The Studebaker Century: A National Heritage

Excellent pictorial opus. Probably because of its rarity, it's not cheap, and has only 192 large pages and many big, black and white pictures. Published in 1991 in the USA, it seems to belong in the beginning of the 20th. Graphics are quaint and are all black and white. The pictures identify all models including lots of trucks. I did not find any errors, which are usually ubiquitous in lesser works. There are omissions such as the fact that wheelbarrow Johnny lost his California grubstake in a card game. Obviously christian dunkards were not skilled cardsharks. The text is not definitive due to its brevity. At the end of this revue, I recommend two books with definitive text.There are still some of us Studebaker aficionados alive, who have fond memories of these cars. My Dad owned a 1950 Champion, a 1951 Commander, and a 1953 Commander; all of which were 4-dr sedans. Believe it or not, my Mom learned to drive and even got her license on the 1951 Commander State V-8 with standard shift, hill holder, but no power steering or brakes. I still have its bill of sale. It was bought for $2,143.94 at Homestead Motors, a Studebaker dealer next to Boston's famous Fenway Park.There is no other marque with such a large, loyal and fascinated following. What I find so amazing is that Studebaker was able to take the 1953 body shell and reshape it into the beautiful 1956 President Classic, and then into the cute 1959 Lark. The 1953 hardtop was converted into the stunning 1957 Golden Hawk. The company complained that it could not get financing for a new body shell, but it was more successful revamping what it already had. After seeing what the new body shell would have looked like, it was a blessing in disguise; the proposed body shell was to be shared with Packard, and this version was silly looking. In 1951, Studebaker's 99th year, it had a V-8 and 3-speed automatic transmission, not a sluggish Six teamed with the ridiculous 2-speed Powerglide, a piece of rubbish that Chevrolet foisted on the public for years. I had a 1954 version of this thing, and it couldn't climb steep hills without scary downshifting to first gear and dangerous engine overrevving resulting in a shift to high, which overloaded the engine to the point where the car actually slowed down. It desperately needed a second gear.Duesenberg has its cadre of fans, but they are fewer in number due to its exclusivity and short production span. I recommend it as a worthwhile adjunct to one's Studebaker lore. It is indeed a repository of an important part of our national heritage; it spans almost half of the duration of our nation's existence.Three books with more definitive text: "More Than You Promise," Kathleen Ann Smallzreid & Dorothy James Roberts, 1942, 336 pages; "More Than They Promised," Thomas E. Bonsall, 2000, 488 pages; "Studebaker: The Postwar Years," Richard M. Langworth, 195 pages.

I'll try to strike a balance between the other reviews here. This is my favorite of the all the Studebaker books I own. It is a very easy and interesting read with loads of fun and obscure information. Now this is not an all encompassing, detailed history but it is a wonderful overview of the many different operations of this great company including the war-time, racing, overseas, advertising etc. parts of the company that are normally not discussed in other Studebaker history books. And the photos are amazing!! This is by far the best part of this book and their are tons of very interesting photos that I have never seen before. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Studebaker company or in general early 20th century American history. I am ordering 2 more for my brothers as Christmas gifts. Very enjoyable.

This book provides a nice overview of the history of the Stubebaker Company and its products. Very well done.

Excellent book.

The old book about old company. It brings You back to the "golden age" of American car. Very interesting black&white pictures, plenty of information You'll never find on the web.