1960 Studebaker Lark

In 1960, Studebaker unveiled the Lark convertible, the first Studebaker convertible since 1952, making the Lark the only compact with a V8 and the only compact with a convertible. In 1960, Studebaker produced 5,464 Lark Convertibles, which was the first time Studebaker offered a soft-top since 1953.

The 1960 Lark VI was similar in design to the 1959 version, with only slight updates to its design. The Lark model hit the streets in 1959, and over 57,000 were produced. These vehicles were aimed at more economically-minded consumers, and a year later, the optional 259 cubic-inch V8 gave it a bit of performance gusto. Weighing under 3,000 pounds and shorter than most of the competition, the new V-8 Lark was available as an Econ-O-Miler, Deluxe, and Regal, with the Econ-O-Miler marking the rarest with only 215 constructed. The convertibles were part of the Regal trim.

The Econ-O-Miller of the Lark VI was offered as a sedan priced at nearly $2,400, and 1,096 examples were built. The Deluxe trim of the Lark VI included a two-door sedan priced at $1,975, a four-door sedan at $2,050, a two-door station wagon at $2,365, and a four-door wagon at $2,440. The two-door sedan was the most popular with 24,605 examples built, followed by 22,534 of the four-door sedan, 5,420 of the four-door wagon, and 3,497 of the two-door wagon.

The Lark VI and the Hawk both came equipped with an L-head six-cylinder engine with a 169.6 cubic-inch displacement, four main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, and delivering 90 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The Hawk, offered solely as a coupe, was sold outside North America.

Station wagons and the Econ-O-Miller sedan rested on a 113-inch wheelbase, the Hawk had a 120.5-inch wheelbase, and the hardtop, convertible, and sedans rested on a 108.5-inch platform. The Lark VI DeLuxe trim had painted headlight moldings, was devoid of padded instrument panels and lacked grille moldings. The Lark VI Regal had chrome moldings around the headlights and grille and a padded instrument panel.

The Lark VIII, offered in Econ-O-Miller, Deluxe, and Regal trims with the same body styles as the Lark VI, came standard with a 259.2 cubic-inch V8 engine with overhead valves, five main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Stromberg two-barrel carburetor, and 180 bhp at 4,500 RPM.

The Lark VIII Econ-O-Miller sedan was priced at $2,430, and 215 examples were built. The Deluxe two-door sedan listed for $2,110 and 8,102 were built, 14,231 of the 4-door sedan ($2,180), 5,711 of the 4-door wagon ($2,575), and 1,734 of the two-door wagon ($2,500).

The Lark VIII Regal four-door sedan was popular with 11,410 examples built with a base price of $2,330. The rest of the body styles had similar production figures, with 5,464 of the convertible ($2,760), 5,741 of the four-door station wagon ($2,730), and 4,565 of the hardtop ($2,430).

Additionally, Studebaker built 227 examples of the Hawk with the six-cylinder engine and 4,280 with the V8. Studebaker's total production for 1960 was 105,902 units. Most of the Econ-O-Miller four-door sedans were built as taxis, and a few were sold outside the United States.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017

Studebaker's compact Lark series, introduced in 1959, was widely credited with saving the company from extinction. For 1960, the Lark retained its European-inspired design and added an attractive convertible body style. A Mobilgas Economy Run winner, the 1960 Lark V8 averaged 22 miles per gallon in the widely promoted contest.

But 1960 also brought new competition from Detroit's Big Three, as the Corvair, Falcon, and Valiant were introduced to the growing compact car market and caused Lark sales to suffer.

This Lark, a Jonquil Yellow hardtop equipped with the 259 cubic inch V8, was restored by the owner nearly two decades ago when he was between the ages of 14 and 16. One of his first photos of the Lark, around that time, was taken with him and his now-wife. They went on dates in this car, had their engagement photos taken with it, and it was their wedding car.