During the 20's and 30's, when fast wooden runabouts and racers captured the imaginations of boat lovers, marine architects terminated their hulls in a sleek stern not unlike that of a duck. It wasn't long before automobile designers copied the idea, where it came to be known as a "boattail." The Auburn Speedsters were best known, although Packard, Isotta-Fraschini, and Bentley offered spectacular boattail bodies to their well-heeled clients. Enchanted by the look of these beauties, American enthusiast Terry Cook of Long Valley, NJ saw a Chip Foose sketch of a streamlined boattail speedster, and was inspired to commission Foose, the quintessential hot rod, concept car and custom designer and builder of our era, to create a contemporary version. Starting from scratch and working from Foose's plans for six years, Terry Cook's Deco Rides completed three Speedsters, two of which were sold at auctions at Pebble Beach in 2004 and 2005, each in excess of $100,000, the third being offered in the Russo and Steele Scottsdale auction on January 24, 2009.

Starting with 1998-era Corvettes for the underpinnings, over a one-year period each body and front suspension was stripped and mated with a 1937 Studebaker frame (hence the title and registration). Under the hood a 346 cubic-inch 345 hp LS1 engine and four-speed transmission from a Corvette round out the drivetrain, along with Corvette rear suspension and brakes. The wood-clad hood, cowl and trunk lid are an elegant throwback to earlier times and the cockpit has been trimmed to match. In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful custom jobs of our time, reminiscent of the days when talented designers like Foose created unique bodies on manufacturer's chassis for well-heeled buyers. There is, however, one flaw, which I feel compelled to point out, and that's the concave grille. A VEE-shape, heading into the wind, would have been more appropriate. If I were the lucky buyer I'd take it back to Foose and ask for an update.