WAAAM: Studebaker automobiles (photo diary)

by Ojibwa for Museums

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Friday, Oct. 09, 2020 Friday, Oct. 09, 2020 at 7:16:22am PDT

One of the most important services in small towns and cities throughout the Americas in the nineteenth century was the blacksmith shop. In 1852, the brothers Henry and Clement Studebaker opened their blacksmith shop in South Bend, Indiana. Operating initially under the name H & C Studebaker, the business would eventually evolve into the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wagons and buggies.

Shown above is a 1901 Studebaker Top Wagon.

During the transition between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a new form of transportation began to emerge: the automobile. Hundreds of small companies entered into the business of manufacturing automobiles. In 1902, Studebaker began to make cars. They began manufacturing electric cars and the second car made by Studebaker was purchased by Thomas Edison.

Studebaker began making gasoline powered cars in 1904. At this time, the company offered both horse drawn and self-propelled vehicles. Automobiles were manufactured in the company’s Detroit plant and the horse drawn carriages in its South Bend plant.

In 1911, the company became The Studebaker Corporation. Production of horse drawn carriages stopped in 1920. As for many other car companies, the 1920s were profitable years for Studebaker, but the Great Depression brought a dramatic decrease in car sales. By 1933, Studebaker was nearly bankrupt, but Paul Hoffman and Harold Vance, who had been appointed receivers, led the company back to solvency by 1935.

While automobiles started as modified carriages—and were thus known as horseless carriages—by the 1930s they bore little resemblance to the vehicles of two decades earlier. Design had become important in attracting buyers. So in 1936 Studebaker contracted with Raymond Loewy Associates to design its cars. The Loewy designs included the 1939 Champion, the 1947 Starlight Coupe, the 1950 “Bullet Nose”, the 1953 Starliner Hardtop and the 1963 Avanti.

During World War II, all automobile production stopped in the United States and the automakers turned to the production of war equipment. Studebaker produced engines for the B-17 airplanes. In addition, it produced a military vehicle known as the Weasel.

Following World War II, Studebaker introduced new styling and attempted to establish itself as an automotive style leader. In 1950, it introduced the “bullet nose” styling. However, during the 1950s competition in the automotive market was stiff and Studebaker sales declined. In 1954, Studebaker merged with the Packard Motor Car Company. In 1958, the Packard brand was discontinued.

In 1959, Studebaker introduced its compact car, the Lark. Sales were good, but not enough to make the company profitable. In 1962, Studebaker introduced the Avanti. While stylish and modern, the Avanti failed to save the company. At the end of 1963, Studebaker closed its South Bend plant. The last Studebaker was assembled at the Hamilton, Ontario plant on March 17, 1966.

The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon, has on display more than 100 antique automobiles. Shown below are some of the Studebakers which are on display.