The Starlight's tapering rear deck confused people so much that Fred Allen joked Studebaker's next model would go sideways.
Lead trim: Starlight coupe
Studebaker Starlight coupe1947–1952
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Studebaker Starlight coupe yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Starlight's tapering rear deck confused people so much that Fred Allen joked Studebaker's next model would go sideways.
The Starlight coupe is a 2-door body style offered by the Studebaker Corporation from 1947 to 1955 on its Champion and Commander model series, designed by Virgil Exner (formerly of Raymond Loewy Associates) along ponton lines. Its most striking features were the extremely long (for a five-passenger car) hood-like luggage cover, which drew the question "Which way is it going?" (Fred Allen quipped that next year Studebaker would come out with a model you couldn't tell if it was going sideways), and a wraparound rear window of four fixed glass panels with a roof rounded at the rear and supported by two wide pillars, like a railroad observation car. It was originally named simply the "5-passenger coupe" and renamed Starlight Coupe for 1949; the profile was copied by other US makers in their 1949 models and seemed influenced by the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Specifications: 169.9 CID one-barrel six-cylinder or 232 CID two-barrel V8 (introduced in 1951), a 3-speed manual with optional overdrive or automatic (introduced in 1950), 80/102 hp (the page does not say which engine), 119 in wheelbase, 204.4 in long. For 1950–51 all Studebakers received the "bullet nose" (or "spinner") front sheet metal, continuing to the end of the 1952 model year alongside a hardtop "Starliner". For 1953 the pillarless coupes became the Starliner and the pillared five-window coupes the Starlight on a 120 in wheelbase; the pillared Starlight reverted to "5-passenger coupe" in 1955 and was reissued as the Hawk series for 1956; in 1958 the Starlight name was applied to full-size hardtop models before being retired.
Collectors Spotted in the Studebaker Starlight Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Studebaker Starlight yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlight coupe | 1947–1952 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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