1920s-era Studebaker bumpers - ATTN Dick Quinn

[alanmende]

Hello everyone,

In addition to owning our 1954 Commander Starliner (AKA Grace), my wife and I own a 1930 Model A Ford Cabriolet convertible. Attached to its front bumper is an additional bar. As you can see, it is identical to the ones that Studebaker used on some of automobiles in the 1920s. I've been told that a separate company made them for Studebaker, and that they could be found on other cars as well. Can anyone give me information on the company that made them?

[Studebaker Wheel]

Yes, bumpers were considered as accessories by Studebaker through the late 20s. They used Biflex but there were a number of aftermarket makers including Stewart-Warner. That overrider shown on the Model A looks to have been made by the same company who made the bumper. Knowing Henry Ford I can hardly believe he would have outsourced the making of bumpers.

[raprice]

The bumper on your '30 Model A is not a Ford item. It seems to me that someone put on an after market bumper, probably because it looked better. My '30 Ford has the standard 2 bar bumper.
Rog

[57pack]

I worked at a auto parts store years ago that began buisness in 1920. The owner who worked there in the 1920's with his Dad, told me they used't sale bumpers, speedometers, radios, wheels, and tires as after market items.
He told me his Dad would send him down to the Railroad Express depot to pick these items up.
How things have changed!

[alanmende]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your responses. This extra bumper bar was on the car when my high school mechanical drawing teacher bought and restored it in 1958. He knew it wasn't Ford or even a Ford authorized accessory, but he didn't know who might have made it. I will let him know that it was probably from Biflex.

[WinM1895]

The bumper on your '30 Model A is not a Ford item. It seems to me that someone put on an after market bumper, probably because it looked better. My '30 Ford has the standard 2 bar bumper.
Rog

The bumper on this A is genuine Ford, the 'overider' is an aftermarket accessory.