Studebaker National Museum

People visit museums for different reasons. The reason can be anything from following the work of a favorite artist, interest in a particular art collection, or that you have this unexplained affinity for a car.

I fell in love with the stylish Studebaker Avanti in 1963, the same year it hit the dealer's showroom. My ex and I lived in Troy, Michigan and were in the market for a new car. So we took a trip to the nearest dealership on Eight Mile Road in Southfield, Michigan to view this unique engineering and design marvel, the new Avanti. Turns out I developed a certain fondness for the car but we ended up buying a Ford because the price tag on the Avanti was too steep for our poor pocket book at $6,000 a crack.

The Studebaker Company is the only automobile manufacturer to span 114 years of automotive history. In 1852 Studebaker built the Conestoga Wagons. In 1966 they closed their doors forever. In between they build some of the finest high performance automobiles to roll off the assembly line anywhere.

The Studebaker Museum in South Bend, Indiana is dedicated to preserve the Studebaker heritage with over 70 vehicles on display like Lincoln's carriage, the 1928 Commander Roadster, the 1934 Bendix and the Packard Predictor. Some of the vehicles are from the Studebaker Company's private collection begun in 1960. Also included in the collection is a large number of World War II military vehicles built for the Allies.

Due to a number of factors, Studebaker's finances were shaky in 1954, which led to a merger with Packard. The company became know as Studebaker-Packard but continued on a downward spiral until 1958 when Packard disappeared altogether. The Studebaker Company had many triumphs like the Lark in 1959, the Gran Turismo Hawk in 1962 and their grandest achievement, the Avanti in 1963. Designed by Raymond Loewy, the Avanti featured disc brakes, a fiberglass body and an optional supercharged engine. The South Bend operation closed down in 1963 and the Hamilton, Ontario operation closed in 1966. The last cars off the assembly line in both plants were put into the museum.

The museum archives contains well over 70 tons of material relating to both Studebaker and Packard history. The archives feature an expansive library of Studebaker factory records, photographs, literature and memorabilia along with a myriad of blueprints of both car manufacturers.

If you have ever had a love affair with a car, you will understand and appreciate this museum. If you have ever had a fascination with the Studebaker Avanti, you will love this museum.

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