Mardi Rouge

Ruby Tuesday
(a.k.a. Red Car Day at Chez la Vache!)

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The 1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner, is in «Louis'» opinion, the most beautiful car ever built. It has the distinction of being the first car ever to be displayed in the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Because «Louis» uses Ruby Tuesday to show off red cars of various types, he once again takes advantage of this format to show off another of his favorite makes, in this case Studebaker. Today's Studebaker is the 1953 Starliner hardtop painted in "Coral Red" and "Ivory Mist."

These Studebakers are often called "the Loewy coupes" because the design firm of Raymond Loewy was contracted with Studebaker to style their cars. In fact, Loewy himself hardly put a pencil to the design. This stylish coupe was almost entirely the work of Robert Bourke. Almost sixty years later, this car still looks good. There isn't a bad line on it. Compare this sleek Studebaker to the bulbous offerings of, for example, General Motors of the time. This car changed the direction of automobile styling and influenced design for the next 30 years. Its long hood, short deck and sculpt in the side, for example, inspired the very first Mustang.

Robert Bourke (standing) with Raymond Loewy.

The Starliner was even the subject of a U.S. Postal Service stamp in 2005.

An ad for the '53 Starliner, touting its "European Look", showing the car in Paris along the Seine, with Pont Alexandre III et la tour Eiffel in the background.
See more Ruby Tuesday entries HERE.