Thursday, June 23, 2011

Car Of The Day: June 23, 2011


Today's car of the day comes from Bruce Slifer's collection and is Shrock Brothers' 1940 Studebaker President Speedster Boattail.



The Studebaker President was the premier automobile model manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA) from 1926-1942. The nameplate was reintroduced in 1955 and used until the end of the 1958 model when the name was retired.



For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: 1940 Studebaker Boattail & Studebaker President



This is a replica of a one of a kind custom car made by the Shrocks from a 1940 President.  The orignal car was beyond saving but they managed to create this with what could be salvaged.



For 1934, Studebaker trimmed its model lineup and streamlined its vehicles. The company designed a new body, the Land Cruiser, which was offered on the Dictator, Commander and President. The Land Cruiser models were easily identified by their extreme streamlining features, unusual 4-piece rear window, trunk and the full fender skirts on the rear of the vehicle. The new Presidents were smaller and less impressive than their predecessors, though still fine automobiles.

For 1935, Presidents and Commanders offered an optional steel sliding roof similar to sunroofs common on vehicles today. In 1936, all Studebaker cars featured the "Planar" suspension system, and offered the "Startix" automatic engine-starting system as an optional accessory. Vehicles manufactured from 1936 also showed the influence of industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who was hired as Studebaker’s design consultant, and Helen Dryden who specialised in interior styling. Studebaker made its Hill-Holder device (an anti-rollback brake system) standard on the President in that year.

In 1938, the company offered a remote-controlled "Miracle-Shift" transmission which featured a dashboard-mounted shifter. The unit was discontinued in 1939 when the transmission shift lever was moved to the steering column.

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