Shipping destination on factory order form

[ddub]

My 53 Commander K was shipped via rail on 6/8/53 from the CA plant. Destination is listed as "MEFORD". Anyone know what that means? A dealer somewhere? Medford, OR misspelled? Only options were tinted glass, Climatizer and OD. I found it in Salem, OR, in 1986.

[Deaf Mute]

My 1953 Commander was supposedly shipped to Redwood Falls, Mont. There is no town like that (not even on a 1957 map). I bought the car from a used car lot in Tracy, Minnesota (only 35 miles from Redwood Falls, Minn.) back in 1963; and that leads me to believe there may be many mistakes on those build sheets.

[BobPalma]

My 1953 Commander was supposedly shipped to Redwood Falls, Mont. There is no town like that (not even on a 1957 map). I bought the car from a used car lot in Tracy, Minnesota (only 35 miles from Redwood Falls, Minn.) back in 1963; and that leads me to believe there may be many mistakes on those build sheets.

Duane: Are you sure that is Redwood Falls Montana and not Redwood Falls Minnesota? Both could have the abbreviation MN, (or a close derivative) since those production orders were typed before two-letter state abbreviations were standardized.

I say that because Redwood Falls Minnesota was the home of active Studebaker dealer Baker Brothers Motors. You may recall Baker Brothers Motors as being the dealership that furnished the new, 1950 2R5 Studebaker truck for the famous SDC photograph/poster, Sunday Service.

That original photograph was taken June 4, 1950, and Baker Brothers Motors was alive and doing well when your 1953 Commander was shipped. BP

[HAWK64]

Bob,
I have a nice 1 1/2" pinback originating from that Dealership. On the attached ribbon it says 1950 & then Baker Bros Motors, Redwood Falls, Minn. The badge shows the logo for Minnesota's Centennial year (1849 - 1949) followed by Studebakers Really Rolling. Perhaps Bakers created the badge themselves?

[studegary]

My 1953 Commander was supposedly shipped to Redwood Falls, Mont. There is no town like that (not even on a 1957 map). I bought the car from a used car lot in Tracy, Minnesota (only 35 miles from Redwood Falls, Minn.) back in 1963; and that leads me to believe there may be many mistakes on those build sheets.

Anything that is re-typed, as the build sheets were done for a period of time, is subject to some errors. If the typing was done by someone that is young enough to not remember prior to two letter state abbreviations, there is more of a chance for error.

[Welcome]

My 53 Commander K was shipped via rail on 6/8/53 from the CA plant. Destination is listed as "MEFORD". Anyone know what that means? A dealer somewhere? Medford, OR misspelled? Only options were tinted glass, Climatizer and OD. I found it in Salem, OR, in 1986.

FWIW; I've seen several CA Plant Production Orders marked in the DESTINATION box: "MEDFORD, OREGON" and the SHIP VIA box marked "RAIL"

[BobPalma]

Bob,
I have a nice 1 1/2" pinback originating from that Dealership. On the attached ribbon it says 1950 & then Baker Bros Motors, Redwood Falls, Minn. The badge shows the logo for Minnesota's Centennial year (1849 - 1949) followed by Studebakers Really Rolling. Perhaps Bakers created the badge themselves?

Entirely possible, Jim; even probable.

Cecil and David Baker were an unusually-good dealership team, with excellent penetration for their market...especially trucks, in which they excelled.

One thing they did was photograph every farmer who bought a new Studebaker truck from them, with his new truck, when he took delivery. Then, they framed those photographs and hung them all around the top of their showroom walls.

When another farmer came in, there was an excellent chance he would recognize and know one of the previous customers, and what had been that customer's "new" Studebaker truck.

I wouldn't put it past them to have created anything of significance if it would have helped promote Studebakers and their marketing area, especially if a tie could be made between the two. BP

[Deaf Mute]

Bob,
The order says "Redwood Falls, MONT" At that time Minnesota would be MINN. We double checked the microfisch (still at N-A at that time). It also said it came with UU tires... which we think should be WW tires. I am convinved that my Stude came from Baker Brothers & even have their front licese plate tab proudly displayed.

[BobPalma]

Bob,
The order says "Redwood Falls, MONT" At that time Minnesota would be MINN. We double checked the microfisch (still at N-A at that time). It also said it came with UU tires... which we think should be WW tires. I am convinved that my Stude came from Baker Brothers & even have their front licese plate tab proudly displayed.

Undoubtedly so, Duane; and Redwood Falls MN is a whole lot closer to your Iowa home, the car's current residence, than any fictitional Redwood Falls, Montana! That's a cool license plate tag, too; quite a find and nice to have.

Christmas this year revealed another possible production-line variance. You may have read of my receiving a Marti Report for my 1973 Mustang convertible for Christmas, essentially a deluxe Production Order with a detailed anaylsis of rarity as to options and configurations.

The Mustang is about as original as you could hope for: It is still on all five production line tires, and I even have the production line battery for it, although it it quite useless, of course, being 39 years old. I will have owned the car 36 of its 39 years this coming Sunday (January 8, 2012). I watched it turn 17,000 miles as I drove it home January 8, 1976. It is now exactly 17,894.

The Marti Report matches the car perfectly with one exception: It says it was ordered with the DeLuxe, rim-blow steering wheel, but it has the standard steering wheel, not the DeLuxe wheel. 'Always has, to the best of my knowledge.

So that means one of three things happened:

1. They were out of tilt-wheel steering columns assembled with rim-blow wheels the day it was made, so they just installed a standard-wheel column. (It does have the tilt wheel specified on the P.O.)

2. The Marti Report indicates the car was shipped February 1, 1973, but was not sold until August 31, 1973. That means it was in the selling dealer's stock a full seven months. During that time, the dealer may have exchanged its steering wheel to make a sale on another 1973 Mustang in stock where the customer wanted a DeLuxe wheel.

3. The production line simply overlooked the specified DeLuxe wheel and installed a tilt column with a standard wheel.

I'd bet #3 is right, but, of course, have no way of proving it. After all, we know how attentive Detroit and the UAW-types were to detail in the early 1970s, right? (And this convertible was built at Dearborn Assembly!) <GGG> BP

[8E45E]

Entirely possible, Jim; even probable.

Cecil and David Baker were an unusually-good dealership team, with excellent penetration for their market...especially trucks, in which they excelled.

One thing they did was photograph every farmer who bought a new Studebaker truck from them, with his new truck, when he took delivery. Then, they framed those photographs and hung them all around the top of their showroom walls.

When another farmer came in, there was an excellent chance he would recognize and know one of the previous customers, and what had been that customer's "new" Studebaker truck.

I wouldn't put it past them to have created anything of significance if it would have helped promote Studebakers and their marketing area, especially if a tie could be made between the two. BP

Studebaker could have used a LOT MORE dealers like this one; especially in the early 1960's!!

Craig

[BobPalma]

Studebaker could have used a LOT MORE dealers like this one; especially in the early 1960's!! Craig

AMEN to that, Craig!

SDCer and horse-drawn Studebaker enthusiast Frank Frost came to know Cecil and David Baker of Baker Brothers Motors when putting together Sunday Service circa 1989. Both have since passed away.

Good guys; excellent dealers. Thankfully, much of their material was saved, but I am not sure what became of it upon Cecil's passing. BP

[Guest]

Info from Dave Baker's daughter

AMEN to that, Craig!

SDCer and horse-drawn Studebaker enthusiast Frank Frost came to well-know Baker Brothers Motors when putting together Sunday Service circa 1989. Both have since passed away; I believe Cecil was already gone when Frank conversed extensively with David at that time.

Good guys; excellent dealers. Thankfully, much of their material was saved, but I am not sure what became of it upon David's passing. BP

Dave Baker was my stepdad. He died first in 1990. Cecil Baker, who died several years later, was the brother who conversed with Frank Frost. I would like to hear the story of how one of the Baker Bros cars came to reside in the beautiful city of Melbourne.

[BobPalma]

Dave Baker was my stepdad. He died first in 1990. Cecil Baker, who died several years later, was the brother who conversed with Frank Frost. I would like to hear the story of how one of the Baker Bros cars came to reside in the beautiful city of Melbourne.

Thank you so much for the clarification, Barb; 'glad you're here!

I've corrected my original post to reflect your report.

(Note that Australian member Jim Quigley said he has a pinback, a collectable "small" from Baker Brothers Motors, not a whole car.) BP

[Bill Pressler]

Thank you so much for the clarification, Barb; 'glad you're here!

I've corrected my original post to reflect your report.

(Note that Australian member Jim Quigley said he has a pinback, a collectable "small" from Baker Brothers Motors, not a whole car.) BP

This reminds me that a friend of mine thinks I should let my hometown newspaper know about the '64 Daytona HT sold new there that ended up in Australia, as a local-interest kind of story. They do look for stories, being a small-town six-day-a-week paper, but I'm not sure that would qualify! Sheila and I used to joke about pics of us or our kids that my parents would submit to the paper, would end up being BIG pictures, to fill space! Lately there are lots of pics of young hunters with their first deer there.

[studegary]

[B

One thing they did was photograph every farmer who bought a new Studebaker truck from them, with his new truck, when he took delivery. Then, they framed those photographs and hung them all around the top of their showroom walls.

When another farmer came in, there was an excellent chance he would recognize and know one of the previous customers, and what had been that customer's "new" Studebaker truck.

]

At the Chrysler Plymouth dealership where I sold full time, we took a picture for every sale, new or used, and posted them on 4'X8' panels on the showroom wall. Years after I left, I walked in and a new salesman said, "I know you. Your picture is up all over the walls.".