The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
The ultimate italian coachbuilder site
Sherwood Egbert, the President of the Studebaker Corporation, retained Brooks Stevens in 1960 as a consultant on current and future automotive design and styling. The Sceptre prototype was built in metal by Sibona-Basano of Torino, Italy. It was a 2-door, 5- place coupe and destined to be the pattern for a 4 door family sedan and a 8-passenger station wagon.
The Sceptre line became the most advanced looking approach in the long range program and departed completely from the Mercedes-like indentity which had began with the Hawk in 1962 and perpetuated itself through 1965 in the new total sheet metal and chassis concept. The Sceptre pioneered body lines and introduced innovations in grill and headlight treatments, bumpers, siderub rails, warning lights, hood openings, rear deck openings, and “C” pillar design. It also represented a total departure in instrument panel function and esthetics. The first approach to the astronaut couch bucket seat and/or bench was pioneered here, as well as upholstery treatments using mylar and vinyl combinations and new system of cushion breathing. The car was designed with the total concept in mind and every detail carried out in keeping with the over-all theme. this was not to be a committee design or a mishmash of ideas borrowed from other concepts. It was the ultimate in Studebakers vain attempt to raise the money to tool all new cars, the basis of which could last for five years. Brooks Stevens refered to Sceptre as a 1966 Studebaker and still does on his company website. The Museum refers to the car as a 1963. As with all history there is always debate about times and places. Today the Sceptre resides at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.
In 1960 the entrepreneur and importer Renato Bornigia commissioned Pietro Frua and Francis Lombardi to carry out a project to mass-produce (1000 cars) a variant of the Studebaker Lark in 2-door coupe and 4-door sedan versions.
