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Temporary Home of
The Studebaker Skytop Registry
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Even Mr. Ed had a Skytop!
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1963 Studebaker Daytona Skytop
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Click on the Links Below to Navigate the Site
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1961 Studebaker Skytop Brochure
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New On The Skytop Registry:
*11/20/05 Our website has been added to both the Studebaker Webring, and the Orphan Car Webring!!
*11/9/05 The listing of known Skytops has been added to the 'Skytop Registry' page......click above and take a look!!
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Studebaker Skytops, a Short History:
The Skytop was an option on certain 1961, 1962, and 1963 Studebaker automobiles. Specifically, a Skytop-equipped car could be purchased in the following Lark bodystyles:
W-body, which was the four door sedan
Y -body, which was the long wheelbase four door sedan
F -body, which was the two door sedan
J -body, which was the two door hardtop
The Skytop was a fabric covering over metal bows, attached to a track assembly to allow the roof to be slid back.The fabric covering was available in two colors: black, and white. According to Richard Quinn, the cost of the Skytop option was $185 for all three years it was offered.
Studebaker sourced the sliding sunroof components from Golde, a German company. Hans Traugott Golde & Co. G.M.B.H. of Frankfurt West Germany, more commonly called simply Golde, held several patents on sunroofs in the late fifties and the early sixties. In the US, the distributor for Golde sunroofs appears to have been Golde Body Parts Division located in Michigan. Golde manufactured not only the Skytop-style fabric sliding roofs, but also metal sliding sunroofs. In 1972 Golde was taken over by Rockwell International under the new name Rockwell Golde GmbH. In 1998 the sunroof production continued under the new name Meritor Light Vehicle Systems, part of the huge ArvinMeritor multi-national corporation. The sunroof production is still based in Frankfurt, and still includes canvas sunroofs. ArvinMeritor companies include Gabriel, Maremont, and Purolator Filters, among many others. See the ‘Skytop Links’ page for more information.
The Skytop option disappeared with the introduction of the 1964 Studebaker line; however, unsubstantiated rumors say that at least a couple of 1964 Lark-type cars were fitted with Skytops.
The Skytop Registry Project:
In discussions with several Skytop Owners over the last year or two, the question keeps coming up…….”How many are out there?” A Roster, or Registry, was very common in the early days of the Studebaker Drivers Club. There were Rosters for many different types of Studebaker and Studebaker-related cars, trucks, horse drawn vehicles. However, active Rosters have seemed to dwindled down to just a few.
However, the benefits of Rosters, to search out and communicate with Owners of like vehicles, are still very valid today. Best of all, the Internet now gives us a medium to easily store information for use by the Owners, communicate easily and quickly with other Owners, and to show off our ‘pride-and-joys’ to others. The premier Registry is probably ‘The 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk Owners Register’, located at http://www.1956goldenhawk.com/. Frank Ambrogio started this Registry in 1989, and through his and others’ hard work, has researched authenticity issues, issued a ’56 GH Parts Catalog, been instrumental in reproducing a number of hard to find ’56 GH items, and most of all has fostered communication and assistance among ‘56 Golden Hawk Owners. The hope is that Skytop Owners can do the same thing, albeit on a smaller scale.
Purpose: To document the surviving Studebaker Skytop cars; to facilitate the sharing of information on Skytops between owners; to educate the public about Studebaker Skytops; and most importantly to have fun with our Studebakers!
Current Status: Beginning the collecting of information on the remaining Skytops for a basic Registry.
Future Goals: Website with basic Skytop information; copies of sales literature and other original factory/dealer information; pictures of surviving Skytop cars; stories about YOUR Skytops; technical information on repairing and maintaining the Skytop-specific components; what other makes of cars used this same sunroof; parts sources; and a ‘For Sale/Wanted’ section for Skytop cars and parts.
Security: Owners addresses will not be shared ‘publicly’. Email addresses will be shared unless an Owner specifically requests that their email not be shared. If a fellow Skytop Owner would like to contact another Owner on the Registry, this can either be done by email, or the Registry facilitator will act as the intermediary for snail mail.
Registry Data Collection:
Contact Paul Warta at r1skytop@aol.com and specifically request an electronic copy of the Registry Form. If you do not have email capability, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address below, and be sure to indicate that you would like a copy of the Registry Form.
Paul Warta
801 Sedge Garden Road
Kernersville, NC 27284
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Contact Me:
Contact me at r1skytop@aol.com .
Thanks for looking!.....Paul
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