1966 Studebaker

The 1966 Studebaker Commander series was available in two- or four-door configurations.

No other North American automaker could reach as far back into transportation history as Studebaker. The company's beginnings centred aound brothers Henry and Clement who began building high quality wagons and carriages in 1852 in their Southold (South Bend), Indiana blacksmith shop.

Henry, Clement, Jacob, Peter and J.M. Studebaker

Their credo was a simple one, "Always give more than you promise." The brothers prospered because they did exactly that. With time, three more brothers joined the family enterprise, adding their knowledge and expertise to a rapidly growing business.

Studebaker's sturdy Conestoga wagons were a favourite of pioneers trekking across the continent to search for gold and land. The company became the world's largest manufacturer when awarded a contract to supply wagons to the US Army in 1861.

In the 1870s the company expanded its line to include stylish traps, elegant carriages and beautiful sleighs for its urban customers. Keeping pace with the times, electric and gasoline buggies were added at the turn of the Twentieth Century.

A 1908 Studebaker Limousine.

In 1908 Studebaker became the third largest auto manufacturer in the world. Battling it out with rivals Maxwell and Willys-Overland, by 1911 Studebaker had climbed to the Number Two spot, bested only by Ford.

Studebaker's management wisely emphasized building key components so that they could be shipped worldwide. This allowed for locally made parts wherever they were shipped. Recognizing the local content laws required in many countries gave Studebaker preferential tax breaks in many markets. 

A 1911 E-M-F Touring (top) and Roadster.

For the British Empire, Studebaker's headquarters were in Windsor, Ontario. When the company purchased the E-M-F concern in 1911, part of the deal was the E-M-F plant in Windsor.

The 1913 Studebaker Model AA.

By 1913 the E-M-F name was retired in favour of Studebaker. Records show that 3,000 Studebakers were domestically assembled that year.

This 1913 photo shows the Studebaker of Canada Limited factory in Windsor, Ontario.

The stylish cars appealed to the affluent. The least expensive Studebaker cost CAD$1,245 in 1918. As early as 1923 records showed profitable shipments of Canadian-built Studebakers throughout the British Empire.

Business was great until 1927 when the Erskine was introduced. Designed for wealthy globetrotters, the car was too European in looks and sufficiently overpriced that it was not accepted by the public. In May of 1930 Canadian production of the Erskine was discontinued. The car was rebadged as Studebaker 53 and old somewhat better.

The 1932 Pierce-Arrow Model 54. Note the unusual position of the headlights.

 In 1928 Studebaker moved further into the luxury field by purchasing old-line Pierce-Arrow. The prestigious marque had long been the preferred conveyance of royalty and heads of state, but had fallen on hard times as management had not kept up with the changes in the industry. Studebaker poured millions into the development of a new 12-cylinder engine for Pierce-Arrow, but  to no avail. The investment proved to be a very expensive mistake. Produced in Canada from 1932 to 1934, Pierce-Arrow buyers were far and few between. The luxurious brand was sold off in 1934.

The third costly error was the introduction of the Rockne in 1932. The little economy car was a great idea but with one out of five Canadians was looking for works in the depths of a world business depression, no one was buying. With three stunning failures in a row, Studebaker's world president committed suicide.

The company went into receivership in 1933, though the Canadian subsidiary operated in the black throughout the Dirty Thirties, sending a cheque to head office for $3.5 million in 1934. Reorganized and nursed back to health, the company soldiered on.

The 1936 Studebaker President sold for $1,073 in Canada.

Assembly continued in Windsor until 1936 when Parliament rewrote the laws pertaining to the domestic content of automobiles. It was now more lucrative to ship completed cars to Canada than to build them here.

Through good times and bad, Studebaker continued to impress. American presidents and Hollywood stars appreciated their elegant lines. King Edward VIII had one in his stable. Viscount Alexander of Tunis--Canada's Governor-General from 1946 to 1952--counted Studebaker among his favourite conveyances.

The 1922 Studebaker Model EK Big Six, a.k.a. the Whisky Six was a favourite of rum runners carting booze from Canada into the United States.

Outlaws liked Studebaker's speed. Big Studebakers were favourites of folks smuggling alcohol into the US from Canada during the years that our southern neighbours went 'dry.' Nicknamed 'Whisky Sixes,' speedy Studies could easily outrun police cars, adding glamour and panache to the brand.  The very name Studebaker meant power. Not to be outdone the Windsor, Ontario police force ordered Studebakers for their own arsenal.

The thrifty and small 1939 Studebaker Champion was popular enough with Canadians that the company planned to reopen its assembly plant.

In 1939 war broke out. Studebaker's plans to reactive its assembly plant in Canada would have to wait until the war's end. When peace did come in 1945, the company bought a factory in Hamilton, Ontario. The new plant opened to much fanfare in August of 1948.

First out the door were the highly popular and thrifty Champions. Soon other models including trucks, were rolling down the production lines and being loaded onto transports for dealer delivery in all nine provinces. Figures show just under 13,000 vehicles were built in 1949 and those included shipments to Canada's newest province, Newfoundland and Labrador. Production rose to more than 15,000 units in 1950. In 1951 the corporate flagship--the Commander--became a Canadian product.

The 1952 Studebaker Commander V-8.

Studebaker marked its 100th anniversary in 1952. A new design wasn't ready so there was one more face lift for the ageing body.

Studebaker was honoured to pace the Indianapolis 500 Race in 1952.

The 1953 Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe.

Then Studebaker found itself in trouble for a variety of reasons. The 1953 cars were not well received as many found them to be far too European in looks. Worse, the surviving independent automakers were virtually cut out of the market as Chevrolet and Ford engaged in all-out war to be Number One in the hearts and garages of consumers. Their ruthless price-cutting game was devastating to Nash, Hudson, Packard, Studebaker and Willys-Overland. Survival meant merging and Packard bought badly ailing Studebaker in 1954.

The majestic 1954 Packard Patrician. Packard had been building cars for 55 years in 1954.

Unfortunately, Studebaker's South Bend plant had the highest break eve point of all the indepdenents partly because it paid the highest wages in the industry. The newly merged company was not a healthy one and internal rivalries were bitter. Studebaker had lost control of its cost. High retail prices prompted consumers to to buy vehicles elsewhere.

Packard had its own troubles. Management didn't trust each other. The cars were poorly finished. Convertibles leaked. Top brass decided to resolve the problem on the cheap by ordering waterproof upholstery. Confidence continued to slip. That meant there was less new money to develop new products.

Truck production was pulled from Hamilton in 1955. Only 256 trucks were built that year. Total car production in Hamilton dropped to 8,441 units.

The 1956 Studebaker, Packard and Clipper (now a separate marque) lineup should have been the company's last.

The public perceived Studebaker and Packard as yesterday's cars. Production for the 1956 model year was limited to actual orders. Even sales brochures were rationed. Packards by the scores were sent back to the factory because of a flaw in the rear axle design. Things got worse when Chrysler bought Briggs--the company that stamped Packard bodies for years. Merging operations wasn't going well, either. Packards couldn't be built in South Bend because the bodies were too large for the lines. Underwriters refused to advance Studebaker-Packard the USD$95 million needed to tool up new bodies for the 1957 model year. 

 

Top-of-the-line Studebaker President four-door sedan for 1957.

The story would have ended right then except for US President Eisenhower. It was an election year and he wanted a second term in office. That wasn't going to happen if Studebaker-Packard went under. It would be the largest business failure in American history. It was arranged for S-P to be purchased by Curtiss-Wright. The aircraft component maker would manage the company for three years and get it back on its feet. 

The 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL turned heads.

Problems began to get solved. A new Packard would be made from the Studebaker body. A compact car would be made from the current Studebaker body as well. In the short term, S-P dealers would sell Mercedes-Benz, imported from West Germany. Finally there needed to be a stop-gap vehicle that would keep the doors open until the new compact arrived in the fall of 1958.

The 1957 Studebaker Scotsman was priced in the Volkswagen Beetle range.

 That stop-gap model would be the Scotsman. It was a stripper but it might steal sales from frugal folk who might buy Volkswagen and Rambler. Billed as an inflation fighter, the Scotsman used cardboard in the interior and paint rather than chrome. Those who remembered Studebaker's glory days were disgusted. Denis 'Gus' Gaskin, President of Studebaker-Packard of Canada took one look and snorted, "Why don't you save some more money by taking the wheels off the darned thing." He resigned that day and went to work the next Monday as president of Mack Trucks of Canada.

The Studebaker Scotsman was plain from every angle.

Regardless, it was the lowly and humble Scotsman that would tide the company over until the sensational new compact--the Lark--could be readied for the 1959 selling season. Engineers got things right this time around, as many sound mechanical improvements were made. Studebaker's fiscal house was in order by August of 1958. Curtiss-Wright's management team pulled out of its contract 14 months early, allowing the company the freedom to operate as it wished.

Engineers and designes took the 1958 body shell and cut big chunks out of it. The result was a smart, compact design that would compete well with Rambler, Volkswagen and anything the Big Three might have waiting in the wings.

The 1959 Lark by Studebaker was a big hit with the public.

When the Lark debuted in the fall of 1958, sales were phenomenal and continued to be a strong seller in 1960 as well. The automotive press speculated constantly about Studebaker's demise. It was rumoured that any day Studebaker would pull the plug on its unprofitable automotive division. Folks shied away from the possibility of owning an orphan car.

The 1962 Studebaker

Still, Studebaker soldiered on. A facelift for the 1962 Lark made it look very Mercedes-like. Studebaker was chosen to be the official pace car for the Indianapolis 500. The Lark was Track and Traffic Canada's pick as Car of the Year. Packard had been allowed to die in 1958 and the corporation dropped its name from its title. Here at home the new name was Studebaker of Canada, Limited.

Introduction of a station wagon with a novel sliding roof didn't help sales much. Neither did the introduction of the sleek, fibreglass-bodied Avanti sports car.

Production in the US was right at 30,000 for 1963 but the company lost $25 million on sales of $403 million. On December 31st the South Bend plant was shuttered and production was moved to Hamilton, Ontario. The newer and more efficient plant could supply cars to dealers in North America. As long as production held steady at 20,000 units a year, the company would make a profit. The introduction of the Canada-USA AutoPact made it easy to ship Studebakers to the States.

Studebaker got a much needed and very stylish facelift for 1964. Jane Kmita received a beautiful new Studebaker convertible when she was crowned Miss Canada that year. At home, it was billed as "Canada's Own Car." People liked them and production hit 17,614 units.

Stealing a bit of Volkswagen's thunder, the 1964 and 1965 Studebakers were touted as thrifty because they were no changes.

A very real problem was sourcing engines. The engine plant had not been brought to Canada. A solution was found by having motors made by GM Canada's McKinnon Industries in St. Catherines, Ontario. That company built engines for Chevrolet. The new mills were built to Studebaker engineers' specifications. Folks who thought that the motors were just Chev engines were surprised to learn that none of the parts were interchangeable.

The 1964 Volkswagen T1500 Sedan.

The company constantly looked for new ways to improve the profit margin. AutoPact allowed Studebaker to import cars. It was already importing Mercedes and now it added Volkswagen to the list. The West German cars were shipped to Canada with no tax or import duties and then resold to Volkswagen of Canada, Limited. This deal put money in Studebaker's bank account and allowed VW to sell its cars for less money than if they had imported them itself.

The 1964 Datsun Bluebird.

Gordon Grundy was president of Studebaker. He saw the future and to him it was clearly Japanese. He went to Japan to talk to Nissan. The two companies were ready to sign when Grundy was ordered to break off negotiations and sign with Toyota. Nissan's honour was at stake and Japan's national pride was about to be insulted. Toyota officials refused to meet Grundy and he came home empty handed.

The 1965 Isuzu Bellet was assembled on Cape Breton Island.

Top brass wanted out of the car business once and for all. Grundy came very close to selling the automaking division to Canadian Motors Limited. This company already assembled Toyotas and Isuzu Bellets in Nova Scotia for the domestic market. The deal fell through when a single bureaucrat in Nova Scotia refused to sign the papers.

The 1966 Studebaker was reskinned on a body that was now 14 years old. The look was attractive. Remarkable new features included a transistorized ignition and an advanced flow-through ventilation system called Refreshaire. It wasn't enough to save the day. Only 2,045 cars had been built during the calendar year (model sales were 8,947 units) when head office pulled the plug on its profitable automobile division. The last Studebaker rolled off the line on March 17th, 1966. The Timberline turquoise V-8 Cruiser was shipped to the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, the end of another automobile legend.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2001
All rights reserved.

1984 Dodge Caravan & Plymouth Voyageur

Chrysler had a huge hit on its hands when it introduced the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyageur minivans in the fall of 1983.

When Chrysler execs made the momentous decision to develop a “garageable van” in 1980 and market it to families they were pretty much standing on the beach, shooting at submarines in the dark of night. Not a one of them had any idea how well the idea would be received by the public. This was uncharted territory. When the plan was unveiled to Chrysler Canada workers in Windsor, they were highly skeptical. 

Three generations of Volkswagen buses are seen here, the 1980 version in the foreground.

Volkswagen had a vaguely similar product on the market and while the VW Type 2 was well known to North American consumers, it was a marginal seller at best.

No sooner did the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyageur hit the market than designers fueled the fires of desire with a Plymouth Voyageur Concept Vehicle.

Chrysler Canada president Moe Closs braved a very cold, blustery day in March of 1982 to break ground for a new paint shop so that the old factory could be gutted, renovated and consecrated solely to the manufacture of this new vehicle. The last of the rear-wheel drive passenger cars was built on June 10, 1983 while crews ripped up the line behind it. Industry insiders openly taunted Chrysler saying the conversion could not be completed in 16 weeks. The soothsayers were dead wrong. The 304 800-square metre (1-million square foot) building sparkled on time and there were 24,000 cubic metres of scrap steel to be hauled away to prove the point.

The very first Dodge Caravan leaves the line in Windsor, Ontario on November 2, 1983.

Whether one called it the T-115, the Magic Wagon, the Dodge Ram Van, the Plymouth Voyageur or Dodge Caravan, the newest Chrysler baby was born on November 2, 1983. It was ingenious in design. 

The T-115 had enough seats for a private Grey Cup party.

Absolutely cavernous inside and blessed with an exceptionally tight overhang, these beauties were easily manoeuverable. The step-in point was low, to the delight of women. Despite its truck platform, it didn’t drive or ride like a traditional hauler. A T-115 was small enough to fit in virtually any existing garage. Because it made use of front-wheel drive, the floor was completely flat.

Weaning customers from the traditional station wagon was a bold gamble but designers and engineers had created a package so delectable that it would practically sell itself. That was a good thing because the price tag for creating the T-115 was a very cool $700 million. The boys at Chrysler didn’t have to sit on pins and needles for long. Press reviews were highly favourable and so was the reaction from the public.

The 1984 Dodge Ram Van.

Sales were so hot a second shift was required almost immediately. A breakdown of sales revealed that an astonishing 67 percent of new Magic Van buyers in Canada traded in a competitor’s brand. Tom Pappert was Chrysler Canada’s VP of Sales. “This is the highest conquest sales rate ever reported for a Chrysler-built vehicle,” he bragged proudly. He also told the press that 23 percent of the people who came to look at the T-115s had never been in a Dodge or Plymouth dealership before. He could also share that the buyers were “younger, in a higher income bracket, better educated and more often married than in previous years.” This translated into a sweet symphony of cash for the company’s coffers.

The 1984 Dodge Caravan was given clean but distinctive lines.

A letter to Lee Iacocca from a happy Dodge Caravan owner in Georgia tells the tale best. “I am the very proud owner of a new and beautiful Caravan LE. I wanted to thank you for designing the perfect size van for my lifestyle.”

I am a mother of three small children. At least half of my time is spent behind the wheel of my car. I constantly carpool to two different schools, soccer, ballet and horseback riding lessons. I am also the leader of a Brownie Troop of six girls. For all these activities I can actually seat safely and comfortably all of my children… This is the first American car that I have ever been in love with. The only problem I have with the Caravan is that when I come out of a store people are all over it (which I love).”

Instrument panel was carefully planned. Dials were large with white numbers-on-black.

I truly wish to thank you for remembering the needs of my family and so many others. Please thank your employees in Windsor for doing such a fine job.”

Piloting the futuristic Plymouth Voyageur would be state-of-the-art as a live satellite feed would present road maps and information to the driver.

Not content to rest on its laurels, designers were immediately put to work to develop a Voyageur for the future. It bristled with innovations including a massive centre console in between the rear seats housing a television monitor that could be used as a personal computer, watching videos or playing video games. Overhead storage bins kept things neat and tidy while travelling. The front passenger’s seat swiveled around into a club car configuration for easy chatting with rear-seat passengers. A Modular Tailgate Convenience Package provided a trio of flip-up grocery bag holders or a picnic “shelf” complete with ice chest, wet sink, cutting board, cutlery storage and a paper towel dispenser. Another storage bin held a dust buster and an electric shaver along with DC outlets for electrical convenience. 

Clever airplane-type overhead bins keep clutter and fuss to a minimum in the Plymouth Voyageur Concept Vehicle.

The Voyageur was fitted with a satellite navigation map unit built directly into the instrument panel. To gild the lily, the concept vehicle was decorated with soft leathers, natural fabrics and warm domestic carpeting to “speak quietly of home comforts” as one travelled in the Voyageur of the future on tomorrow’s roads.

The Plymouth Voyageur Concept Vehicle included a Picnic Package with ice chest, a wet sink and places for cutlery and paper towels.

With or without the Plymouth Voyageur Concept vehicle to spur the imagination, Chrysler had a huge hit on its hands and would continue to be an innovative market segment pioneer and sales leader for the next two decades and beyond.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005
 All rights reserved.

1937 Packard Six

 Stepping up to the scales at 1 501 kilos (3,310 pounds), the 1937 Packard Six Touring Sedan for five passengers cost $1,430 f.o.b. Windsor, Ontario.

Packard got its start in 1899 after an incident in which unhappy Winton owner James Ward Packard spoke personally to Mr. Alexander Winton and proposed improvements to the Winton automobile. The rather arrogant creator told Packard his creation was impossible to improve. That exchange prompted Packard to prove Winton wrong by building his own automobile.

His Ohio Automobile Company was renamed the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902 and shortly thereafter moved from Warren, Ohio to Detroit where its new home was a state-of-the-art factory designed by fabled industrial architect Albert Kahn.

Packard quickly graduated from single-cylinder vehicles to twins and fours. Within a decade the company had established itself firmly with the public as a maker of fine luxury automobiles, many with custom coachwork by prestigious design houses.  The six-cylinder Packard appeared in 1911 and the Twin Six or 12-cylinder Packard in 1916. Targeted to the world's wealthy, Packard was one third of the "three 'P's", Packard, Peerless and Pierce Arrow. The toney triumverate offered cars fit for royalty, presidents and prime ministers in catagories far above domestic competitors Lincoln and Cadillac. 

The introduction of Imperial Preference and Empire Content laws gave substantial tax breaks to manufacturers producing goods within the British Empire. It effectively shut out American companies by use of a stiff, 35-percent tariff. American automakers that had previously exported to Canada and other parts of the Empire opted to open assembly plants in the Dominion of Canada. Most companies chose to locate their Canadian subsidiaries in Windsor, Ontario--a stone's throw away from Motor City--Windsor lay directly south of Detroit, on the south side of the river Detroit. The new Canadian address made them domestic players and that gave them full access to the vast British Empire market.

1931 Packard

Packard chose to open its assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario in 1931. The first Packard to roll out the factory doors was festooned in a Union Jack. On hand for the auspicious occasion was Alvin Macauley, president of Packard’s worldwide operations, the mayors of Windsor and Sandwich, as well as the publisher of the Border Cities Star. At the Prince Edward Hotel, Packard threw a reception where Macauley placed the hubcaps on the Packard to complete its assembly. Domestic sales reached 216 units during the company’s first year in Canada.

In 1932 Packard offered cars ranging in price from $3,920 for the distinguished five-passenger phaeton to $6,850 for the sassy five-passenger convertible Victoria. The economy was in the dumper and domestic sales hit a low of 109 units. Surprisingly the assembly plant did not close. Sales rose to 139 units in 1933. Sales of Packards in Eastern Canada tumbled to 115 units in 1934.

1935 Packard 120.

The economic picture looked much brighter with sales of 659 units in 1935 with the introduction of the new, smaller Packard 120. The decision turned out to be a wise one. Records indicate a healthy 1,476 units delivered during the 1936 calendar year. 

Assembled in Windsor, Ontario, the 1937 Packard Six Sport Coupe listed for $1,330 and weighed in at 1 458 kilos (3,215 pounds).

When the 1937 Packard clan bowed to the public in September of 1936, advertising focused heavily on the less expensive or Junior series in the lineup. It zeroed in on the fact that “more important than any new body design, more important than any new motor principle is the combination of enduring identity and mechanical excellence not to be had in a car of lower price. For years the lower-price field has offered the buying public a wide choice of vehicles. But, for years, each has lacked the value of projected styling and projected engineering to which Packard owners have long been entitled.” Nearly two years ago Packard met that lack part way with its distinguished Packard 120. Now it continues the successful formula of this bigger car and carries it within reach of thousands more, by an even lower-priced model also of long style life plus long mechanical life plus a fine name.”

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If one good turn deserved another, then the 120 was the perfect manoeuvre from which to introduce the new, even smaller and more affordable Six. The Six was offered in eight models on a pert,  2 921-millimetre (115-inch) wheelbase. The least expensive was the two-passenger Business Coupe with its list price of $1,260 while honours for the most expensive automobile in the series was shared by the five-passenger Tour Sedan and the four-passenger Convertible Coupe at $1,430 each.

 At 1 490 kilos (3,285 pounds), the 1937 Packard Six Convertible Coupe was the heaviest in the 120 series and with its $1,430 price tag. It was tied for top honours with the Five –passenger Touring Sedan as the costliest of the small Packards.

Under the hood loafed the two-litre (282-cubic inch), 100-horsepower L-head six fitted with aluminum pistons. The power was fed to a three-speed, silent, synchronized manual transmission.

Cabins were capacious and beautifully appointed as one might expect in such a prestige vehicle. Steel bracing was strategically reinforced with select hardwood.  Narrow A-pillars combined with a 33-centimetre (12-inch) tall safety glass windshield that offered extra vision in all directions, and was convenient for watching the new overhead traffic lights. Front doors were now hinged from the trailing edge of the hood and fenders for safety and convenience. A novel sponge rubber seal completely encircled each door to shut out wind and inclement weather. 

Instrument panel of the 1937 Packard Six was symmetrically balanced. An accurate electric clock was optional equipment that replaced the Packard shield on the right-side circle.

The instrument panel was described as being “attractively useful.” Dials were large, nicely balanced and illuminated with indirect lighting to provide “sure night vision without eyestrain.” The over-wide seats carried a distinctive style of plain pleating to add to their tailored trim look. Advertising noted that orthopedic contouring made them “as comfortable as they look.” Floors were flat and the rear passengers enjoyed a nifty footrest built into the back of the front seat.

Interior of the 1937 Packard Six Five-passenger Touring Sedan was as posh as any other Packard in the lineup.

The company boasted that the Six carried 46 ball and roller bearings, “whose lavish use helps make the new Packards the most service-free cars to bear the well known Packard name.” Fine touches like those made the car worthy of the Packard name.

The 1937 Packard Touring Coupe carried a price tag of $1,360 and like all other models in the domestically built Six series rode on a 2 921-millimetre (115-inch) wheelbase.

All Packards came with an oil bath cleaner, a roll control bar, jack pads, a spare wheel, a jack and tool equipment, body ventilation, an interior sun visor, two windshield cleaners, a rear view mirror, front and rear ash trays, a spring-loaded robe rail, a rear foot rest, a generator voltage regulator,  344-lux (32-candlepower) headlights with four lighting positions. A combination tail and stop light, a horn, speedometer, a gasoline gauge, an oil pressure gauge, a motor thermometer, an ammeter, a locking package compartment in the instrument panel, a wheel compartment lock, a cowl ventilator with screen, an adjustable front seat, toggle grips and a radio aerial in all cars with enclosed bodies.

Accessories included an accurate electric clock; a radiator emblem “sculptured in modern style as a streamlined symbol of grace, speed and beauty;” chrome trim rings; a flexible steering wheel; a hot water heater with or without defroster and a radio.

It would turn out to be a good year for the folks at Packard. The sales tally for 1937 would be a notch up from the year before as 1,168 Packards of all stripes were recorded for the 1937 calendar year.

1937 Packard Twelve.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2006
All rights reserved.