On the Road 8 x 30; 24 x 7

06-12-2005 Studebaker National Museum, South Bend, IN

The economic panic of 1837 forced many families westward. John, accompanied by his wife and their ten children (five boys and five girls), joined the migration. In 1851, the family arrived in South Bend - a village originally named Southhold - and settled in a log cabin south of the city. The children went to work to help support the family. Son Clem, then 21, worked as a wagon maker for 50 cents a day. In 1852 he married and moved with his new bride to the corner of Michigan and Western in South Bend. That same year, Clement and his brother Henry founded their own blacksmithing and wagon-building business - H&C Studebaker. And the rest is history!

I learned to drive a stick shift (5-speed on the floor; after market alteration) in my oldest brother, Mike's, 1955 Golden Hawk. At least I think it was a Golden Hawk; we called it Classic Hopper (the Earl Shibes paint job was "Classic Copper.") In the museum there was a cream puff of a Golden Hawk on display. This goregeous Flamingo color in my photograph was one of Studebaker's actual colors. New features for the 1961 Hawk included an optional four-speed trasmission and color accents on the tail fins. 1961 would be the last model year for tail fins and the pillared-coupe body style. The Flamingo color is exclusive to 1961 Hawks and Lark convertibles. Price when new: $2,650.00. I wonder what Mike paid for his used 1955 Hawk in the late 60's?

I was particulary interested in the display on "The Artistic Legacy of Studebaker." From design sketches to oil painting to advertising, Studebaker-related art was presented through a wide variety of media. Some very creative people were employed throughout the history of this cutting-edge company like Raymond Loewy whose design team styled the famous Studebaker "Bullet Nose." These 1950 and 1951 classics were probably the most recognizable autos ever produced by the company. My Dad had a black beauty. I really enjoyed seeing the ads, paper memorabilia and logos, and especially liked Wheels, Studebaker's official magazine. Now I have another collectible to look for.

Going back in time a bit we found the 1935 Commander Roadster which introduced major mechanical and safety improvements. Four wheel hydraulic brakes and safety glass are now standard, with independent front suspension available at extra cost. This yellow Commander appeared in the movie "The Color Purple." I thought it had the most dramatic hood ornament!

Bob was excited to see the South Bend Watch Company's Studebaker Pocket Watch. Three of the Studebaker brothers, George, Clement and J.M., purchased the successful Columbus Watch Co. The first South Bend watches were full plate and similar to the Columbus watches. Bob's American Pocket Watch book has South Bend watches listed beginning in 1903 with Serial No. 300,000 and production ending Dec. 31, 1929 with Serial No. 1,300,000. The highest grade watch was a "Polaris," a 21-jewel watch that sold for about $100. There were four Studebaker Grade watch models; one 17-jewel and three 21-jewel models. There can't be many of these left.

Some things were way ahead of their time. When I first saw the dashboard of this 1962 Station Wagon Prototype I thought there was a laptop built in to the dash. It turns out to be a flip up vanity mirror that is a drink holder when it flips back down into the well. In 1962, Studebaker President Sherwood Egbert retained noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens to submit designs for future Studegaker automobiles. Stevens' Station Wagon was targeted for 1964 and features a sliding roof panel, diagonally interchangeable doors, and interchangeable bumpers.

The 1919 Big Six had my vote for the coolest tires. The treads actually were the words "non-skid" repeated over and over! The Big Six on display here was purchased new in Santa Barbara, CA, where it logged over 90,000 miles in just under two years. By 1923, it had been driven over 475,00 miles, primarily on unimproved roads. (Those 'word treads' really must work good!) Price when new: $2,000.00.

Studebaker was one of the only wagon and carriage makers to successfully make the transition to electric cars in 1902 and then gasoline automobiles in 1904. During the Civil War (1861-1865) the Studebakers made literally thousands of wagons for the Unioin Army. The museum had an 1893 Columbian Exposition Wagon on display. Studebaker craftsmen made an award-winning wagon for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago (another old postcard for me to hunt for!) The box was made of rosewood and the metal parts were made from aluminum, a rare and precious metal at that time. Cost of a standard farm wagon in 1893: $130.00; Cost of the Columbian Exposition Wagon: $2,100.68 (I love that 68 cents!) Studebaker also made a carriage specifically for President William McKinley around 1900 to use at his summer home in Canton, Ohio. It was designed for summer use with rubber tires and a removable extension top.

The boldest advertisement ever created by the Studebaker Corporation did not consist of outlandish claims or blushing testimonials, but was made of over 11,000 lbs. of wood, steel and rubber. In the late 1920's and early 1930's, Studebaker's experimental body shop was headed by Mr. Paul Auman. Auman was never shy about boasting of his staff's ability, and in early spring of 1930, he received an assignment to create a model of the soon to be introduced 1931 President Four Seasons Roadster. The catch was that the model was to be two and one half times normal size. Upon completin, the super-size President was just over 40 feet long and 14 feet high. It was situated at the Studebaker Proving Ground, west of South Bend on Highway 2 (our campground is out farther west on Hwy 2) perched atop a grassy knoll 100 yards west of the main gate.

Each body panel was painstakingly made of white pine in the Studebaker factory shops in South Bend, and then transported out to the Proving Ground for assembly. The wire wheel spokes were made from electrical conduit, and Firestone provided special ten-foot tall inner tubes and tires. Special attention was paid to detial, as the Big President had the same number of houd louvers and wheel spokes as its normal size counterpart. The only jamor discrepancy was the big car used a rear mounted spare tire, while all production 1931 President Four Seasons Roadsters used side mounted spares.

The body was originally finished in light green with dark green fenders, a popular 1931 President color combination. In 1934, the car was repainted red. To put all of this into perspective, a cutout of a man with a sign "This man is six feet tall" stood near the front bumper. How I would love to find an old postcard of this giant Studebaker. They salvaged the metal parts and doused it with fuel burning it to the ground after the Indiana winters took their toll on it over the years. What a shame it's not available for the museum. The 1931 Presidents debuted in July of 1930 with significant changes from the 1930 model. A radiator girlle appeared for the first time, as did oval headlights. The President's straight eight received a nine main bearing crankshaft, as compared to the five-bearing unit used previously. Horsepower was increased to 122.

The most advertised innovation for 1931 was "Free Wheeling." Simply put, Free Wheeling allows a car to coast when the driver lifts his foot from the accelerator. During record setting runs staged at Rogers dry Lake, California, now the home of Edwards Air Force Base, a stock 1931 President Four Seasons Roadster set 11 new speed records. The flying mile was completed at 91.79 miles per hour, while a 100-mile run was recorded at an average of 90.35 miles per hour. One of the roadsters had a sign on it asking "What's the little door for?" There were three golf clubs leaning against the running board by the back door where you could see a small compartment large enough to accomodate a set of golf clubs. This cubby hole was also accessible from the rumble seat.

Here is Bob inspecting the 1957 Golden Hawk 400. It was one of the fastest automobiles on the road in 1957, powered by a supercharged 275 horsepower V8. The Ultra-Luxurious Golden Hawk "400" featured hand buffed leather and special paint. Only 41 Golden Hawk 400's were made. Price when new: $4,208.00.

I was not familiar with the 1963 Avanti, also designed by Raymond Loewy. It marked Studebaker's entry into the "Personal Car" field, competing with the Ford Thunderbird and Buick Riviera. A fiberglass body, disc brakes and a roll bar were standard equipment, with a supercharged engine headlining a long list of options. Price when new: $4,445.00. We saw dozens of different models from all eras of Studebaker's reign, even pickup trucks. I was dazzled by them all. We browsed the gift shop where I got Bullet Nose, Hawk and Packard Predictor postcards.

Our next stop was lunch at Honkers on Michigan Street south of the Studebaker Museum. Bob had the Rotisserie Chicken and I had the Baked Norwegian Salmon with dill seasoning. It reminded me of The Two Fat Ladies Salmon. Mine came with Orange Muffins fresh from their bakery that were very tasty. We got a paper on the way out, mailed some letters at a downtown mailbox and headed through the deserted streets of South Bend out State Road 2 to our campground at Mini Mountain. While Bob browsed the paper I walked up the 'mountain' with the cell phone to try to get some reception. It is completely dead inside our trailer and around our campsite. But earlier as we drove out by the office I got a beep and a voice message showed up from Patti. Sure enough I could make outgoing calls on top of the mountain. So I chatted with my sister and then my nephew, Nathaniel, in Chicago and left a message for Patti.