In 2004, GMC took a chance on making a convertible-roof-equipped version of the Envoy called the XUV. The roof would slide open, turning the sports-utility into a kind of pseudo-ute that could feasibly haul cargo taller than the roofline. Immediate comparisons were drawn between the XUV and this vehicle, the Studebaker Wagonaire, which featured the same retractable roof idea fifty years prior. Quick, raise your hands: if you had to pick between the Envoy XUV and the Wagonaire, which one would you roll around in?

Studebaker was getting awfully close to the end in 1964 and they knew it. With the buying public shying away from a buying cars that were destined to become orphans, the company was doing any and everything it could think of as a last-ditch attempt to salvage their reputation, and the Wagonaire was born. Designed by Brooks Stevens, the designer behind the Jeep SJ Wagoneer, the Wagonaire was based on a Scimitar concept car and utilized one roof panel that could be retracted into the forward roof section to allow something tall…say, a refrigerator, for instance…to be safely transported as it should stand. The Wagonaire wasn’t quite the hit Studebaker was hoping for, and a seal issue with the roof (a teething issue for the new model that was quickly rectified) gutted consumer confidence.

This is a 1964 Daytona Wagonaire. It was sold loaded, and for the most part has weathered time well. There are issues (see: faded paint, rust repair for the tailgate) but if you’re a fan of Studebakers or something different, it would be hard to pass it up. From the ad: “power disc brakes, power rear window, power steering, 289 V8 4 barrel, automatic, third row seating, roof rack, new tires”. This was the upper end of Studebaker’s lineup in their sunset years, and somehow it’s managed to pretty much stay in one piece. And it beats the hell out of the Envoy XUV in the cool factor department.

eBay Link: 1965 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire