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 

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

Franklin

US, 1901 – 1934

(1) H.H. Franklin Mfg Co, Syracuse, N.Y., 1901 – 1917

(2) Franklin Automobile Co, Syracuse, N.Y., 1917 – 1934

Probably the world’s most successful air-cooled car before the advent of the Volkswagen, the Franklin inspired an intense make-loyalty. H.H. Franklin had founded a factory for the manufacture of die castings in 1895, and in 1901 he was introduced to John Wilkinson’s air-cooled designs by Messsrs Brown and lipe, later well known as manufacturers of proprietary transmissions. The New York Motor Co had already made three prototypes before the first Franklin car went on sale in 1902. These Franklin featured transversely-mounted 1.7-litre 4-cylinder air-cooled engines – the valves were overhead, with mechanically operated inlet valves from 1905 – float-feed carburetors, 2-speed planetary gearboxes, central change, full-elliptic suspension and the wooden frames which were to be standard on all Franklin cars up to the end of 1927. A push-on handbrake was used until 1906. Although a Franklin version with water-jacketed engine was projected, the Franklin company remained faithful to air-cooling until they closed down. Sales rose from 13 in 1902 to 184 in 1903, when wire wheels gave way to the wood artillery type, and in 1904 a Franklin broke the San Francisco-New York record. The transverse-engined Franklin cars were catalogued until the end of 1906, but from 1905 onwards new Franklin models with conventionally-located engines made their appearance. These had auxiliary exhaust valves, shaft drive, 3-speed sliding-type gearboxes and round bonnets modelled on the Delaunay-Belleville. A 4-cylinder Franklin sold for $1800, but there was also a 6-cylinder Franklin Model H with a 7-bearing crankshaft and a 9ft 6in wheelbase for $4.000: all subsequent 6-cylinder Franklin cars had seven main bearings. A straight-8 appeared without success in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Eliminating Trials. Franklin’s full-elliptic suspension was continued. This gave an excellent ride and resulted in tyre mileages in the region of 20.000: this is why the Franklin company was refusing to fit detachable rims as standard equipment as late as 1922. In 1907 an automatic advance-and-retard was fitted on the Franklin and in 1908 a gear-driven fan. The 1910 Franklin cars used a suction-driven sirocco fan incorporated in the flywheel. Smallest of the 1909 range was the 18hp Franklin Model G, a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder car with quadrant change sold at $1850. Selective change was used on the bigger Franklin fours and sixes which had oversquare cylinder dimensions and cost $2800 and $3750 respectively. With the 1912 Franklin models came a Renault-type bonnet and full pressure lubrication, and a 4-cylinder was still available at $2.000, or $1.500 less than the big 38.4hp 6-cylinder.

In 1914 only a 6-cylinder car, the ‘Franklin 6/30’, was offered, and Franklin fell into line with the rest of the American industry by going over to left-hand drive, central change and full electrical equipment. A year later aluminium pistons were adopted. A stunt drive by Franklin from Walla Walla, Washington, to San Francisco in bottom gear demonstrated the car’s ability to keep cool. The 1917 models had electric chokes, while imitators arose in the industry to try and cash in on Franklin’s success with air-cooling. One of these firms, Holmes, was headed by former vice-president of the Franklin Automobile Co. By the end of World War 1 a 6-cylinder Franklin could be bought for $2.050, reduced two years later to $2.000. 8.648 Franklin cars were sold in 1920. Late in 1922, came a redesigned Franklin car with a ‘horse-collar’ bonnet allegedly modelled on the Fiat, pressure air-cooling with frontal blower, unit gearbox, single dry-plate clutch, 6-volt instead of 12-volt electrics and detachable rims. Sales rose to 11.000 and the Franklin company which had pioneered series-production closed cars as early as 1913 was offering a Franklin sedan at $2.850. During 1925 the design was face-lifted once again and the De Causse-styled Franklin Series 11 introduced. Cylinder capacity remained a modest 3.3-litres, but appearance was entirely changed with a 9ft 11in wheelbase and a vertical-barred ‘radiator’. This revolutionary step so appalled John Wilkinson that he resigned from the Franklin company forthwith. Some of the semi-custom body styles – especially the boat-taled sports coupé at $3.150 – were remarkably attractive. Subsequently some excellent and expensive custom bodywork was designed for Franklin by such firms as Derham, Willoughby, Holbrook, and (especially) Dietrich. Over 13.000 Franklin Series 11s were sold between mid-1925 and the end of 1926, among those who favoured Franklins being Colonel Charles Lindbergh. Yet even the ‘Franklin 11B’ of 1927 retained the wooden frame, full-elliptic suspension and foot transmission brake. Front-wheel brakes did not arrive until the introduction of the 1928 3.9-litre Franklin Airman, which boasted internal-expanding Lockheed hydraulics at a time when the contracting type was generally favoured in America. In 1928 long-chassis models were given steel frames, standardized in 1929, and a standard sedan sold for £885 in England. All but the cheapest Franklin cars now had silent 2nd gearboxes. This was the period in which Dietrich introduced their delightful speedster (actually a 4-door convertible sedan) and a 4½-litre 6-cylinder Franklin engine actually took to the air in a Waco biplane. Prices were generally in the $2.200 - $3.500 range, with custom Franklin models running up to $7.200.

The 1930 Franklin Series 14 introduced a new radiator and side-blast cooling, an the elegant Pirate models had concealed running-boards as well. The unconventional, however, could no longer sell in America, and only 2.851 Franklin cars were delivered in 1931. In 1932 came synchromesh, free wheels and ‘Startix’ devices, as well as a magnificent Dietrich-styled 6.8-litre supercharged V12 (Franklin Series 17) on a 12ft wheelbase. Unfortunately this was re-engineered to incorporate proprietary axles and semi-elliptic suspension, and in production form it weighed nearer three tons than the two tons of the prototype. It combined elegance, 95mph, and 150bhp for $4.400, but few were sold, though a dratic price cut to $2.885 was made for 1933. The last new Franklin was the Franklin Olympic, an inexpensive 6-cylinder using a Franklin engine wedded to a REO chassis and body. The Franklin factory closed down in 1934. The patents were, however, taken over by the Air-Cooled Motors Corporation (now Franklin Engine Co.), whose Syracuse factory has specialized in light horizontally-opposed aircraft engines: a 6-cylinder Franklin helicopter engine, converted to water-cooling, powered the Tucker of 1947. 2-, 4-, and 6-cylinder untis up to 5.7 litres’ capacity were being produced in 1972.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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