1963 Studebaker Super Lark Daytona Convertible
Supercharged power in a compact convertible package was an unusual combination in 1963, but Studebaker delivered exactly that with the Daytona.
After Brooks Stevens restyled the Lark line for 1962, the Daytona emerged as the flagship model with bucket seats, a center console, and styling details that distinguished it from its siblings. The convertible body style added open-air driving to an already sporting formula.
R2-equipped models (a $210 factory option) featured a supercharged 289 CI V-8 producing 290 horsepower, fed by a Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetor and a Paxton SN-60 centrifugal supercharger.
Options included a Power-Shift automatic transmission and power front disc brakes (the latter a first for an American production car). Andy Granatelli’s engineering team developed these performance packages after Studebaker acquired his Paxton Products supercharger company.
The performance lineup spanned R1 through R5 designations, though the most potent R4 and R5 versions were experimental and never offered for public sale. These compact performance Studebakers helped pioneer the American muscle car trend that would define much of 1960s automotive culture.
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