Studebaker, independent manufacturer always willing to take a risk, was no stranger to creating stylish coupe models during the post war era. Had it not been for the advanced styling that Studebaker took in the personalization of the average automobile, many mainstream manufacturers may have not taken heed and offered their own wares.
Had it not been for the unique Starlight Coupes, General Motors perhaps wouldn’t have retaliated with their “Hardtop Convertibles” in the guise of “Coupe DeVille” “Riviera” and “Holiday at Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile in 1949. Perhaps the world would have continued appreciating the divide between carefree convertibles and stoic sedans.
Today we feature a little Black Lives Matters automotive history alongside the trajectory of the Pontiac Motor Division in the late 1950’s. Our subject car has a story too precious to pass up in terms of our collective history. It follows the intersection of race, class, consumerism and pride all wrapped up in chrome dreams from Baghdad By The Bay. 
The Chrysler 300 found itself no longer suffering from a split identity by 1966. Gone for good was the ultra sport-lux Letter series version.
Dynamic Drive 