1947 Studebaker Gardner Prototype

Vincent E. Gardner won the Fisher Body Craftsman Guild award while he was still in high school. He quickly moved up the automotive design ladder while under the supervision of Gordon Buehrig at Auburn and later under Raymond Loewy at Studebaker. After four years working with Loewy, Garner purchased a new 1947 Studebaker Champion 3-passenger coupe which he quickly disassembled and transformed into a low-slung sports car. It was his interpretation of the type of car that Studebaker should be producing.

Gardner's Special had the signature Studebaker bullet nose and rear fender treatment. The windscreen, firewall, cockpit, and door hinges were moved back 18 inches toward the rear of the car. The hood and cowl, however, were lengthened and lowered. In the back was a custom rear deck that was fabricated with a hydraulically-operated rear hinge and exhaust exiting through the center of unique round tail lamps.

Powering the Gardner Special was Studebaker's 169.5 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine that was given a 7.7:1 finned aluminum head, twin-carburetor intake manifold, and cast split exhaust manifolds.

The unique creation was entered in the inaugural Press-On-Regardless 24-hour rally, where it won with a score of 903 of 1,000 possible points.

The car was then given what is believed to be the world's first bubble top on a 'concept' or 'custom' car. It was entered in the inaugural National Roadster Show in Oakland, California, at which the car received the first ever 'Most Magnificent Custom Roadster' award.

Unfortunately, Gardner's wife never liked the car and later convinced him to get rid of it. The car was later rescued by W. Alan Canty, Jr., who returned the car to its former glory and used it for many years. After Canty's death in 1985, the car changed hands on several occasions, later coming into the care of John Allen of Naples, Florida.

Mr. Allen entrusted Fran Roxas of Vintage Motorsports to perform a restoration. The car was returned to its initial 1949 configuration with no expenses spared. When the work was completed, it made its restoration debut at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in the spring of 2012, followed by a second-in-class ribbon at Pebble Beach the same year.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2016