By Jon Stalnaker
AKA The Studebaker Dude
I just received a package from a good friend, Peter Braun, from the Studebaker Drivers Club in Oregon. He let me know that he was browsing at calendars and saw one about Classic Pickups. Wondering if there would be a Studebaker in the mix, he picked it up to see. (I do this all the time, too.) Sure enough, not only was there a Studebaker truck, but one he recognized. He sent me a picture telling me about it. Since it was my truck, I asked him to get it and send it to me. I sent him a check for his trouble. Any time I see something with a Studebaker in it, I’ll buy it, especially if it’s a picture of MY Studebaker.
I was scouring my archives trying to find a story about this particular picture but couldn’t find it. It was several years ago, maybe even a decade or more when I displayed my truck at the Sacramento Autorama. That was a big event for me as my dad took me often to the Autorama when I was but a youth. I would fantasize about one day having a car cool enough to be in that show and this was my first opportunity. When I prepared to leave the show, there was a card on the front seat from a photographer that was interested in taking some photographs of my truck. I made contact with him, and he explained to me what he does for a living. You can find his work on the internet at kimballstock.com. If you like cars, you will love this site. You will see several pictures of both of my Studebakers. He photoshopped out the Studebaker Dude logo plate I have on my bed rails for his images.
He asked me if I knew of any other Studebakers that he could include in the photoshoot, and I told him I had a bullet nose sedan also. He asked me to bring that one too and we planned to meet up nearby and he went to work. I was with him while he did his magic and “idiot me” forgot to bring my own camera. I like to take pictures over the shoulder of professionals and I’ve taken some great pictures using that method. This is his livelihood and he made it very clear that the images were his and I couldn’t use them without paying him. He sent me two 8X10 pictures of my choice as payment for using my cars. He told me people buy his photographs for use in calendars, puzzles, posters, or whatever. I have found examples of all three that I have mentioned and will always buy anything I see with his pictures of my Studebakers in them.
The first one I found was a jigsaw puzzle of cars from the 50s. It was in the gift shop of the California Auto Museum where I worked. Just like my friend Peter, I saw the puzzle and figured there was a good chance that Studebaker would be represented in the picture. There in the bottom row, was a bullet nose Studebaker and to my surprise it was yellow like mine. I then noticed it was a 4 door like mine. Looking even closer, I noticed it WAS mine. I took it home and nervously put it together hoping that a piece would not be missing, especially one that contained my car. It was all there and I didn’t take it apart until we moved to Oklahoma. I haven’t put it back together since we got here so I hope I didn’t lose any pieces in the move. I also found a 24 X 36 poster of the same picture in a poster shop at San Francisco’s Pier 39. It remained in the tube until we got to Oklahoma where I had enough wall space to put it up. It’s in a place of honor in my garage. Knowing his pictures are out there still, I’m always on the lookout. It’s one thing to have pictures of your cars that you took, but it’s really special when somebody else thinks they are cool enough to use. Those are some of my more cherished memorabilia and I have more than the three I just mentioned. I consider it affirmation that I did the right thing with the Studebakers entrusted to my care.
