Special Exhibitions - The Studebaker National Museum

Canadian Made: Studebaker of Canada

Image of the Studebaker of Canada Plant. Banner above the car reads Studebaker Canada Builds Cars for the World

Jul 01, 2023 Many are surprised to learn that Studebaker produced automobiles in Canada over 44 years, which was one year longer than Studebakers were made in South Bend Studebaker operated a plant in Walkerville, Ontario, from 1910-1936, and later in Hamilton, Ontario, from 1948-1966 Studebaker rapidly expanded its automotive market share in the Read More →

1937 Ford Pickup Truck finished in green with black fenders.

Jun 07, 2023 Ford’s commercial vehicles of this era lagged several years behind contemporary styling trends and were notably spartan in appointments While Ford sourced many components in-house, its truck cabs were produced by Budd Manufacturing Company, an innovator of all-steel body construction This truck features Ford’s diminutive 60-horsepower V8 Read More →

Image of the Tatra T87 on display at the Studebaker National Museum.

Apr 26, 2023 Czechoslovakian automaker Tatra licensed aerodynamicist Paul Jaray’s streamlined designs beginning in the early 1930s Tatra chief engineer Hans Ledwinka was a champion of streamlining and rear-engine cars, as he believed these two features provided both fuel efficiency and increased speed To facilitate an air-cooled engine, body designer Erich Read More →

The naming of the Lincoln Highway was due in part to the advocacy of Henry Joy, President of the Packard Motor Car Company. He is pictures sporting a suit and a very nice mustache.

Apr 14, 2023 Henry Joy, President of Packard Motor Car Company, believed that the road should be named after Abraham Lincoln He urged Fisher to write a letter of protest to Congress, which was considering spending $17 million on a marble memorial to Lincoln Joy thought a good road across the country would be a better tribute to the president The name Read More →

This 1949 2R-5 Pickup Truck is finished in blue with a white bumper and red rims on the tires. On the side of the truck is "Midland Engineering Co. South Bend, IN" finished in yellow lettering.

Apr 04, 2023 This 1949 Studebaker 2R-5 was a part of the 2R series Studebaker debuted its new 2R-Series truck line in mid-1948 to much fanfare The 2R’s styling was penned by Studebaker designer Robert Bourke, who later designed the 1953 Studebaker Starliner hardtop The 2R was offered in a wide variety of models from the standard pickup to heavy duty Read More →

1933 Rockne 10 finished in black and tan. The car sits in front of the ND Administration Building.

Mar 24, 2023 The Rockne was initially developed by freelance automotive engineers Roy Cole and Ralph Vail as a project for Willys-Overland When Willy’s declined the car, Cole approached Studebaker President Albert Erskine who bought the design and retained Cole and Vail as engineers The new car was built by the newly formed Studebaker subsidiary Rockne Read More →

1939 Lincoln finished in red. Roadster style. One of only two.

Mar 07, 2023 This 1939 Lincoln is one of two “K” series LeBaron Convertible Roadsters known to have been built in 1939 After becoming President of Ford Motor Company, Edsel Ford focused on the styling of Fords and Lincolns, in contrast to his father who focused on practicality The “K” chassis was designed by Eugene Gregorie, who used his previous Read More →

1927 Erskine 50 one of Studebaker's entry level cars. This was one of the Studebaker Companion Models as it was technically produced by the Erskine Motors Company not Studebaker.

Feb 24, 2023 Conventional wisdom of the late 1920s held that low-priced models could dilute the brand image of their higher-priced stablemates Studebaker, along with many other manufacturers, marketed its new low-priced offerings as separate and distinct brands termed companion models Studebaker sought to expand its traditional middle-priced product line Read More →

This 1918 Studebaker ad highlights the connection between Studebaker and the Lincoln Highway

Jan 20, 2023 In 1909 Carl Fisher and three partners James Newby, James Allison and Frank Wheeler opened the Indianapolis Speedway The Speedway's immediate success was further enhanced with the placement of brick pavers on the two and a half mile track and the establishment of the Indianapolis 500 race in 1911 Automobile manufacturers sprang up across Ohio, Read More →

International Scout Truck finished in gold. A rather square bodied truck.

Dec 19, 2022 The International Scout was designed as an economical compact utility pickup for both rural and urban users Although the market for four-wheel drive recreational vehicles was limited at this time, the Scout was a success and pointed the way towards today’s SUVs and cross-over vehicles The Scout debuted in 1961 and remained in production Read More →

Canadian Made: Studebaker of Canada

1937 Ford 73

1948 Tatra T87

The Naming of the Lincoln Highway

1949 Studebaker 2R-5

1933 Rockne 10

1939 Lincoln “K” LeBaron Convertible Roadster

Reaching the Masses: Studebaker Companion Models

The Lincoln Highway: Leaders in the Movement for Transcontinental Travel

1967 International Scout 800

1967 International Scout 800