This Studebaker Is Basically a Street-Legal NASCAR that Competed in Mexico's Most Grueling Race

• Studebakers can be a bit stuffy. Not this one.
• Built to take on the La Carrera Panamericana endurance race, it's a 550-hp vintage racer with license plates.
• In addition to the road race in Mexico, it's ideal for most any endurance racing.

One of the greatest on-screen line deliveries belongs not to a human actor but to a Muppet, Fozzie Bear's memorable "Ah, a bear in his natural habitat, a Studebaker." The Studebaker in question, a shabby '51 Commander, is what most people think of the breed: fusty, slow, a bit of a punchline. Not so in Mexico, where streamlined Fifties Studebakers are absolute rocketships.

Hang on to the wheel, Fozzie, because what just turned up on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Group) is basically a Studebaker-shaped NASCAR that's also street-legal. It's a 1954 Studebaker Champion Starlight race car with a built 6.0-liter V-8, tube-frame construction, and genuine La Carrera Panamericana racing provenance. The road trip at the heart of The Muppet Movie would have taken about two hours in this thing.

For those not in the know, the idea of a hot rod Studebaker seems like something of a contradiction, but these 1950s cars are very popular in both racing and Bonneville Salt Flats speed record-setting. The reason why is simple: They are naturally aerodynamically slippery, especially for a 1950s car, and by draping that vintage body over a stiff modern chassis with appropriate safety gear, you can build a winning formula.

In fact, the most recent running of La Carrera Panamericana, held last year on its 75th anniversary, saw three Studebakers closing out the entire podium in the fastest open class. They were considerably quicker than a contemporary Porsche 911 GT3 running in a lower class, and continued decades of Studebaker dominance at the Panamericana.

The race itself is brutally gruelling, running on high mountain roads and down into sweltering heat. The cars must thus be prepared to endure, and this example has also participated in endurance racing, laying down more than 300 laps over 25 hours at Thunderhill.

The underpinnings are custom-built but essentially are a 2015 NASCAR Cup layout. The suspension is a combination of Öhlins dampers and Eibach springs, with brakes from Alcon and 16-inch BBS three-piece wheels. It's got all the usual racing safety equipment, including fire suppression and racing seats with halo restraints.

The 6.0-liter V-8 is a Chevrolet small-block, built up by a North Carolina specialist to make around 550 horsepower on 92-octane fuel. Yes, pump gas. The Panamericana runs through some pretty remote areas, so competitors have to make do with what's available. Power gets to the rear wheels through a five-speed sequential manual gearbox.

Perhaps most incredible of all is the fact that this is a road-registered car with California plates. Much like rally cars, Panamericana racers are road legal, although this one is currently registered as Planned Non-Operation, so it doesn't incur any fees. Admittedly, probably not the quietest or most convenient car for a taco run, but you'd certainly gather an audience when you rolled up.

The auction ends on July 14.

Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.