“Studebaker John” and Lorna Venema

Lorna and John Venema have been associated with the Studebaker Car Club of Qld since the inception of the club and John won a trophy at the first Concourse, held in 1970.  John passed away eight years ago. Lorna and John are members number #13 on the club membership roll. They were made Life Members of the club in 2019.

John and Lorna’s interest in Studebakers became an integral part of their lives as the years went by, but it was only a part of what were busy lives by anyone’s standards. Lorna was unable to separate out the Studebaker stories from other parts of their lives because they were all intertwined. So, onto some background.

John Venema arrived in Melbourne from Holland as a fifteen year old in 1950. He moved to Brisbane with his family in 1952. Lorna was also born in 1935 and came up to Brisbane in 1954. She and John met while roller skating. John’s interest in cars was already showing because he squired her around town in a 1939 La Salle.

John and Lorna married in 1956. From the beginning of their marriage John engaged in a range of entrepreneurial activities with Lorna’s active support.

An early Bread Run proved to be non-viable financially and was followed by work at the brick works. Later John moved on to self-employment as a brick layer while Lorna worked in clothing manufacturing factories.

In 1965 the family purchased an Austin Gypsy and Caravan and set off with their son Robert on an around Australia adventure, ending up settling in Darwin for six months while John and Lorna worked together as bricky and brickie’s labourer. They returned to Darwin for the bricklaying work two more times over the next few years to build good financial base for their marriage. Their daughter Melisa was born in 1966 and accompanied the rest of the family in the outback adventures.

On their return to Granard road Rocklea in 1967 the first Studebaker they owned was purchased, a 1957 President which is still part of the collection. The trusty Austin Gypsy was traded for this luxury Studebaker at Simpson Motors at Woolloongabba.

John developed a sideline of buying cars, improving them, and then moving them on. Over the years this resulted in scores of cars passing through the family’s hands. Initially, John had no preference for a particular marque and every type of vehicle from the familiar Australian makes to more exotic Simca’s, Citroens, Skoda, many American marques such as Cadillac, Rambler, Hudson Hornets, Trans Am, and British makes such as Jensen, Rover, and Jaguar found temporary homes with the Venema’s.

John had developed a strong friendship with Salisbury wrecking. Whenever a promising car came in John would get a phone call. At that time, some interesting and very sound cars ended up at Salisbury Wreckers and John was able to buy them for not much money.

Over the same period John and Lorna embarked on buying and selling cheap rental houses around Rocklea and building their own family homes over several decades. During their marriage John and Lorna owned twenty two properties and built five new homes, finishing with the beautiful home that now houses the Studebaker collection. They moved a little further south down Mt Lindsay Hwy every decade or so, taking advantage of the larger acreage but much cheaper properties, then selling when the area had developed. One of the larger homes built at Calamvale named ‘House of Studebaker’ was built using 55,000 bricks, and all of the cement and general hardware was carted back and forth over several months using a dark blue 1958 President wagon.

Between 1980 to 82 they ran a service station and shop called the roundhouse garage located at North Mclean. This business became very successful, but it proved to be very demanding. Seven days a week and long days. John still managed to find time to buy and sell cars. The site has now been redeveloped and is now a major BP garage.

During the 1970’s the Studebaker movement in Australia began to develop and John and Lorna enthusiastically participated. Travel to Melbourne via NSW to catch up with new friends in the new Studebaker clubs became an annual event. They owned two Studebaker Ambulances over the years which often provided cheap and cosy accommodation on the interstate runs. Invariably John would bring home a Studebaker or two. With Lorna either driving one of the cars home, or in some cases towing them all the way from the southern states. Pre internet these cars were found in the local newspapers, by word of mouth, or simply by cruising the back roads as the ‘pickers’ do now days.

By the 1980’s John and Lorna had developed a network of friends throughout Australia. By this time, the focus for vehicle purchases had shifted largely to Studebakers. Lorna remembers seven or eight Presidents, Champions and Commanders and many Larks of all types and even a Rockne. Lorna reckons about 35 Studebakers have gone through their sheds. John did many up over the years and they regularly won major trophies at the State and National meets. John preferred originality but occasionally dabbled on the custom side. In the later years John discovered that by fitting Stainless exhaust and silicon fluid brake systems, that he could basically fire any Studebaker up after sitting for many months and go for a trouble free cruise. So, most of the current collection have been converted in this way.

A particular interest for John was the 6X6 Studebakers fitted with the 320ci Hercules 6 cylinder side valve. John used these trucks to pull down a house once and used to have fun parking one against a massive gum tree in low low range, just above idle, with all wheels churning away in the dirt. Proving they would go anywhere if they could get traction. He bought his first in Melbourne and the delivery journey to Brisbane took three days at 35mph, and who can guess how much petrol. This truck was followed by six others. All ex Australian army, some had done a second life as house removal rigs, quarry trucks, or one was a fully set up bush Fire brigade truck. By this time, it had become known that if you needed one of these trucks, John was your man. He took part in the 17 Studebaker 6×6 trucks parade at Southport in 2007. John’s was #9 in the parade, see it at Seventeen WWII Studebaker US6 trucks – YouTube This example had never been used outside of the Australian army so was very low milage and was ‘as new’ after John refurbished it front to back. In fact, he painted it matching the correct ‘olive drab’ as per the NOS parts he received from the US. The 6×6 spent a long time in the collection, having been eventually sold to a Military collector in Wagga in 2016.

John and Lorna’s Studebakers car have featured at more than 10 weddings and many graduation parades for close friends and family. John and Lorna’s House of Studebaker at Calamvale featured on television Channel 10 and 7 in the 80’s with John being interviewed while driving along in a light blue topless 1957 President. This car was purchased with a crushed roof, so John cut it off, and reinforced the lower structure making a convertible top to suit. John’s famous line was that he preferred driving ‘real steel’ V8 car rather than a modern ‘Tupperware’ car. When asked about how much fuel it used, John states that Studebaker won the most economical car trials in the US for several years running, so he could purchase this beautiful big car and run it for years for a lot less money than buying a Datsun. The 6×6 was also driven by John as part of the US military trucks driving through town in ‘Fields of Fire’ miniseries filmed in the late eighties which included a cameo by Kylie Minogue.

John and Lorna also developed a soft spot for American Motors Javelins, owning six over time with two of the rarer 401ci examples still remaining in the family collection. They won the US Trans Am racing series three times and were used by various Highway Patrols in the US to pursue some of the other muscle cars of the era. 2 of only 84 delivered in Australia.

Over the years travel to the New Zealand Studebaker Nationals and America to attend the International Meets greatly increased their circle of friends. Lorna worked out that over the years they logged more than 90,000 miles travelling around America. They visited the Studebaker International events eight times, caught up with new Studebaker friends and travelled the tourist routes. Lorna made her last American trip solo in 2016. She since went to the National Studebaker meet in Sweden in 2018 and then the national meet in the Netherlands the next year.

American car purchases were a 1960 Lark VI convertible imported in 1988 that was sold on to the Kramer family, a 1951 Champion Business Coupe which was recently sold to Mike Lynch, and a 400ci Chev powered 1972 Avanti II that Lorna still drives regularly.

Until the last couple of years Lorna continued to regularly participate in Studebaker events all around Australia, driving herself in her trusted Avanti. The Venema family drove four of the Studebaker collection to the National meet in Toowoomba in 2019. Friends that Lorna met in Sweden the previous year also flew over and attended that meet.

The last two years have been frustrating for Lorna as Covid led to the closing of state borders and the cancellation of most Studebaker club and national events. Lorna fell over last year, broker her arm, and damaged her shoulder very severely. Treatment of the injury has been less than satisfactory, and the healing process has been delayed. Currently she has recovered enough to be able to drive again. Lorna proudly told me that she has never received a traffic violation.

At 86 years of age Lorna is still very proud of the Studebaker collection her and John put together and is assisted by her son Rob to keep the cars clean and a selection still registered and on the road. Only minor work required for any of them to be roadworthy.

The current car collection:

1957 Red and White President four door sedan. The Venema’s first Studebaker which was purchased in 1967. The 289ci, four barrel carb, automatic. Car is still completely original condition.

  1960 Champ. This car was found on a goat farm near Wagga Wagga in very rough condition. The previous owner would not agree to sell at first but later changed her mind. By this time purchased in 1978 the truck had been crashed into a stump and engine overheated, so needed a complete mechanical overhaul and major body work. A president diff was fitted to improve the road speed. Bill Cunnington once again painted the truck and also used a unique technique to imitate woodgrain in the interior of the Champ using stale beer during the painting process. The Champ won people’s choice at the large Coolies car meet on the Gold Coast.

1955 Lime Green Champion. Four door purchased in 1978 from a wrecker in Cundall Town. The car was left in the yard for sale on behalf of the original owner and it was lovingly cared for during his ownership.

1947 M16 3 tonne truck. Purchased from Mr Cronin from Daylesford, Victoria in 1979 where it was used to cart grain on his wheat farm. It has a unique Trojan PTO and hoist cylinder for the tray.

1947 Red Champion convertible. This car was purchased in Rooty Hill, Sydney in 1980 Originally owned by the American film star Ann Baxter, she left it behind after her marriage to an Australian broke up.

1962 Lark. Purchased in 1980. A very original car that was purchased in Geelong. Only ever had a head gasket replaced and a paint job. Interior still had plastic on it when purchased. Last big trip was Wagga National Meet in 2016.

1950 – 51 ? Maroon Champion. Four door sedan purchased in Victoria in 1982. Very original car recently repainted.

1960 Hawk. Purchased by Bill Cunnington in 1983 and restored later in the 1980’s using NOS doors, rear fins and full engine and suspension overhaul. John purchased the Hawk when Bill was unable to drive the car anymore. Bill and John collaborated on refurbishing many cars together with Bill providing the painting skills required. Although they fell victim to the Wattyl spray putty quality issue in the 1980’s resulting in several cars paint lifting ten years after being sprayed- still fixing those.

1953 Champion. Four door sedan purchased in 2017, another very original car.

1955 Blue Champion. Two door sedan. Purchased in 2020 from Darryl Pettigrew here in Brisbane.

1972 AMC Silver Javelin 401ci. Owned about thirty years and purchased in Maroochydore.

1997 MGF roadster. Lorna’s fun car.