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January 15, 2021 Update – The private seller elected to try and sell his vintage Studebaker elsewhere. We thank him for the opportunity and wish him nothing but the best.

November 10, 2021 Update: The high bid of $8,500 did not meet the seller’s reserve price of $15,000, so we’ve moved this 1956 Studebaker E7 Pickup to our “Rides Still Available” Page. Use the blue box below to navigate to the bid page where you can either agree to pay the “Buy Now” price of $15,000 or make a realistic counter-offer.

Turned Away by Bring A Trailer? As long as your reserve price is in line with current market data, Guys With Rides will gladly list your ride for free with proof you’ve been rejected by BaT.

Our latest BaT Turn-Away auction is this 1956 Studebaker Transtar E7 1/2 Ton Pickup we are proud to feature in an online reserve-style auction on behalf of the seller. Bidding is opened Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at Noon and will continue for fourteen consecutive days ending Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

This customized 1956 Studebaker Transtar E7 currently resides in the Wimauma, Florida area.

Current High Bid = $8,500

When it comes to mid-century modern Studebaker trucks, “E series” has come to mean all pickups built by the South Bend, Indiana between 1955 and the end of all vehicle production in the US in December 1963. Within each tonnage rating, these trucks were all fairly similar, since Studebaker was in dire financial straits during this entire period and invested virtually nothing to update its truck division products. For the 1956 and 1957-58 models, all Studebaker trucks were called Transtar.

The most distinctive characteristic of Studebaker E-series trucks is the cab, which remained unchanged through the 1959 models. With only two changes – a one-piece windshield in 1954 (for the preceding 3R series) and a larger rear window in 1955 for the first E series – it was essentially the same cab as was introduced on the 2R series in mid-1948 as a 1949 model. The first E was available with three engines, the Champion 185 cubic inch inline-six with 92 horsepower, the Commander 246 cubic inch inline-six with 102 horsepower, or the 224 cubic inch Commander V8 with 140 horsepower.

Here is the seller’s description of this neat vintage pickup truck:

Both the engine and transmission were rebuilt by the previous owner when the entire vehicle underwent a body-off amateur restoration approximately 10 years ago. The engine is a Studebaker 224 V8, with power steering, drum brakes, air conditioning, heater, and a Borg Warner 3 speed overdrive manual transmission, with a floor shifter. The rear axle is original and was found to be sound during restoration, and a new driveshaft and U joints were installed in 2005 during the restoration of the vehicle. Suspension is original leaf springs in the front and rear. The Studebaker has what is called a Hill Holder, invented by Wagner Electric and produced by Bendix Brake Company. The device holds the brake until the clutch is at the friction point, making it easier to start uphill from a stationary position. Hill-Holder works by holding the brake in position while the driver sets up and activates the first gear to move the truck forward from a complete stop, without fear of rollback. The overdrive is in working order and allows the vehicle to cruise comfortably at 55+ MPH, at lower RPMs, but also works in first and second gears. The original electrical system was 12v, and all electrical systems and wiring were replaced during restoration. An electrical cut-off switch is installed in the engine compartment. The battery was moved from its original location to make room for the aftermarket power steering. The water pump was replaced two years ago by the previous owner. The tires are Goodyear Wrangler STs that are 5 years old with less than 1000 miles on them. Wheels and chrome hub caps are original to Studebaker. Aftermarket plastic rock guards were added to the front of the rear quarter panels by the previous owner, as was a steel visor over the windshield. This vehicle body has very minor surficial rust in scattered areas where the paint has chipped from normal use and around some small chrome or zinc screws and bolts. Minor bodywork from 10 years ago can be seen on the lower doors, and bedsides, and front quarter panels. The left rear tail light steel support is partially compromised and rust can be seen in this location. The paint has endured well over 10 years, however, the front quarter panels and doors, appear to have more orange peel and small runs, compared to the rest of the paint on the truck. The frame, axles, springs, and structural members were sandblasted, primed, and painted with black epoxy, as were the inner front and rear wheel wells, the underside of the bed and cab were painted in blue during restoration. The fuel tank was replaced 10 years ago and appears sound. All rubber gaskets and the fuel filler neck were replaced 10 years ago, and are still in good condition and do not leak. All gauges, wipers, lights, blinkers, side window vents, and side windows are in working order, but the passenger’s window is cracked. Original parking lights have been converted to turn signals and the original turn signals on top of the front quarter panels have been removed. The AC condenser, York compressor, and evaporator core were recently vacuumed and pressure and leak tested and found to have no leaks. R134A was recently added and the oil added to the compressor, and the AC now provides cold air. The AC interior unit face is chrome with a multiple-speed fan and temperature controls. Both blower fans were in good working order and the unit is draining properly. The Interior dash, doors, windows, and bench seat are in good condition. There are no armrests or a headliner. An aftermarket spare tire manual wench was added to the vehicle, so the spare tire can be accessed and stored with greater ease. Modern shoulder/lap seat belts were installed by the previous owner. A 2” trailer hitch is installed and wired with lights and an electric brake controller in the interior. During the previous ownership, the truck was used periodically on the weekends for personal home improvement and landscape projects and was garage kept. The current owner rebuilt the single Stromberg twin jet carburetor, changed vehicle fluids, and filters, and installed a rubber floor mat in the cab during ownership. The vehicle currently is housed in a carport, out of the sun and rain. The truck runs, shifts, handles, and drives great.

By clicking on the picture below, you can review the detailed complimentary Lemon Squad pre-purchase inspection recently completed in preparation for this auction.  As you scroll down the report, you can hover your computer mouse to read the inspector’s comments on each picture taken. Please be sure to use your browser’s back button to navigate back to this page when complete.

To help you make informed bids, we’re providing a link to Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the Classic Car market, that provides an interactive graph of recent comparable sales in the past two years. By clicking on the green dots, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you make an educated bid on the car we are featuring for auction here:

If you have any questions about this 1956 Studebaker Transtar E7 1/2 Ton Pickup, please leave a comment below or feel free to call Rudy directly at 877-468-6497.  Thank you for looking and happy bidding!