Studebaker

Studebaker

Studebaker's "Lazy S" logo, designed by Raymond Loewy, was used from the 1950s until 1966
Industry	Automobile
Founded	1852
Defunct	1967
Fate	Merged
Successor	Studebaker-Worthington Corp.
Headquarters	South Bend, Indiana, United States
Key people	Studebaker brothers (below)
Products	Vehicles Mining Wagons

Studebaker Corporation, or simply Studebaker (/ˈstuːdəbeɪkər/, STOO-də-bay-kər), was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners and the military.

Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with electric vehicles and in 1904 with gasoline vehicles, all sold under the name "Studebaker Automobile Company". Until 1911, its automotive division operated in partnership with the E-M-F Company and the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio.

The first gasoline cars to be fully manufactured by Studebaker were marketed in August 1912. Over the next 50 years, the company established an enviable reputation for quality and reliability. The South Bend plant ceased production on December 20, 1963, and the last Studebaker car rolled off the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, plant on March 16, 1966.

History

19th century wagonmaker

German forebears

Studebaker Brothers carriage on display in the Studebaker show room, Salt Lake City, 1908

According to the official Studebaker history published in 1918, three German men named Studebecker —Peter (aged 38), Clement (36) and Henry (28)—sailed on the ship Harle from Rotterdam, Holland, and disembarked at Philadelphia on September 1, 1736. They had bought their tickets in Krefeld, Germany. Two were accompanied by wives. They moved on from Philadelphia to Germantown and, sixty-two years later, persons named Studebaker were recorded as paying taxes in York County, and were described as "blacksmiths and woodworkers". These were Peter Studebaker (1747–1812) —probably a son of the immigrant Clement Studebecker (1700–1762) and his wife Anna Catherine—and his son Peter Studebaker Jr.

In Albert Russel Erskine's official history, Peter Studebaker is reported to be the father of John [Clement] Studebaker and thus grandfather of the five Studebaker brothers of South Bend, Indiana. However, this conflicts with a genealogy produced later, in which John's father is identified as Clement Studebaker (1758–1840). In any event, John Studebaker (1799–1877) moved to Ohio in 1835 with his wife Rebecca (née Mohler) (1802–1887)—and taught his five sons to make wagons. They all went into that business as it grew to gigantic proportions with the country.

The five brothers

The five Studebaker brothers—founders of the Studebaker Corporation. Left to right, (standing) Peter and Jacob; (seated) Clem, Henry and John M.

The five sons were, in order of birth: Henry (1826–1895), Clement (1831–1901), John Mohler (1833–1917), Peter Everst (1836–1897) and Jacob Franklin (1844–1887). The boys had five sisters. Photographs of the brothers and their parents are reproduced in the 1918 company history, which was written by Erskine after he became president, in memory of John M. whose portrait appears on the front cover. Directors Frederick Samuel Fish and Henry Goldman (son of Marcus Goldman) are also pictured in the book.

South Bend operation

Clement and Henry Studebaker, Jr., became blacksmiths and foundrymen in South Bend, Indiana, in February 1852. They first made metal parts for freight wagons and later expanded into the manufacture of complete wagons. At this time, John M was making wheelbarrows in Placerville, California. The site of his business is California Historic Landmark #142.

The first major expansion in Henry and Clem's South Bend business came from their being in the right place to meet the needs of the California Gold Rush which began in 1849. From his wheelbarrow enterprise at Placerville, John M had amassed $8,000. In April 1858, he quit and moved out to apply this to financing the vehicle manufacturing of H & C Studebaker which was already booming because of a big order to build wagons for the US Army. In 1857, they had also built their first carriage—"Fancy, hand-worked iron trim, the kind of courting buggy any boy and girl would be proud to be seen in".

That was when John M bought out Henry's share of the business. Henry was deeply religious and had qualms about building military equipment. The Studebakers were Dunkards, a religion that viewed war as evil. Longstreet's official company history simply says "Henry was tired of the business. He wanted to farm. The risks of expanding were not for him". Expansion continued from manufacture of wagons for westward migration as well as for farming and general transportation. During the height of westward migration and wagon train pioneering, half of the wagons used were Studebakers. They made about a quarter of them, and manufactured the metal fittings for other builders in Missouri for another quarter century.

The fourth brother, Peter E, was running a successful general store at Goshen which was expanded in 1860 to include a wagon distribution outlet. A major leap forward came from supplying wagons for the Union Army in the Civil War (1861–65). By 1868, annual sales had reached $350,000. That year, the three older brothers formed the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company—Clem (president), Peter (secretary) and John M (treasurer). By this time the factory had a spur line to the Lake Shore railroad and, with the Union Pacific Railroad finished, most wagons were now dispatched by rail and steamship.

World's largest vehicle house

In 1875, the youngest brother, 30-year-old Jacob, was brought into the company to take charge of the carriage factory, making sulkies and five-glass landaus. Following a great fire in 1874 which destroyed two-thirds of the entire works, they had rebuilt in solid brick, covering 20 acres (81,000 m²) and were now "The largest vehicle house in the world". The best people were buying Studebaker sulkies, broughams, clarences, phaetons, runabouts, victorias and tandems. The wealthiest could buy for $20,000 a four-in-hand smart enough to carry a dozen swells in style, with red wheels, gold-plated lamps, yellow trim; and the driver cracked a 15 ft (4.6 m) braided whip over the fashionably cropped tails of four or even six matched horses.

In the 1880s, roads started to be surfaced with tar, gravel and wooden blocks. In 1884, when times were hard, Jacob opened a carriage sales and service operation in a fine new Studebaker Building on Michigan Avenue, Chicago. The two granite columns at the main entrance, 3 feet 8 inches (1.12 m) in diameter and 12 feet 10 inches (3.91 m) high, were said to be the largest polished monolithic shafts in the country. Three years later in 1887, Jacob died—the first death among the brothers.

In 1889, incoming President Harrison ordered a full set of Studebaker carriages and harnesses for the White House. As the twentieth century approached, the South Bend plant "covered nearly 100 acres (0.40 km²) with 20 big boilers, 16 dynamos, 16 large stationery engines, 1000 pulleys, 600 wood- and iron-working machines, 7 miles (11 km) of belting, dozens of steam pumps and 500 arc and incandescent lamps making white light over all". The worldwide economic depression of 1893 caused a dramatic pause in sales and the plant closed down for five weeks, but industrial relations were good and the organised workforce declared faith in their employer.

Family association continues

The five brothers died between 1887 and 1917 (when John Mohler was the last to go). Their sons and sons-in-law remained active in the management, most notably, lawyer Fred Fish Sr after his marriage to John M's daughter Grace in 1891. "Col. George M Studebaker, Clement Studebaker Jr, J M Studebaker Jr, and [Fred Sr's son] Frederick Studebaker Fish served apprenticeships in different departments and rose to important official positions, with membership on the board." Erskine adds sons-in-law Nelson J Riley, Charles A Carlisle, H D Johnson and William R Innis.

In the beginning

1909 Studebaker logo

In 1895, John M Studebaker's son-in-law Fred Fish urged for development of 'a practical horseless carriage'. When, on Peter Studebaker's death, Fish became chairman of the executive committee in 1897, the firm had an engineer working on a motor vehicle. At first, Studebaker opted for electric (battery-powered) over gasoline propulsion. (See main article Studebaker Electric (automobile).) While it attempted to manufacture its own electric vehicles from 1902 to 1911, the company entered into body-manufacturing and distribution agreements with two makers of gasoline powered vehicles, Garford of Elyria, Ohio, and the Everett-Metzger-Flanders (E-M-F) Company of Detroit and Walkerville, Ontario). Beginning in 1904, Studebaker began making gasoline-engined cars.

Garford

1908 Studebaker-Garford B limousine

Under the agreement with Studebaker, Garford would receive completed chassis and drivetrains from Ohio and then mate them with Studebaker-built bodies, which were sold under the Studebaker-Garford brand name at premium prices. Eventually, vehicles with Garford-built engines began to carry the Studebaker name. Garford also built cars under its own name and, by 1907, attempted to increase production at the expense of Studebaker. Once the Studebakers discovered this, John Mohler Studebaker enforced a primacy clause, forcing Garford back on to the scheduled production quotas. The decision to drop the Garford was made and the final product rolled off the assembly line by 1911, leaving Garford alone until it was acquired by John North Willys in 1913.

E-M-F

Studebaker's marketing agreement with the E-M-F Company was a different relationship, one John Studebaker had hoped would give Studebaker a quality product without the entanglements found in the Garford relationship, but this was not to be. Under the terms of the agreement, E-M-F would manufacture vehicles and Studebaker would distribute them through its wagon dealers.

The E-M-F gasoline-powered cars proved disastrously unreliable, causing wags to say that E-M-F stood for Every Morning Fix-it, Easy Mark's Favorite and the like. Compounding the problems was the infighting between E-M-F's principal partners, Everett, Flanders and Metzger. Eventually in mid-1909, Everitt and Metger left to start a new enterprise. Flanders also quit and joined them in 1912 but the Metzger Motor Car Co could not be saved from failure by renaming it the Flanders Motor Company.

Studebaker's president, Fred Fish, had purchased one-third of the E-M-F stock in 1908 and followed up by acquiring all the remainder from J. P. Morgan in 1910 and buying E-M-F's manufacturing plants at Walkerville, Ontario, Canada, and across the river in Detroit.

Studebaker marque established

Studebaker Speedster 1916

Studebaker Touring 1916

Studebaker's Big Six Touring Car, from a 1920 magazine ad.

1928 Studebaker GB Commander crossing the continent of Australia on unmade roads in 1975

Studebaker Phaeton

A UK-imported right-hand-drive 1936 Studebaker 4-door sedan

1938 Studebaker Bus

Studebaker badge on cars produced from 1912–1934

Template:Fixhtml In 1911, it was decided to refinance and incorporate as the Studebaker Corporation. The company discontinued making electric vehicles that same year.

After taking over E-M-F's facilities, Studebaker sought to remedy the customer dissatisfaction by paying mechanics to visit each disgruntled owner and replace defective parts in their vehicles, at a total cost of US$1 million. The worst problem was rear-axle failure. Hendry comments that the frenzied testing resulted in Studebaker's aim to design 'for life'—and the consequent emergence of "a series of really rugged cars... the famous Big and Special Sixes". From that time, Studebaker's own marque was put on all new automobiles produced at the former E-M-F facilities as an assurance that the vehicles were well built.

Engineering advances from WWI

The 1913 six-cylinder models were the first to employBold text the important advancement of monobloc engine casting which became associated with a production-economy drive in the years of World War I. At that time, a 28-year-old university graduate engineer, Fred M. Zeder, was appointed chief engineer. He was the first of a trio of brilliant technicians, with Owen R. Skelton and Carl Breer, who launched the successful 1918 models, and were known as "the Three Musketeers". They left in 1920 to form a consultancy, later to become the nucleus of Chrysler Engineering. The replacement chief engineer was Guy P. Henry who introduced molybdenum steel, an improved clutch design and presided over the six-cylinders-only policy favoured by new president Albert Russel Erskine who replaced Fred Fish in July 1915.

John M Studebaker had always viewed the automobile as complementary to the horse-drawn wagon, pointing out that the expense of maintaining a car might be beyond the resources of a small farmer. As a result, the manufacture of horse-drawn vehicles was not wholly ceased until Erskine ordered removal of the last wagon gear in 1919. To the cars, Studebaker added a truck line, which later replaced the horse-drawn wagons. Buses, fire engines and even small rail locomotives were produced using the same powerful six-cylinder engines.

First auto proving ground

In 1925, the corporation's most successful distributor and dealer Paul G Hoffman came to South Bend as vice-president in charge of sales. In 1926, Studebaker became the first automobile manufacturer in the United States to open a controlled outdoor proving ground on which, in 1937, would be planted 5,000 pine trees in a pattern that spelled "STUDEBAKER" when viewed from the air. Also in 1926, the last of the Detroit plant was moved to South Bend under the control of Harold S Vance, vice-president in charge of production and engineering. That year, a new small car, the Erskine Six was launched in Paris, resulting in 26,000 sales abroad and many more in America. By 1929, the sales list had been expanded to 50 models and business was so good that 90 per cent of earnings were being paid out as dividends to shareholders in a highly competitive environment. However, the end of that year ushered in the Great Depression which saw many layoffs and massive national unemployment for several years.

Plant facilities in the mid-'twenties

Studebaker's total plant area was 225 acres (0.91 km²), spread over three locations, with buildings occupying seven-and-a-half million square feet of floor space. Annual production capacity was 180,000 cars, requiring 23,000 employees.

The original South Bend vehicle plant continued to be used for small forgings, springs and making some body parts. Separate buildings totalling over one million square feet were added in 1922-23 for the Light, Special and Big Six models. At any one time, 5,200 bodies were in process. South Bend's Plant 2 made chassis for the Light Six and had a foundry of 575,000 sq ft (53,400 m²), producing 600 tons of castings daily.

Plant 3 at Detroit made complete chassis for Special and Big Six models in over 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m²) of floor space. Plant 5 was the service parts store and shipping facility, plus the executive offices of various technical departments. All of the Detroit facilities were moved to South Bend in 1926.

Plant 7 was at Walkerville, Canada, where complete cars were assembled from South Bend, Detroit and locally-made components for the Canadian and British Empire (right-hand-drive) trade. By siting it there, Studebaker could advertise the cars as "British-built" and qualify for reduced tariffs. This manufacturing facility had been acquired from E-M-F in 1910 (see above). By 1929, it had been the subject of $1.25 million investment and was providing employment which supported 500 families.

Impact of the 1930s depression

Few if any industrialists were prepared for the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. Though Studebaker's production and sales had been booming, the market collapsed and plans were laid for a new, small, low-cost car—the Rockne. But times were too bad to sell even cheap cars. Within a year, the firm was cutting wages and laying off workers, but not quickly enough. Erskine maintained faith in the Rockne and rashly had the directors declare huge dividends in 1930 and 1931. He also acquired 95% of the White Motor Company's stock at inflated price and in cash. By 1933, the banks were owed $6m, though current assets exceeded that figure. Instead of reorganizing in receivership, Erskine committed suicide, leaving it to successors Harold Vance and Paul Hoffman to trade the company out of the bad times.

This they did. By December 1933, the company was back in profit with $5.75m working capital and 224 new Studebaker dealers. With the substantial aid of Lehman Brothers, full refinancing and reorganization was achieved on 9 March 1935. A new car was put on to the drawing boards under chief engineer Delmar "Barney" Roos—the Studebaker Champion. Its final styling was designed by Virgil Exner and Raymond Loewy. The Champion doubled the company's previous-year sales when it was introduced in 1939.

World War II

From the 1920s to the 1930s, the South Bend company had originated many style and engineering milestones, including the Light Four, Light Six, Special Six, Big Six models, the record-breaking Commander and President, followed by the 1939 Champion. During World War II, Studebaker produced the Studebaker US6 truck in great quantity and the unique M29 Weasel cargo and personnel carrier. After cessation of hostilities, Studebaker returned to building automobiles that appealed to average Americans.

Post-WWII styling

1948 Studebaker M16 52A Truck

Studebaker 4-Door Sedan

1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner, showing the streamlined design of the 1950s Studebaker.

Studebaker prepared well in advance for the anticipated post-war market and launched the slogan First by far with a post-war car. This was substantiated by Virgil Exner's designs, notably the 1947 Studebaker Starlight coupé, which introduced innovative styling features that influenced later cars, including the flatback "trunk" instead of the tapered look of the time, and a wrap-around rear window. Exner's concepts were spread through a line of models like the 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight coupe The new trunk design prompted a running joke that one could not tell if the car was coming or going.

Ballooning labor costs (the company had never had an official United Auto Workers (UAW) strike and Studebaker workers and retirees were among the highest paid in the industry), quality control issues, and the new car sales war between Ford and General Motors in the early 1950s wreaked havoc on Studebaker's balance sheet. Professional financial managers stressed short-term earnings rather than long-term vision. There was enough momentum to keep going for another ten years, but stiff competition and price-cutting by the Big Three doomed the enterprise. There was also a labor strike at the South Bend plant in 1962.

Hamilton, Ontario plant

See also Studebaker Canada Ltd.

On August 18, 1948, surrounded by more than 400 employees and a battery of reporters, the first vehicle, a blue Champion four-door sedan, rolled off of the Studebaker assembly line in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The company was located in the former Otis-Fenson military weapons factory off Burlington Street on Victoria Avenue North, which was built in 1941. Having previously operated its British Empire export assembly plant at Walkerville, Ontario, Studebaker settled on Hamilton as a post-war Canadian manufacturing site because of the city's centrality to the Canadian steel industry.

Industry price war brings on crisis

Studebaker's strong post-war management team including president Paul G Hoffman and Roy Cole (vice-president, engineering) had gone by 1949 and was replaced by more cautious executives who failed to meet the competitive challenge brought on by Henry Ford II and his Whiz Kids. Massive discounting in a price war between Ford and General Motors could not be equalled by the independent carmakers, for whom the only hope was seen as a merger of Studebaker, Packard, Hudson and Nash into a third giant combine. This had been unsuccessfully attempted by George W. Mason. In this scheme, Studebaker had the disadvantage that its South Bend location would make centralization difficult. Its labor costs were also the highest in the industry.

Merger with Packard

From 1950, Studebaker declined rapidly and, by 1954, was losing money. It negotiated a strategic takeover by Packard, a smaller but less financially troubled car manufacturer. However, the cash position was worse than it had led Packard to believe and, by 1956, the company (renamed Studebaker-Packard Corporation and under the guidance of CEO James J. Nance) was nearly bankrupt, though it continued to make and market both Studebaker and Packard cars until 1958. The "Packard" element was retained until 1962, when the name reverted to "Studebaker Corporation".

Contract with Curtiss-Wright

A three-year management contract was made by Nance with aircraft maker Curtiss-Wright with the aim of improving finances. C-W's president, Roy T. Hurley, attempted to cure Studebaker's ruinously lax employment policies. Under C-W's guidance, S-P also sold the old Detroit Packard plant and returned the then-new Packard plant to its lessor, Chrysler. The company became the American importer for Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union, and DKW automobiles and many Studebaker dealers sold those brands as well. C-W gained the use of idle car plants and tax relief on their aircraft profits while Studebaker received further working capital to continue car production.

Last automobiles produced

The automobiles that came after the diversification process began, including the ingeniously-designed compact Lark (1959) and the Avanti sports car (1963), were based on old chassis and engine designs. The Lark, in particular, was based on existing parts to the degree that it even utilized the central body section of the company's 1953-58 cars, but was a clever enough design to be quite popular in its first year, selling over 130,000 units and delivering an unexpected $28.6 million profit to the automaker.

However, Lark sales began to drop precipitously after the big three manufacturers introduced their own compact models in 1960, and the situation became critical once the so-called "senior compacts" debuted for 1961. The Lark had provided a temporary reprieve, but nothing proved enough to stop the financial bleeding.

Despite a sales uptick in 1962, continuing media reports that Studebaker was about to leave the auto business became a self-fulfilling prophecy as buyers shied away from the company's products for fear of being stuck with an "orphan". By 1963, all of the company's automobiles and trucks were selling very poorly.

Exit from auto business

Closure of South Bend plant

After continued poor sales of the 1964 models and the ousting of president Sherwood Egbert, the company announced the closure of the South Bend plant on December 9, 1963, and produced its last car in South Bend on December 20. The engine foundry remained open to supply the Canadian plant until the end of the 1964 model year, after which it was also shuttered. The Avanti model name, tooling and plant space were sold off to Leo Newman and Nate Altman, who owned a Studebaker dealership in South Bend. They revived the car in 1965 under the brand name "Avanti II". (See main article Avanti cars (non-Studebaker).) They likewise purchased the rights and tooling for Studebaker's trucks, along with the company's vast stock of parts and accessories. Trucks ceased to be built after Studebaker fulfilled its remaining orders in early 1964.

Closure of Hamilton plant

Limited automotive production was consolidated at the company's last remaining production facility in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which had always been profitable and where Studebaker produced cars until March 1966 under the leadership of Gordon Grundy. It was projected that the Canadian operation could break even on production of about 20,000 cars a year, and Studebaker's announced goal was 30,000-40,000 1965 models. While 1965 production was just shy of the 20,000 figure, the company's directors felt that the small profits were not enough to justify continued investment. Rejecting Grundy's request for funds to tool up for 1967 models, Studebaker left the automobile business on 16 March 1966 after an announcement on 4 March. A turquoise and white Cruiser sedan was the last of fewer than 9,000 1966 models manufactured. In reality, the move to Canada had been a tactic by which production could be slowly wound down and remaining dealer franchise obligations honored.

The closure adversely affected not only the plant's 700 employees, who had developed a sense of collegiality around group benefits such as employee parties and day trips, but the city of Hamilton as a whole; Studebaker had been Hamilton's tenth largest employer.

Network and other assets

Many of Studebaker's dealers either closed, took on other automakers' product lines, or converted to Mercedes-Benz dealerships following the closure of the Canadian plant. Studebaker's General Products Division, which built vehicles to fulfill defense contracts, was acquired by Kaiser Industries, which built military and postal vehicles in South Bend. In 1970, American Motors purchased the division, which still exists today as AM General.

Studebaker's proving grounds were acquired by its former supplier, Bendix Corporation, which later donated the grounds for use as a park to the St. Joseph County, Indiana, parks department. As a condition of the donation, the new park was named Bendix Woods. The grove of 5,000 trees planted in 1937 that spelled out the Studebaker company name still stands and has proven to be a popular topic on such satellite photography sites as Google Earth. Today, the former proving ground is owned by Robert Bosch GmbH and it continues to be active some 80 years after it was built.

After 1966, Studebaker and its diversified units were acquired by Wagner Electric in 1967. Subsequently, Studebaker was then merged with the Worthington Corporation to form Studebaker-Worthington. The Studebaker name disappeared from the American business scene in 1979, when McGraw-Edison acquired Studebaker-Worthington. McGraw-Edison was itself purchased in 1985 by Cooper Industries, which sold off its auto-parts divisions to Federal-Mogul some years later. As detailed above, some vehicles were assembled from left-over parts and identified as Studebakers by the purchasers of the Avanti brand and surplus material from Studebaker at South Bend. (See article Avanti cars (non-Studebaker).)

Non-auto activities

By the early 1960s, Studebaker had begun to diversify away from automobiles. Numerous companies were purchased, bringing Studebaker into such diverse fields as the manufacture of tire studs and missile components.

The company's 1963 annual report listed the following divisions:

• Clarke - Floor Machine Division, Muskegon, Michigan
• CTL - Missile/Space Technology Division, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Franklin - Appliance Division, Minneapolis, Minnesota (home office; other locations also in Minnesota, Iowa and Ontario). Manufactured private label kitchen and laundry appliances for major retailers until sold to White Consolidated Industries.
• Gravely - Tractors Division, Dunbar, West Virginia and Albany, Georgia
• International - South Bend, Indiana (handled business matters for all divisions doing business overseas)
• Onan - Engine/Generator Division, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Paxton Automotive - automobile superchargers
• STP - Scientifically Treated Products Division, Des Plaines, Illinois and Santa Monica, California. Produced automotive engine additives.
• Schaefer - Commercial Refrigeration Division, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Aberdeen, Maryland
• Studebaker of Canada - Automotive Manufacturing, Hamilton, Ontario
• SASCO - Studebaker Automotive Sales Corp., South Bend, Indiana, Closed and liquidated 2009.
• Studegrip - Tire Stud Division, South Bend, Indiana, Jefferson, Iowa and Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Trans International Airlines - founded by Kirk Kerkorian

Having built the Wright R-1820 under license during World War II, Studebaker also attempted to build what would perhaps have been the largest aircraft piston engine ever built. With 24 cylinders in an "H" configuration, a bore of 8 in (203 mm) and stroke of 7.75 in (197 mm), displacement would have been 9,349 cubic inches (153.20 L), ergo the H-9350 designation. It was not completed.

Corporate survivor

The remains of the auto maker still exist as Studebaker-Worthington Leasing, a subsidiary of Main Street Bank - Kingwood Texas, which provides leasing services for manufacturers and resellers of business and industrial products.

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1902 advertisement

A 1909 Studebaker Advertisement - The New York Times, May 22, 1909

Products

see also List of Studebaker vehicles

Studebaker automobile models

• Studebaker Electric (1902–1912)
• Studebaker-Garford (1904-1911)
• Studebaker Six monobloc-engine models (1911-1918)
• Studebaker Light Four (1918–1920)
• Studebaker Big Six (1918–1927)
• Studebaker Special Six (1918–1927)
• Studebaker Light Six (includes Standard Six model) (1918–1927)
• Studebaker Commander (1927–35, 1937–58, 1964–66)
• Studebaker President (1928–42, 1955–58)
• Studebaker Dictator (1928–36)
• Studebaker Champion (1939–58)
• Studebaker Land Cruiser (1947–54)
• Studebaker Conestoga (1954–55)
• Studebaker Speedster (1955)
• Hawk series:
  • Studebaker Golden Hawk (1956–58)
  • Studebaker Silver Hawk (1957–59)
  • Studebaker Sky Hawk (1956)
  • Studebaker Flight Hawk (1956)
  • Studebaker Power Hawk (1956)
  • Studebaker Hawk (1960–61)
  • Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk (1962–64)
• Studebaker Lark (1959–1966) (Includes the Lark-based 1964-66 Cruiser, Daytona, Commander, and Challenger)
• Studebaker Avanti (1963–64)
• Studebaker Wagonaire (1963–66)

Studebaker trucks

• Studebaker Coupe Express (1937–1939)
• Studebaker US6 (1941–45)
• Studebaker M29 Weasel (1942–45)
• Studebaker 2R Series(1949–1953)
• Studebaker Transtar (1959–1963)
• Studebaker Champ (1960–1964)
• Studebaker M series (1940–1948)
• M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck(early 1950s)

Studebaker body styles

• Studebaker Starlight (1947–55, 1958)
• Starliner
• Coupe Express

Affiliated automobile marques

• E-M-F Independent auto manufacturer that marketed cars through Studebaker wagon dealers 1909-1912
• Erskine (automobile) Brand of automobile produced by Studebaker
• Packard 1954 merger partner of Studebaker
• Pierce-Arrow Acquired by Studebaker in the late 1920s
• Rockne Brand of automobile produced by Studebaker in the early 1930s
• Mercedes-Benz Distributed through Studebaker dealers 1958-1966
• Studebaker-Garford, Studebaker-bodied cars
• Tincher An early independent builder of luxury cars financed by Studebaker investment

See also

Studebaker National Museum.

• Automotive industry
• Studebaker Canada Ltd.
• Studebaker National Museum
• List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers
• Tippecanoe Place

References

• Erskine, A R History of the Studebaker Corporation, South Bend (1918) (online Google Books—free download)
• Longstreet, Stephen A Century on Wheels: The Story of Studebaker, A History, 1852-1952, Henry Holt and Co, N.Y. (1952)
• Bonsall, Thomas E More Than They Promised: The Studebaker Story Stanford University Press (2000)
• Foster, Patrick Studebaker: America's Most Successful Independent Automaker Motorbooks
• Grist, Peter Virgil Exner: Visioneer: The official biography of Virgil M. Exner, designer extraordinaire Veloce, USA

Further reading

• Clement Studebaker House, Tippecanoe Place National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form. (The heritage research includes details of the early history of the firm at South Bend.)

External links

• The Studebaker Drivers Club
• From Horses to Horsepower: Studebaker Helped Move a Nation by Kent C. Boese (Smithsonian Institution)
• The Studebaker National Museum
• How Studebaker Works by Consumer Guide Auto Editors
• StudebakerHistory.com
• E-M-F history pages
• Photos of the South Bend plant pre-demolition 2005
• History of Clem Studebaker's mansion at South Bend