To someone who has an affinity for vintage automobiles, a 1962 Studebaker Lark Daytona is an old classic car that used to be driven across newly constructed highways of America.

To Jason Gill, owner of one such vehicle, the Avanti red beauty is a vital keepsake of his grandfather’s legacy that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

The graduate of Pleasant Valley High School is now an eight-year resident of Gilbert. He is a service manager for his family’s business: Affordable Comfort Contracting Inc. in Saylorsburg.

“My grandfather, Clarence Gill, who we called Pappy, had collected a dozen Studebakers,” said Gill. “His oldest was a 1940 President model that he donated to the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.”

In 1853, Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company began building wagons, buggies carriages and harnesses in South Bend. That progressed into producing electric and gas-powered vehicles in the early 1900s.

Following an unsuccessful merger with the Packard Automobile Company in 1954, and with heavy competition for sales from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, Studebaker’s operation and production numbers began to decline until its last vehicle rolled off an assembly line 60 years ago in 1966.

Gill’s grandmother Lorraine has told Jason stories of her husband driving his Lark Daytona to the South Bend Studebaker Car Show, where he won multiple first-place awards, 36 trophies and plaques, and even a Best in Show.

$3,015.75 new in ’62

“I was really close with Pappy,” Gill said. “My grandmother told me that he got interested in Studebakers when he was still a boy and he saw them being worked on in a local auto mechanic’s shop.

“In the mid-70s, Pappy only drove it to Lancaster, to car shows and took it for a few Sunday afternoon drives in good weather. Before he passed away in 2021, I bought the car from him. Of all the Studebakers he owned, this is the only one he bought brand new. His bill of sale shows he paid $3,015.75 for the car.”

His compact Lark is stocked with original equipment. It has a three-speed manual transmission on the column, with a 289 cubic inch V-8 engine, a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. The odometer reads 89,000 miles, an average of 1,390 miles driven each year. The interior features bucket seats, roll down windows and an AM radio. The car used leaded gas back in its day, so Gill puts a lead additive into the tank each time he fills up at the pump.

He continues to add to his grandfather’s long list of car show competition victories.

“This past September, my car won first place matched against 15 other Larks at the Washington County Fairgrounds Studebaker Drivers’ Club Keystone International Meet,” he said. “Out of a possible 400 points, the judges scored my Lark a 386.”

Although the car is still considered to be in its original condition, Gill has had work performed both inside and outside.

“In 2024, I became aware that the car wasn’t running like it should, so I had some mechanical work done,” he said.

The carburetor was redone. New spark plugs and points were installed. The muffler and tail pipes were replaced, which does not change the status of its originality. He also had the car detailed by Krebs Auto Detailing in Lehighton. The process involves a meticulous hand cleaning and a labor-intensive application of polish and sealant to restore the vehicle to showroom condition. Gill’s Lark has been featured in “The Turning Point,” a magazine for Studebaker aficionados.

Family on wheels

When Gill isn’t working at his business, taking care of his Studebaker or spending Saturday nights officiating dirt car racing at the Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, he likes to ride his motorcycle.

“Everyone in my family has a motorcycle,” he said, “and up to a year ago, my 87-year-old grandmother was still riding her three-wheeler.”

Gill also owns quite a collection of Hot Wheels cars that includes a good number of Studebakers.

If he would own another Studebaker, he likes the 1962 Champ pickup truck. But for now, he will continue to drive his Lark Daytona to car shows and to local places like the West End Fair as well as an occasional date night with his wife, Lindsey.

When asked if he might consider selling his 1962 gem, he replies with conviction.

“No way. This was my Pappy’s car,” he says, “and now that it’s running like it did when he owned it, I can feel his presence with me every mile I drive.”

The 64-year-old classic Studebaker is much more than just a pretty car that sits in Jason Gill’s garage. His Lark Daytona is the lifeblood between him and his grandfather that will remain in his heart forever.