Man searching Vermont junkyard finds rare Studebaker most Americans wouldn't realize existed

This man was searching a Vermont junkyard when he came across a rare Studebaker that most Americans wouldn’t know existed.

YouTuber Steve Magnante came across the 1963 Studebaker Zip Van in a scrapyard near Halifax, Vermont.

A total of 4,238 units were built as part of an experimental fleet in the early 1960s, but this truck remains virtually unknown today.

What is this truck’s backstory – and how did one end up in this junkyard?

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This rare Studebaker had been sitting in a Vermont junkyard – what’s the backstory?

If you think of cars from the 1950s and 1960s, Studebaker is a name that will quickly spring to mind.

The company’s name has been attached to many an iconic car from that period.

But the 1963 Studebaker Zip Van is hardly a household name.

So what’s the story there?

Back in 1963, Studebaker agreed to build a tiny vehicle for rural mail delivery after signing a deal with the US government.

This came at a good time for Studebaker, which was struggling to keep up with the ‘Big Three’ of Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.

The Zip Van was the outcome of that agreement – 143 inches long and powered by a 2.8-liter engine.

Studebaker’s contract with the United States Postal Service stipulated 3,391 units, but the government ordered an additional 847 – bringing the total up to 4,238.

In December 1963, Studebaker ceased operating in the US, but the Zip Vans were used into the 1970s.

As more modern trucks came into use, though, many of them were scrapped.

And that brings us to the van featured in Magnante’s video.

Could this van be saved?

If someone had told you that this truck hadn’t been driven for decades, you’d easily believe them.

Rust had started creeping in, and it was looking disheveled on the whole.

Giving that it’d wound up in a scrapyard, it’s fair to say that its best days were behind it.

It would take a lot of love to get this truck back to its former glory – but is there much appetite to rejuvenate a postal van from the 1960s?

If the comments on Magnante’s video are anything to go by, there are some people who still have positive memories of the Zip Van.

But by and large, this is one Studebaker vehicle that won’t be due a comeback anytime soon.

There’s plenty of Studebakers sat around waiting to be rescued, though.

This one had been abandoned for 40 years, and was in need of a good clean.

But many have stood the test of time well – like this 1950 Ice Princess or this 1961 Flamingo.

To see the rare Studebaker in a Vermont junkyard for yourself, visit Magnante’s YouTube channel.

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