Mechanix illustrated test the 1950 Studebaker

[clonelark]

Mechanix Illustrated
Issue: Nov, 1949
Posted in: Automotive
Tags: auto reviews,Studebaker, Tom McCahill
Posted: 06/19/2009
1 Comment





MI Tests the 1950 Studebaker (Nov, 1949)

MI Tests the 1950 Studebaker

[hausdok]

I was about 8 when I was given a big box of PMs, PSs and MIs by a friend of my father's. I would sit for hours reading those books and especially liked the articles by Tom McCahill. S'funny that they called it a 'needle-nosed' Stude at the time.

[Blue 15G]

I also loved reading those magazines (Popular Science, Popular Mechanics and Mechanix Illustrated) back when I was young. I probably learned as much (or more) from reading those as I did from going to school. Tom McCahill's road tests were great. His reports were probably the best part of Mechanix Illustrated. I still have a lot of those magazines, including the one that has this article in it. Good to see it again.

[48skyliner]

My interest in automobiles was first sparked by reading Tom McCahill's articles in Mechanics Illustrated. He became quite well known at one time, not quite as famous as Jeremy Clarkson, but well known as he was the first, the original, and for some time I believe the only guy road testing cars and writing articles about them, at least in the U.S. I think the British magazines also started pretty early on. McCahill was a man of great principle, and received many, many offers over the years to endorse cars or automotive products, but steadfastly refused until the day he died. I have noticed over the years that the guys at Road and Track, Car and Driver and others, when talking about "the early years", never seem to mention McCahill , and give him no credit for inventing the entire industry they live in.


McCahill was very close friends with Paul Whiteman, the famous band leader of the day. They were serious hunters, often hunted together. One day Whiteman had his friend McCahill as a guest on his TV show, which was sponsored by Nash. Tom of course had insisted that Whiteman not ask him to comment on or endorse the Nash cars. After some discussion about their latest hunting adventures, Whiteman dropped the bomb, no doubt under pressure from his sponsor. "Tom you recently test drove the new Nash Ambassador. What did you think of it?" After a moment of painful silence Tom said "It rides like a feather bed". After a few smiles and some applause, he said "It also steers like a feather bed" . The conversation then returned to hunting.

[wayne]

I have the magazine when he tested the 51 Commander and he was really impressed on how fast it was. He said the V-8 with overdrive in the 4 door did 0 to 60 in 12.5 sec. top speed 98.36. This was in the January 1951