Bill & Joan Patterson
Bill & Joan Patterson in their 1964 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop during the 2016 Drive Your Studebaker Day (DYSD)
On November 25th , 2017 while attending the annual Ontario Chapter SDC Xmas Luncheon, Bill & Joan Patterson were honoured by announcing them as the
2017 Honourees for the Studebaker Made in Canada Plaque. Their 58 years of Studebaker Ownership and since 1977 as SDC and Ontario Chapter Members
has had a significant impact in helping or influencing many Studebaker Owners to buy, maintain & keep their Studebakers on the road. They have been attending
many SDC meets in their 40 years of membership and have owned five Studebakers over the years that have won many awards for their immaculate condition and
reliability as he has always drove his Studebakers to many SDC meets from Nashville - Charlotte and of course South Bend while also going across Canada to
Vancouver Island in his 1963 GT Hawk.
Bill's Studebaker adventures started out when he acquired a 1927 Studebaker Big 6 for the princely sum of $25. He lived in his hometown of
Lindsay , Ontario and needed some cheap transportation to get him around town. Although he only owned it for 6 months it was the spark that kept the Studebaker
flame burning for many years to come. In 1956 he moved to Kingston, Ontario to attend Queen's University where he earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering.
In 1960 upon graduation he started to work for Dupont Canada in Kingston and about that time he met Joan, the love of his life to whom he has been happily married
to for the past 55 years. In summer of 1963 he went down to Capital Motors in Kingston and ordered a 1963 Canadian Built GT Hawk. For the next 41 years Bill, Joan and
their children (when still at home) have enjoyed many Studebaker road trips over those four decades. Over the years he has owned 5 Studebakers and his first was a 1927
Studebaker Big 6. He owned it for 6 months and give it to a friend in 1956 just prior to his move to Kingston where he attended Queen's University. He didn't get to do too much to this
Studebaker but in 2016 while attending the Timbers family BBQ near Dunsford, Ontario there was a 1927 Studebaker on display that was presently owned by Harley Timbers.
Bill walked over to it look it over and after close examination he find out that it was the same 1927 Studebaker Big Six he owned back in 1956. Small world!
Bill & Joan Patterson next to their 1963 GT Hawk at the 2004 International SDC Meet in Charlotte, North Carolina
In 2004 they got an offer for their GT Hawk and decided to sell it and spend more time on their other Studebaker Projects. Being a Mechanical Engineer
he had the aptitude to do all of his own repairs and quickly learned all that they was about Studebaker Maintenance. During the years he was still learning
about Studebaker ownership he took his GT Hawk to MacEwen Motors in Kingston where Art MacEwen passed alot onto Bill about Studebaker
Ownership and Maintenance. Studebakers were not longer being made so Art helped to keep the GT Hawk on the road in tip-top condition. In the 1970s
Bill bought all of MacEwen Motors Studebaker spare parts and has some left to this present day.
In 1977 Bill & Joan joined the Ontario Chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club and in 1978 he got more involved in Studebaker Ownership by purchasing a
1963 Avanti R1 with AC. It was in tough condition and needed an off the frame restoration which he completed over the next few years. While as a SDC Member he
got to meet Denton Wright and Don Simmons, who helped him get this diamond in the rough to become an awarding winning Studebaker. Bill did most of the Mechanics
while Denton did the Chassis and Paint. In 1978 he drove it to South Bend where their 1963 Avanti was the first winner of the Freeman-Spicer award which is presented to the
Studebaker Owner whose Studebaker had earned the highest amount of points for all classes (Best of Show) for this international SDC Meet. This award is presently on display
at the Studebaker National Museum. Bill & Joan proudly display this award in their home and after 55 years of Studebaker ownership this was the achievement they
were most proud of. While at the Nashville International SDC Meet in 1992 he was approached by an SDC member who wanted to buy their Avanti. After some discussion
a deal was struck and in 1994 Bill would use the proceeds from this sale to build an additional Garage at their present home in Glenburnie where he went on to rebuild
more Studebakers over the next 30 years.
Bill Patterson with his 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 at the 2008 International SDC Meet at Lancaster, Pennsylvania
In 1988 he become the owner of a 1963 Avanti R2 which was also in tough condition. It would need a full off the frame restoration and he proved to be up to the task since
he learned so much from his first Avanti Restoration. After his retirement in 1993 they moved back to Kingston area. For the next 15 years Bill acquired all of the NOS parts
to totally rebuild this beauty. He did a total off the body restoration and installed a T-5 Transmission while getting the final touches as it was painted by Denton Wright.
He proudly drove it to Lancaster for the 2008 & 2012 International SDC Meets and got many thumbs up for the high quality of the restoration.
Bill & Joan Patterson at the 2012 International SDC Meet in South Bend, Indiana
In 2009 they acquired their current 1964 Daytona Hardtop from Denton Wright. It needs some TLC and upgrades to get it to the standard Bill expects from
all of his Studebakers. He proceeded to replace the stock Dana 27 with a Dana 44 while upgrading all of the brakes. They drove the 1963 Avanti R2 while he was busy doing
all of his upgrades to the Daytona Hardtop and in 2012 brought both of their Studebakers to Studebaker Made in Canada Car meet in Belleville. Ontario. In 2015 he was
approached by an Australian SDC member who was interested in buying his 1963 Avanti. After some negotiations Bill was able to sell his 1963 Avanti R2
and its new owner had it shipped to Australia. Bill would normally be most of the time in his garage doing maintenance to the Daytona or his Chevrolet Truck which they drive
down to Florida every winter. He gets regular calls form fellow SDC members on how to maintain Studebakers and has on many occasions helped other do maintenance
on their Studebakers during the past 5 decades. They were regular attendees to most Chapter events and their contributions to fellow SDC Members and the Studebaker Family
in general have been significant and has earned them this award as our 2017 Honourees.
Sadly on the 15th of June in 2025 Bill pasted away at the age of 89. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him friendly manner and mentorship he provided
to so many Studebaker Owners over the years.
Studebaker Made in Canada