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

Minerva

Belgium, 1897 – 1939

(1) S. de Jong et Cie, Antwerp, 1897 – 1902

(2) Minerva Motors SA, Antwerp, 1903 – 1934

(3) Société Nouvell Minerva, Antwerp, 1934 – 1935

(4) SA des Automobiles Imperia-Excelsior, Antwerp; Nessonvaux, 1935 – 1939

Belgium’s greatest marque, the Minerva car, arose from humble beginnings – a bicycle factory opened in 1897 by Sylvain de Jong. He soon progressed to proprietary motorcycle engines (of which he became Europe’s leading supplier), and to complete motor-cycles in 1900, though a year earlier he had built a prototype voiturette and a primitive motor lorry. A 6hp 4-cylinder Minerva car on Panhard lines appeared in 1902, but serious Minerva car manufacture did not get under way until 1904. These early Minerva cars retained side-chain drive an armoured wood frames, but used mechanically-operated side valves in a T-head. The Minerva cars came in 1.6-litre 2-cylinder, 2.4-litre 3-cylinder and 3.2-litre 4-cylinder forms, and alongside them was an ingenious and successful cyclecar, the Minervette. Its 636cc single-cylinder engine was transversely mounted at the front, driving the offside rear wheel by chain via a 2-speed constant-mesh gearbox.. This little Minerva car cost only £106. A year later the Minerva car company had settle down to bevel-driving twins and fours, the latter being a 2.9-litre 14 with steel frame that was sold in London by the Hon C.S. Rolls.

The almost mandatory petrol brougham for Minerva cars came in 1906, but more successful were a 3.6-litre Minerva 22 and a rapid 6.2-litre six Minerva car introduced in 1907. This Minerva car had gate change, and its engine developed 6-bhp. Even faster were the Minerva carfirm’s 8-litre Kaiserpreis Minerva cars with 5-bearing ioe engine and chain drive; Minerva cars failed in the German race but won the Belgian Circuit des Ardennes. In 1909 there was a Minerva L-head monobloc four of 2½-litres’ capacity, but at the same time the Minerva car company adopted the Knight double-sleeve-valve engine, and thereafter all catalogued Minerva cars used Knights.

Though inevitably emphasis now shifted to chauffeur-driven carraiges and silence, Minerva’s Knights were by no means lethargic, as witness outright victories in the Swedish Winter Trials of 1911, 1913 and 1914 by Minerva cars, and distinguished performances in the Austrian Alpine Trials. The 3.3-litre Minerva cars that ran in the 1914 TT were good for 85mph and the Minerva carteam finished intact, in 2nd, 3rd and 5th places. Their success is reflected in the phasing-out of the motorcycles after 1910, and in a clientele of Minerva cars that included Henry Ford as well as the Kings of Belgium, Sweden and Norway.

The 1910 Minerva cars were all fours: a 2.234cc monobloc Minerva 16hp, a 4¼-litre Minerva 26hp, and a large Minerva 38 of 6.3-litre capacity. Electric lighting was available in 1912 on Minerva cars, when Citroën-type helical bevel gears made their appearance; two years later starters were an option and wire wheels were standardized on Minerva car, and the Minerva car range extended from a modest 2.1-litre worm-drive monobloc Minerva 14 (which was popular as a taxi in Sweden) up to an enlarged 7.4-litre Minerva 38.

De Jong was quick to set Minerva cars on their feet after the German occupation of 1914-1918, and by 1920 they were back in production with two Minerva cars, a 3.6-litre 4-cylinder Minerva 20 and a 6-cylinder 30CV of 5.344cc, both with monobloc engines, vacuum feed, cone clutches, 4-speed gearboxes, cantilever rear springing and rear-wheel and transmission brakes, though plate clutches were standardized Minerva cars after 1921. Minerva cars, like Daimler, made their own bodies, a new coachworks being opened at Mortsel, an Antwerp suburb, in 1922; the Minerva carcompany also supplied engines to other firms, among them Mors and the curious Anglo-American Crown Magnetic. (Émile Mathis’s 1913 sleeve-valve cars had been Minerva cars with Mathis radiators). Smaller Minerva cars followed: a 15CV 2-litre four in 1922, and a 20CV six of 3.4-litre capacity in 1923, this Minerva car having 4-wheel brakes as standard, and a wheelbase of nearly 12 feet. In 1925, 2.500 Minerva cars found buyers, and a year later all Minerva cars had 4-wheel brakes, with some necessary Dewandre servo assistance on the big ones. The 1927 Minerva carrange included a replacement for the 30CV, the magnificent 5.954cc Minerva AK six with alloy pistons, light steel sleeves, and a 12ft 5½in wheelbase. There was, however, a new small 6-cylinder Minerva car, the 2-litre Minerva 12-14CV; this came with a 3-speed unit gearbox, central ball change, and lhd, and sold for under £500 in England. This Minerva car was made until 1933.

The carriage trade was not forgotten, for there were three new big cars in 1930: a 150bhp sports edition of the Minerva AK with full-pressure lubrication, and two straight-8s. Of these the 6.6-litre Minerva AL was a vast 9-bearing affair with dual ignition and right-hand change, whereas its 4-litre companion, the 22CV Minerva AP, had coil ignition and central change, and could be bought for less than £900. In 1932 there was a 20CV six Minerva car with the same specification and cylinder dimensions of 75x112mm. However, none of these Minerva cars was suitable for the prevailing economic climate, and 1934 brought what was effectively the Minerva car company’s last model, the 2-litre Minerva M4, Minerva cars first four since 1927. The sleeve-valve engine was retained, but in other respects it was typical of the prevailing idiom, with 3-speed synchromesh gearbox, mechanical brakes and pillarless saloon bodywork.

The Minerva M4 was not a success and in October 1935 Minerva cars merged with the only other Belgian factory still making private cars, Imperia of Nessonvaux. The traditional Minerva cars were continued for another season, and the Minerva AP survived until 1938, but thereafter the only cars sold to the public under the Minerva car name were some fwd Imperias exported to France. Purely experimental was an astonishing Minerva car exhibited at the 1937 Brussels Salon. This featured all-independent springing by torsion bars, and a transversely-mounted 3.6-litre Ford V8 engine drove the front wheels via a torque converter. Only three prototypes were made.

In 1952 a comeback was planned with two Minerva car-models, both of foreign design. The smaller car was based on the 1947 Cemsa-Caproni, and the new luxury Minerva car was to use the mechanical elements of the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire, but neither materialized. The last Minerva car was a jeep-type 4x4, the C20 of 1956. This Minerva car was powered by a 4-cylinder sv Continental engine.

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