1955 Studebaker President Speedster hardtop coupeThe 1955 Studebaker President Speedster was Studebaker's first step toward the sporty car, and the forerunner to the memorable Hawks. The most expensive offering in this year's revived top-line President series, this two-door hardtop featured a special interior with quilted-pattern leather and vinyl upholstery and a full complement of white-on-black instruments set into a dash with a tooled-metal appliqué.
A high-performance rendition of the Studebaker small-block V-8, now bored out to 259.2 cid, was standard on the 1955 Studebaker President Speedster. The midyear Speedsters shared the heavy, more chrome-laden "fish-lip" front-end styling adopted for '55 across the line.
All Speedsters wore two or three-tone paint jobs in garish color combinations like the unforgettable "lemon and lime" (shown above).
Pluses of the 1955 Studebaker President Speedster:
Rarity
Historical interest
Excellent performance
A driver's cockpit
Equipment
Another Studebaker Milestone car
Minuses of the 1955 Studebaker President Speedster:
Retrograde facelift of the clean 1953-1954 Studebaker models
Significant rust problems
Oil leaks
Production of the 1955 Studebaker President Speedster:
2,215
Specifications of the 1955 Studebaker President Speedster:
Wheelbase, inches: 120.5
Length, inches: 204.4
Weight, pounds: 3,301
Price, new: $3,253
Engines for the 1955 Studebaker President Speedster:
Type Size Horsepower Years
ohv V-8 259.2 cid 185 1955
