Of all the classic trucks we have seen over the years, few look better than the ones to come out of Studebaker. One of our all time favorites is their J-5, particularly the Coupe Express model. The flowing lines and swooping shape of these trucks just looks fantastic to us. Studebaker only built about 3k Coupe Expresses in 1937 and this one has been hiding in a barn since 1992. It is going to need attention, but is all original and is still even wearing its original paint. Hopefully the rust isn’t so severe that the original paint can’t be saved, but either way this is one cool truck. Find this 1937 Studebaker J-5 Coupe Express here on eBay, with an impressive $18k opening bid.

When Studebaker introduced the Coupe Express they marketed it as a truck with car styling, which is an appropriate description. The fact that it was based off of the unfortunately named Dictator 4-door sedan meant this truck was more than just styled like a car, it was in reality a car with the back half of the body cut off and a truck bed installed in its place. Cars were built differently back in those days, so turning one into a truck really wasn’t much of an issue. Car frames were typically just as strong as any light or medium duty truck frame and their large size meant there was plenty of room for a decent sized cab and a full sized truck bed. The large inline six engine offered plenty of grunt to move a fully loaded car and offered more than enough power to move this truck and a fully loaded truck bed. Initially, demand for the Coupe Express was quite high, but the outbreak of war slowed sales and eventually led to the end of production in 1939.

Besides sharing the Dictator’s Chassis, drivetrain, fenders, and front end the Coupe Express also borrowed much of the interior from it’s poorly named sibling. Since this is a truck, it wasn’t as well appointed and lacked some of the trim work. Most truck owner’s didn’t want a lot of chrome and trim getting in the way, but this truck wasn’t exactly targeted at the typical farmer looking for a work truck. It was aimed more upmarket, specifically at consumers who wanted a truck that was as comfortable as a car and could offer a smooth ride both on dirt roads and pavement. This meant the interior needed to look as good as the outside and offer plenty of leg and head room. This truck’s interior is showing it’s age, but looks complete and salvageable. We aren’t sure what parts supply is likely for these trucks, but the fact that many of the parts were shared with its car counterpart should make it a bit easier to find the missing bits.

This truck looks good in the photos, but we notice a few issues that make us nervous. The seller is clear that there are rust issues, but we noticed just how much sunlight is shining through the truck bed. Fixing the bed really isn’t a huge issue, but it could hint that there is more serious rust hiding in the frame. We would be sure to take a closer look underneath before handing over any cash. There really aren’t many of these trucks left, but we can’t imagine this one is really worth this kind of money. With any luck the seller will realize how much work this truck really needs and will come down a bit on their price. There are a lot of great looking trucks out there, this just happens to be one of our favorites. Are you a Coupe Express fan too or is there another truck out there that you think looks better?