy
It's not in dispute that Roger Ebert is an expert on cinema, though he never had to sit through any masterworks by this film school graduate (he's suffered enough). A Pulitzer prize reminds us that Roger's a Jedi master with prose, too. We were, however, surprised to find out that America's most famous film critic appears to be a dyed-in-the-wool car guy. He admits to not being one of us wrench-turners, but you don't have to know a trunnion from a pinion to be able to appreciate fine iron, and Ebert can wax dreamy with the best of us when talk turns to his beloved Studebaker Golden Hawk. What's not to like? Loewy style, supercharged V8, more speed than most of its contemporaries - we love the Stude, too. Regardless of whether we agree with his assessment of the latest blockbuster effects extravaganza, we feel a little more personally connected to the famous critic now that we know he's bitten with the four-wheeled bug that afflicts us.
[Source: Hemmings]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mr.ed 6:57PM (12/20/2008)
The original rust prone '53 was Loewy's work. This abomination, with its tacked on fins and vinyl roof is far removed from that classic, and is no classic itself. Sorry, it's not so hot, except for the blower, which made enough power to outclass the brakes, suspension and tires. The seats were awful, like in most US designs.
The rebody as a Avanti is the classic of its time, underengineered like the rest of the line, starved for capital and hanging on using dated parts and gingerbread.
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TigerMil 7:03PM (12/20/2008)
True. About all it had was Loewy's basic design going for it.
JN 8:41PM (12/20/2008)
Actually, the '57 Golden Hawk never came with a vinyl roof, Mr. Ed. It was only available as a $65 option on the '64 Gran Turismo Hawk, in white or black. And that car's designer, Brooks Stevens, created the roof for just such a treatment.
I must also beg to differ with you about the tailfins. For '57, they really added to the appearance of the car, giving it a clean, balanced look. They were much less tacked-on looking than what Dodge used, for sure.
The supercharged Studebaker engine is powerful, but was not, according to the road tests of the day, too much for its brakes, suspension or tires. In a three-way test versus the two-seat T-Bird and Corvette, the Golden Hawk gave away nothing, considering it weighed a good deal more than its competitors.
In those tests, I don't recall any complaints about seating comfort, whereas both the T-Bird and Corvette were significantly smaller and required more contortion to get into and out of. Having had the pleasure of seat time in Hawks with both the bench and buckets which arrived on-scene in '62, comfort is pretty much a wash either way. Even fitting my 5'11" frame into a rear seat, while somewhat less comfortable due to the smaller footwells, is not a big deal.
By the time the Avanti was conceived, it is true that Studebaker was on its last legs as a builder of cars, but they certainly did all they could to make that last hurrah the best it could be. The Lark convertible chassis under the Avanti was rugged, the Bendix disc brakes outstanding, and the body design nothing less than a revelation.
Also, let's not forget the integrated roll bar, which, along with its brakes, body construction and rugged frame, made the Avanti a very safe car for its era.
Despite its age, Studebaker's V-8 engine was, by that point, improved and massaged into a real powerhouse, fully capable of keeping up with anyone else's hot small block (and more than a few hot big blocks), by 1963. In fact, I know the R-3 version of the V-8, at 304.5 cubic inches, is capable of putting out 365 horsepower at the rear wheels. Impressive numbers for a "dated" engine, don'tcha think???
To say that ANY Studebaker was underengineered is an outright lie. Working without much money, the company HAD to work harder than the rest, and the resulting cars stand up to comparison against anyone else's just fine, thank you.
Duders 7:21PM (12/21/2008)
mr. ed just got smoked....good job JN.
ronnie schreiber 2:02AM (12/22/2008)
JN,
I beg to disagree. The '53 coupe is a beautiful piece of design work. The Hawk, while not quite an abomination, is not nearly as clean a design.
ronnie schreiber 2:09AM (12/22/2008)
the body design nothing less than a revelation.
A beautiful design, no doubt, but the lack of a front grill led to some overheating issues if I'm not mistaken.
Flashpoint 7:55PM (12/20/2008)
Ebert is my "critic" hero. I bet he'd write scathing reviews about most of the crap being sold nowadays.
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ronnie schreiber 2:06AM (12/22/2008)
If the film promotes a politically liberal point of view, Ebert, who made a ton of money via taxpayer supported public television, will predictably give it a thumbs up. Too bad the smart guy, Siskal, got cancer first.
Steve Neill 8:57PM (12/20/2008)
Ebert:
"As for the new Mustang, I give it two thumbs down. Could have had more nudity, and was a little underwhelming at points, and the previews lasted too long."
Roper:
"Wait, weren't we talking about movies?"
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adolph 12:00AM (12/22/2008)
JN Thanks for setting the record straight. Studebaker made some great cars and the V8 was outstanding. They outclassed the competition from the "Big 3" in many ways.
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studemax 12:08AM (12/21/2008)
For all the nay-sayers, the Golden Hawk is classic - no denying it. Right now, all the Studebaker Drivers Club members are digging on Roger's prose - they know he's one of them. He sold the Golden Hawk, 'tis true - but he bought another Studebaker with it - a '63 Gran Turismo Hawk. It's not a factory hot rod, but it's a fine touring car - bet Roger loves it just as much.
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Holden Miecranc 2:45AM (12/21/2008)
Raymond Loewy did not design the '53 Champion / Commander. The car designed by Bob Bourke, although Loewy gets (and took) credit for Mr. Bourkes' design because he owned the design studio. Bourke also designed '49 Ford, by the way.
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mr.ed 5:14PM (12/21/2008)
Thanks for that. My ID prof claimed having a hand in the Ford design when he worked there. I remember seeing it as a step forward, along with the Kaiser, Frazer, Willys Aero and HenryJ, all ditching for good the separate fender look. Chevy was six years behind. All the vehicles of that age were missing fender liners, rusting quickly. The Studey went first around the front fender air vent. Because of this and low production, there are few collectibles surviving, and the club members are usually old, having had sport in the back seats of the cars they collect, a tough job in pony cars! Several years ago, I bought an Avanti supercharger at a swap meet for $20. It got 10x that much at a Studey club meet later.
DTA 8:40AM (12/22/2008)
Bourke didn't even do the whole '49 Ford--Gil Spear's Ford Advance Design studio did a lot of the work, including the nose. which was from Gil himself.
FThorn 8:53AM (12/21/2008)
I pray for him. I also had cancer and had my throat operated on. It's a nightmare.
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gary 10:35AM (12/21/2008)
I wonder if Roger ever owned the beautiful 1963 Studebaker Avanti with the R-3 engine? In Sept/October1962 it was the most impressive American made auto in any dealership's showroom.
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