On my trip to FreedomFest 2022, I stopped by the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, IN.

The museum has a lot of interesting vehicles and exhibits about the Studebaker family’s history. The museum is three floors. One floor has exhibits about the history of the family, the company, and its production up to about the Second World War. Another floor has vehicles and exhibits from after the Second World War. The third floor holds storage for vehicles of various ages and exhibits of Studebaker production for military purposes for both World Wars. Instead of walking through my pictures in the order I took them, I’ll walk you through a selection of those pictures in order of Studebaker’s history.

The Studebakers arrived in Philadelphia from Germany in 1736. They settled in south central Pennsylvania. They were blacksmiths who turned into wagonmakers. Over time, the family moved into Maryland. Peter Studebaker set up a wagon making business in Hagerstown, MD. His son John Clement Studebaker, in the 19th century, moved the family through Ohio into Indiana.

John C. Studebaker made this Conestoga Wagon to move his family West.

John Clement Studebaker had five sons: Henry, Clement, John Mohler, Peter, and Jacob. Two, Henry and Clement, in the 1850s, opened a blacksmith and carriage shop in South Bend. Later, their brother John Mohler joined the company and bought out Henry’s share. Peter also joined the company.

This Phaeton is the oldest Studebaker vehicle in existence. The carriage was built in 1857. John M. Studebaker acquired it for the family’s collection in 1908 by trading the owner a new buggy for this carriage.

The brothers exclusively produced carriages until about 1895. John M. Studebaker’s son-in-law Fred Fish encouraged the brothers to produce a practical horseless carriage. When Peter Studebaker died, Fred Fish became Chairman of the Executive Committee in 1897. Afterwards, the company increased its production of automobiles. John M. Studebaker thought that automobile production would supplement the company’s carriage making as farmers might not be able to afford the maintenance of a car. The company’s first cars were electric.

This is a 1911 Studebaker Model 17-B Electric Coupe. It’s the only picture I could find in my pictures of a Studebaker electric car.

Studebaker started making gasoline powered cars in 1904. Studebaker stopped making electric cars in 1911.

This 1904 Studebaker Model C is the oldest surviving gasoline powered Studebaker vehicle.

During the First World War, Studebaker made vehicles, both gasoline powered and horse drawn, for the Entente powers. When the US entered the war, Studebaker made vehicles for the US military as well. Studebaker greatly benefited from these orders.

Water cart Studebaker made for the US Army for the First World War.

Studebaker stopped making horse drawn carriages in 1919 or 1920. The wikipedia article on Studebaker says they stopped making horse drawn carriages in 1919, but the museum has a 1920 dated horse drawn carriage.

1920 Studebaker Farm Wagon

The post-First World War years were boom years for Studebaker. Studebaker opened up the first automobile proving grounds in the United States. Studebaker built new factories in Detroit and in Ontario.

David Abbot Jenkins drove this 1927 Studebaker Commander from New York to San Francisco, breaking the existing New York to San Francisco driving record.

The Great Depression brought changes and hardship to the company. The company entered receivership and underwent a leadership change. The new leadership turned the company around, and by 1933 the company was showing a profit.

The Rockne was Studebaker’s attempt at a low cost car to keep sales up during the Depression. This example was made in 1933.

During the Second World War, Studebaker produced vehicles, aircraft engines, and aircraft nacelles for the US military.

Studebaker made this M29C Weasel. It’s an all terrain troop and cargo carrier. This version is amphibious.

The post-Second World War era was the beginning of the end for Studebaker. An industry wide price war hurt Studebaker. Because of Studebaker’s high labor costs and unwillingness to cut wages, Studebaker was not able to stay profitable and cut costs like their competitors. In 1956, Studebaker merged with Packard to form the Studebaker-Packard Company.

1953 Studebaker Champion Starliner Hardtop.

The merger helped keep the company afloat for a little while longer. After a 1962 strike at the South Bend factory, Studebaker-Packard began winding down operations. In 1963, the company shut down its South Bend factory. In 1966, the company closed its Hamilton, Ontario factory and ceased production of automobiles.

This is the last Studebaker produced. It is a 1966 Studebaker Cruiser produced in Hamilton, Ontario.

This is just a small fraction of the pictures I took at the museum. There is a lot more to see than what I’ve shown here. If you are near South Bend and like cars, I recommend stopping by.

I’ll end with one last picture: A 1963 Studebaker Avanti which exceeded 200 MPH at Bonneville.