Ken Michael restores and revives Studebakers in Arizona.
During his 31-year career as a jet- and industrial-turbine repairman, Ken Michael started collecting, driving, and restoring Studebakers as a hobby. Recall that Indiana-based Studebaker sold its last car in 1966. Studebakers were occasionally competitive—A.J. Foyt raced one in ’53—and a reputation for durability came from winning the 4000-mile ’61 Trans-Canada winter rally. Raised on a Virginia farm, Michael fell hard for the styling of the Raymond Loewy–designed Studebaker Starlight coupe he bought in 1959, as well as the six other Studebakers in his collection. After retiring in 2002, he expected to split his time between fishing and restoring his cars. But people with Studebakers started calling him to fix their cars. The Studebaker needy kept piling up; last summer, Michael hired two technicians to help him with the seven customer cars he’s restoring. For each job he takes, he has to turn down two. We visited his shop in Payson, Arizona, to find the secret of his prosperity.
Keep Reading: Ancient Grease: The Quest to Keep Studebaker Alive – Feature
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