Studebaker Commander
The Studebaker Commander was a car that the Studebaker Corporation in South Bend, Indiana and Studebaker of Canada Ltd. manufactured in Hamilton, Ontario . Studebaker used this name from the 1920s and continued - with interruptions in 1936 and between 1959 and 1963 - until 1966. The corresponding models stood at different points in the Studebaker model range and sometimes changed their role from one year to the next.
Model series
1927-1935
In 1927 the middle series was named Commander. These models were previously known as the short wheelbase Big Six models. (In the late 1920s, the long- wheelbase Big Six models were named President and the standard Six models were renamed Dictator ). At the end of 1935, the Commander dropped out of the Studebaker product line.
1937-1958
In 1937 the Commander was resumed as the successor to the Studebaker Dictator , the cheapest model. In 1939, Studebaker introduced the Champion as the smallest model, and so the Commander landed back in the upper middle class .
After the Second World War , the President models were dropped and the Commander slid back up the pallet. There was also an extended wheelbase model, the Land Cruiser .
In 1955 Studebaker reintroduced the designation President for the most expensive model series and the Commander slipped back into the upper middle class. The Commander series was also expanded downwards with the Custom sub -series (the Commander Custom was ultimately a champion with a V8 engine). At the end of 1958, the Commander was again removed from the product range.
1964-1966
After the factory break in 1963, the name Commander reappeared and referred to the second cheapest version of the Lark in the 1964 models , with Challenger being the name for the cheapest model. The Studebaker Commander from 1964 is easy to recognize by its individual main headlights . In 1965, the Commander - like its sister models Daytona and Cruiser - got double headlights.
reception
The models of the Studebaker Commander with the “ball nose” inspired the designers of the Rover P4 . In addition, the Commander was processed medially in various works:
- A Studebaker Commander with a custom paint job was used in the film Muppet Movie . A copy can now be found in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana .
- One specially converted, shovel-nosed Studebaker belonged to Mike Grell's mercenary Jon Sable in the movie John Sable, Freelance .
- A specially crafted Studebaker Commander was used in the film The Mask for the role of Jim Carrey .
- The song Commander of Herbert Grönemeyer is dedicated to this type of car.
- In the video game LA Noire , the player can drive a Studebaker Commander.
- In episode 9 / season 27 of The Simpsons, Grampa Simpson drives a 1954 Starliner Commander, which he bought new but forgot in the garage.
Web links
swell
- James H. Maloney: Studebaker Cars . Crestline Books, 1994, ISBN 0-87938-884-6 .
- Beverly R. Kimes (Ed.), Henry A. Clark: The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 . Krause Publications, 1996, ISBN 0-87341-428-4 .
- Richard Langworth: Studebaker, the Postwar Years . Motorbooks International, 1979, ISBN 0-87938-058-6 .
- John Gunnell (Ed.): The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 . Krause Publications, 1987, ISBN 0-87341-096-3 .