In 1902 John M. Studebaker’s son-in-law Fred Fish persuaded the family to produce a car of their own. Previously the wagon company, which was founded in 1868 and produced many of the Conestoga wagons used in settling the west, had been providing electric car companies with chassis. The resulting car was an electric designed by Thomas Edison. 20 were built in 1902 and production continued through 1912. Studebaker started building gasoline cars in 1904.
The company was successful but style and class were missing from the cars. Designers were brought in from the Rose Room of the Park Plaza hotel in NY to improve style. In 1928 Studebaker purchased Pierce Arrow and introduced the Studebaker President. With an inline 8 cylinder engine delivering 100 horsepower (hp), beautiful styling by Ray Dietrich, and a price tag of $1,985 to $2,485, the new Studebaker was a huge success. A total of 6,340 Presidents were built, and it is the only Studebaker to be considered a “classic”.
Studebaker had an Indy Race Team from 1932-1934. In 1932 the 5 car racing team placed 3rd, 6th, 13th, 15th, and 16th.
