Model 3E-5. 195 bhp, 259.2 cu. in. OHV V-8 engine, four-speed manual transmission, solid front axle and live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 112 in.

Chevrolet introduced new post-war “Advance Design” trucks for 1947, and Dodge and Ford both had their all-new ‘48s ready the next year. None of them, however, held a candle to the style rolled out by Studebaker in mid-1948. Designed in the Raymond Loewy studios, the new 2R series featured faired-in fenders and a double-wall pickup box and was dispensed with running boards entirely.

Subsequent updates included a new grille for the 1954 3R series, at which time Studebaker’s excellent V-8 was made available in trucks. The 1957 3E Transtar brought a new Deluxe cab and optional automatic transmission on V-8 models. A four-speed manual floor shift was also available.

The Loewy-designed cab was discontinued in 1960, in favor of sheet metal taken from the Lark passenger cars. Production hovered below 10,000 units per year through December 1963, at which time the closure of the South Bend, Indiana plant ended Studebaker truck manufacture forever. As one would also expect, these Transtar pickup trucks also have a low survival rate, making one such as this, in such condition, a very rare find indeed.

This 1958 Transtar Deluxe features two-tone blue-and-white paint, a grey-and-white vinyl seat, and a two-tone dashboard. It is equipped with directional signals and a four-speed manual transmission. Though not original to the truck, the 259-cubic inch V-8, which replaced the stock V-6, has been upgraded with an Offenhauser aluminum intake manifold and valve covers and a Holley four-barrel carburetor. The recipient of a full restoration, it has excellent body contours and paint. Brightwork is minimal but of a very good quality. Among the rarest of 1950s pickups, this Transtar Deluxe Studebaker will make an unusual addition to any collection or auto-related business—it is undoubtedly one of the finest of its kind extant.