I am also a fan of all things Studebaker. Especially the V-8 Era, much like my love for Pontiac. It is interesting to sit back and look at the two brands in the long lens. Studebaker was a major innovator, produced some stunning and beautiful cars, ahead of their time styling. They set durability records and racing records much like Pontiac in the glory years. They had a wonderful little V-8. Fantastic, compact design, forged internals, very strong bottom ends and good flowing heads. Their one mistake engine wise, was the inability to make it large enough for the bigger and bigger cars. Their demise was a complex mixture of poor decisions, lack of development money, timing, and leadership and direction at the top. Sound familiar? Going out of business 45 years BEFORE Pontiac, gives me a chance to took at where Pontiac is headed. History is the best predictor of the future. In 2025, Studebaker still has a surprisingly strong following and national club with local chapters. Think POCI. The AVERAGE age of the Studebaker faithful is probably 72-75 years old. Some in their 90's and sure some grandchildren in their 20's and 30's are still fans, a few. Each year, the numbers fall slightly, only because of deaths and folks that just can't get their cars out. The really fantastic, restored, rare, or performance models are holding their values or going up slightly.
This is the future I see for Pontiac. It's not a grim future. We have another 30-40 years of enjoyment of our beloved brand. I will be 107 years old in 40 years, so not too worried about it. Bringing the Pontiac name back in the form of a car or SUV just doesn't make any sense to me at all. And I bleed Pontiac metallic blue!!
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