Studebaker

US/ CDN, 1902 – 1966

(1) Studebaker Corp, South Bend, Indiana, 1902 – 1954

(2) Studebaker-Packard Corp, South Bend, Indiana, 1954 – 1964

(3) Studebaker Corp of Canada Ltd, Hamilton, Ontario, 1964 – 1966

The brothers Henry and Clem Studebaker opened a blacksmith’s and wagon-building shop in South Bend in 1852, horse-drawn vehicles of their construction serving in both the American Civil War and World War 1, and production continuing until 1919. Their first Studebaker cars were electrics, made in modest numbers from 1902 to 1912: these Studebaker carwere joined in 1904 by the Model-C petrol Studebaker car, a typically American 16hp flat-twin with amidships engine, 2-speed gearbox, and chain drive. This Studebaker carwas followed a year later by a vertical 4 on more European lines, this Studebaker car was selling for $3.000. For the next few seasons, however, Studebaker electred to act as selling gents for Studebaker cars built to their order, and their more expensive offerings of Studebaker cars were built by Garford of Elyria. The cheaper machines were the EMF and Flanders built by the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Co, and these two makes accounted for 9.700 Studebaker cars in 1910. 1913 saw a brace of Studebaker cars made at South Bend, both with sv monobloc engines, dual ignition, and electric lighting and starting: the 3-speed gearboxes on the Studebaker cars were mounted in unit with the back axles, and the 6-cylinder Studebaker car was claimed to be the first such car to retail in the USA for less than $2.000. In 1914 there was a smaller, 15/20hp Studebaker car with 3.2-litre 4 with coil ignition only. Studebaker sold over 45.000 Studebaker cars in 1915, and their sixth position in 1916 US sales was matched by a seventh place in 1920. 1919 was the last year for 4-cylinder Studebaker cars, and the 1920 Studebaker cars, while retaining separate gearboxes, abandoned the transaxle layout. Studebaker carmodels available were 6s of 4.7-litres and 5.8-litres, the latter establishing a line of really large 6-cylinder Studebaker cars which survived until 1928. An inexpensive 3.3-litre Studebaker Light 6 joined the range in 1921, and 1923 Studebaker cars had all-metal bodies with welded steel pressings. Balloon tyres were standardized on Studebaker cars in 1925, in which year contracting-type hydraulic front wheel brakes were an option: open Studebaker cars were made with permanent tops of the ‘California’ type and detachable side-curtains. Front wheel brakes were standard on the Studebaker carin 1926, but the Studebaker carcompany reverted to mechanical actuation in 1927, in which year a ‘compact’, the Studebaker Erskine, was marketed. Studebaker cars went after stock-car records in a big way in the later 1920s, an outstanding performance of a Studebaker car being 25.000 miles in 25.000 minutes. The 1929 range Studebaker cars consisted of two 6s, the ‘Studebaker Dictator’ and ‘Studebaker Commander’ (at $1.265 and $1.495 respectively), and a brace of straight-eights of 4-litres’ and 5.5-litres’ capacity. Pierce-Arrow was acquired by the Studebaker car company in 1928, but regained its independence five years later. In 1930 Studebaker cars, with Plymouth, pioneered the free wheel, offered initially on 8-cylinder Studebaker cars alone, but available throughout the range by the latter part of the year, when the cheapest Studebaker car, the Light 6, could be bought in England for £295.

Another compact Studebaker carappeared under the Rockne nameplate in 1932. Special versions of the ‘Studebaker President 8’ distinguished themselves in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Cliff Bergere’s Studebaker Special finishing 3rd, while in 1933 6th to 12th places were filled by similar Studebaker cars. Studebaker cars went into receivership in 1933, but came back strongly in 1934 with an unattractively-styled three-model range of Studebaker cars – the 3.4-litre ‘Studebaker Dictator 6’, the 3.6-litre ‘Studebaker Commander 8’, and the 4.1-litre ‘Studebaker President 8 ‘, all with synchromesh, free wheel, and X-braced frames. Subsequent evolution of Studebaker cars followed accepted American lines: transverse independent front suspension, automatic overdrive, and hydraulic brakes once more in 1935: a hill-holder (modernized version of the sprag) in 1936: headlamps half-faired into the wings of the Studebaker car in 1938: and column change in 1939, when Raymond Loewy became responsible for the Studebaker car Corporation’s styling. 1939 was also the first year for one of America’s longest-lived modern economy cars, the 2.7-litre 6-cylinder sv ‘Studebaker Champion’ selling at $765. Fluid couplings was available on the 1942 Studebaker car range, which included Studebaker cars last straight-8s. The revolutionary post-war ‘coming or going’ style with wrap-around rear window on Studebaker cars was launched by Loewy on the 1946/ 1947 Studebaker cars with 2.8-litre and 3.7-litre 6-cylinder engines. Sales climbed to 239.000 Studebaker cars in 1949, and the inevitable ohv V8 – a relatively small one of 3.8-litres – replaced the bigger 6 in 1951 Studebaker cars. Studebaker car companys answer to the big battalions was the low and elegant line of the 1953 Studebaker cars, which unfortunately became more cluttered down the years, and finances were not impoved by the merger of the Studebaker car company with Packard in 1954. An interesting departure was the sporting ‘Studebaker Hawk’ coupé powered by Packard’s V8 engine and Ultramatic transmission in 1956: 1957 versions had blown Studebaker car engines, the only example of a factory-equipped super-charger (save the 1954 Kaiser) since the Graham. The Studebaker car company managed to get their ‘Studebaker Lark’ compact sedan tooled and into production in ten months in 1959, and this descendant of the old sv ‘Champion’ was the only Studebaker car now offered with the exception of the ‘Studebaker Hawk’. The small 6 Studebaker car achieved ohv at long last in 1961, and 1962 saw the exciting fiberglass-bodied ‘Studebaker Avanti’ coupé with disc brakes on the front wheels, a 4-speed gearbox, and optional supercharger. The Studebaker car annexed 29 stock-car records, including a flying mile at 168.15mph, but neither this nor the continuing ‘Lark’ range could save Studebaker cars. A wide choice of Studebaker car models – two 6s and three 8s – was listed for 1964, but early in the season South Bend stopped making Studebaker cars, and production was transferred to the Canadian plant which had been assembling Studebaker cars since 1912. Even as an ‘import’, the Studebaker car did not sell well: the last examples of the Studebaker car marque had 3.2-litre 6-cylinder and 4.7-litre 8-cylinder Chevrolet engines, but even these were abandoned in the spring of 1966. Production of the ‘Studebaker Avanti’ was continued on a small scale by an independent factory in South Bend.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS 

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Amilcar

France, 1921 – 1939

(1) Sté Nouvelle pour l’Automobile Amilcar, St Denis, 1921 – 1937

(2) Sté Financière pour l’Automobile, Boulogne-sur-Seine, 1937 – 1939

Of all the sporting voiturettes that proliferated in France after World War 1, the Amilcar was the most famous and successful. Its name(Amilcar) was an anagram of those of its proagonists, Messrs Lamy, who had been concerned with the design of the Le Zèbre before the war, and Akar, who financed the Amilcar. The Amilcar’s designer was Edmond Moyet. The Amilcar Type CC and its developments the Amilcar CS and Amilcar C4 all had 4-cylinder sv engines of about 1-litre capacity, three forward speeds and quarter-elliptic springing. They differed little, therefore, from hosts of their competitors. The Amilcar CGS or Grand Sport of 1924 was a different and more serious proposition. It had a 1.074cc engine with full pressure-lubcrication, front-wheel brakes and front half-elliptic springs. It was developed into the more powerful, lowered Amilcar CGSS (Surbaisse) model in 1926. Various touring cars of between one and two litres were also made, all with four cylinders and side valves, but it was the Amilcar CGS and Amilcar CGSS that made the company’s reputation throughout the world.

Even so, the Amilcar C6 Course, one of the very few pure racing cars ever to be put into production, was still more exciting. Introduced in 1926, it dominated the 1100cc voiturette racing class. Its twin overhead camshaft, 6-cylinder engine developed 83hp and used roller bearings in works form. These Amilcars were capable of 118mph. A small touring straight-8 joined the range in 1928, as was the fashion then. This low-built Amilcar C8 was another excellent machine, with good roadholding and a creditable maximum speed of almost 80mph in spite of its considerable weight. The 2-litre engine had a single overhead camshaft.

By 1930, the Amilcar company was concentrating on touring cars; sports cars in France, as elsewhere with the onset of the Depression, were in decline. The Amilcar C8 was there, enlarged to two litres. The 1¼-litre Amilcar Type M, a sedate small four which had arrived in 1928, survived until 1935 as the Amilcar M2, Amilcar M3 and Amilcar M4; latterly with a 1.7-litre engine. Meanwhile, 1933 had brought Moyet’s new 5CV, the Type C, current until 1935 in various forms, and the disappearance of the C8. From 1934 to 1937 the Amilcar 12CV N7 was offered, which used a Delahaye engine, and there was also the Amilcar 14CV G36. The last Amilcars, made by Hotchkiss, were far more interesting. These ‘Compounds’ of 1938-1939 had independent suspension front and rear, front-wheel drive on J.A. Grégoire Tracta patents, and the Alpax unit construction of body and chassis that incorporated much aluminum. The engine was an 1.185cc four.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com