There are a few cars throughout history that most have heard about, but not many think about. 30 or 40 years ago, the Studebaker was a prized car that classic car builders were pushing to get their hands on. They may not be the best vehicles out there, and they may not be the cheapest to get a hold of, but they are one-of-a-kind vehicles that deserve to be recognized once again. Let's take a closer look at some of the forgotten facts about the now-defunct Studebaker.
10 Origins From The Best Covered Wagons
To understand how the Studebaker car became a legend, it is important to understand the background. The Studebaker family had metal and woodworking backgrounds for as long as can be traced back, starting with wheels, wheelbarrows, and anything else that could be crafted. They got into the covered wagon business to help the people of the new country get to the western part of the state. Once the Civil War hit the country, the Studebaker brothers became the leading manufacturers of covered military wagons. They went on to become the premier wagon and coach-making company in America.
9 Started Business In 1852
The Studebaker brothers officially opened for business in 1852 in South Bend, Indiana. At the time, Henry and Clement opened the H&C Studabaker blacksmithing shop while another one of the brothers, John, traveled west to the California gold mines. John traveled in a horse-drawn covered wagon that the brothers designed and built, the first of its kind to come out of the blacksmithing shop. John did well for himself in the gold mines, bringing back enough money to invest in the business, propelling them into becoming America's largest covered wagon company.
8 Studebakers Were The First Electric Cars
It could be said that the Studebaker brothers were well ahead of their time. Electric cars have always been a thing of the future, just now hitting the market from every carmaker on the planet. They are not the first to attempt such a vehicle, though. In 1902, the brothers created a motorized car run entirely by electricity. The Studebaker design did not have any major flaws except one - range - something that haunts automakers even 120 years later. The electric car could not get very far before having to be charged. They became known as the company offering "The World On Wheels" to the people.
7 First Gasoline Studebaker Was In 1905
After two years of trying to push its electric cars, Studebaker threw in the towel and joined the rest of the companies designing and building gasoline-powered vehicles. The first attempt by Studebaker led to the creation of a two-cylinder touring car that could produce around 16 horsepower. By 1913, the brothers had created a car manufacturing company that ranked third in the nation. By 1920, Studebaker had realized that horse-drawn buggies were a thing of the past, so the brothers converted their South Bend location over to produce gas-powered cars, the company's new focus.
6 Studebaker Created The First Controlled Proving Grounds
Today, every car manufacturer has some type of testing grounds where it can put its vehicles through rigorous safety and performance protocols. But, back in the days of the first gas-powered car, not many even thought about it. That is until Studebaker created the first controlled proving grounds in 1926. The following year, the company planted over 5,000 trees in what appeared to be random designs until flying overhead. The trees were planted in such a way as to spell "Studebaker" for those who wanted to look down.
5 Rise And Fall And Rise Again
The late '20s was a great time for the Studebaker family. They had moved up from being a basic blacksmithing company, all the way to one of the top gas-powered producers in the nation. Even into the first part of the '30s, the family continued to do well until the Great Depression struck. By 1933, the brothers were at a point where they simply could not make the bills, so they filed for bankruptcy. By 1939, the company was once again a common name in the automotive industry with its creation of the six-cylinder 'Champion'.
4 Flourished During World War II
World War II is not a time in history that many people want to think about, but it was a time in manufacturing when many rose to the occasion, including the Studebaker company that received the Army-Navy Excellence award for its efforts. The production lines stopped producing cars for the public and began mass-producing army and cargo trucks. It also had a hand in building some of the engines installed in the B-17 Flying Fortresses. The company may not have been directly catering to the consumers, but it did flourish during a time when it mattered the most.
3 "First By Far With A Post-War Car"
Virgil Exner began designing the Studebaker cars after World War II ended. The company started running a sales slogan that captured the hearts of a nation that was still in the middle of celebrating the end of all the deaths. "First By Far With A Post-War Car" became the leading sales pitch for the newly designed and styled Studebaker, creating a car that was streamlined along the sides with a wrap-around rear window and a flat-styled trunk. These new stylings influenced further car designs by many of the other manufacturing companies.
2 1966 Was The Final Year
Even after all the significant highs for Studebaker, it finally succumbed to the inevitable. Sales had once again dropped to the point of putting the company into the red. It still had some government contracts that had to be fulfilled, so after the South Bend production plant closure in 1964, the remaining resources were focused on fulfilling them, so it could close the doors for good, which officially happened in 1966.
1 South Bend Is All About Studebaker
To this day, South Bend still has a massive following for a company that was once one of the primary production plants for its cars. A Studebaker National Museum has been erected where people from all over the world can come and learn about the great cars that were once produced by a company founded by a group of brothers from Germany. To this day, you can fly over the location where the plant used to be in full swing and look down to see the trees that remind all that Studebaker is a name to be remembered, a car to be honored.
FAQ
Q: Did Studebaker Design Their Own Engines?
It has been suggested that the engineers copied the designs from Cadillac, but the fact that the design team chose to only go with essential functions rather than advanced engineering suggests otherwise. The first V-8 on the market was created by Studebaker engineers before Ford or Chevy had any on the market.
Q: What Was The Most Popular Studebaker?
The most popular car to ever come out of the Studebaker production lines was the 1950 Champion. There were more than 270,000 cars produced and sold during that year, which was also the peak of the non-military employees throughout the company.
Q: Which Studebaker Had The Bullet Nose?
One of the most collectible cars that Studebaker produced was the car with the bullet nose. It was actually the 1951 Studebaker Commander that became the one car that everyone thinks of when the name Studebaker is brought up.
Q: Does Jay Leno Own A Studebaker?
Jay Leno is perhaps one of the most prominent car collectors of our time. His garage is full of classic cars people would love to see, and would give their life savings away to own. Leno does have a fine example of a Studebaker, a 1955 Caribbean, to be precise.